Reed Announces Re-Election Bid

Veteran Democratic legislator Mary Lou Reed, a longtime voice for the environment and education in the state Senate, will run for re-election.

Reed, 66, said her top issue is establishing a state fund to help school districts build new classrooms and school buildings. Now, those costs are borne by local property owners, who pay added taxes.

“School kids must have school rooms in which to learn,” Reed said, “and property taxpayers who aren’t causing the growth shouldn’t have to bear the entire burden of providing those classrooms for kids.”

The six-term legislator beat Republican challenger Ron Vieselmeyer two years ago.

During this year’s legislative session, Reed pushed successfully for legislation supporting information technology, outdoor recreation, child support enforcement, regulation of personal watercraft and management plans for Priest Lake and the Priest River Basin. She supported the ban on dog racing.

Reed also helped draft an unsuccessful bill to raise the minimum wage. She also pushed unsuccessfully for a campaign finance bill banning contributions from corporations.

“I want to go back to Boise for another session and take more independent-thinking people with me to better represent the broad interests of the men, women and children of Idaho,” Reed said.

Reed represents Idaho’s 4th legislative district, which includes all of Shoshone County, the western half of Benewah County and the southeast portion of Kootenai County. , DataTimes