Idaho Senate members serve a 2-year term and are responsible for translating the public will into public policy for the state, levying taxes, appropriating public funds, and overseeing the administration of state agencies. These responsibilities are carried out through the legislative process — laws passed by elected representatives of the people, legislators.
Campaign Statement
Idaho First Idaho Strong
Campaign Phone
208-251-9303
Campaign Email
jim.baltar@hotmail.com
Phone
208-251-9303
Office Sought
State Senate District 28
I have tried for two years to get our Presidential primary back together with all down ticket races. I have successfully passed this through the senate twice, but the house won't give the legislation a hearing. It makes no sense to have a caucus with sub 7 % turnout while at the same time leaving voters out of the process, including service members, the elderly and those out of the state. Further it will save the state over 2.5 million dollars by combining. I have also passed legislation in the senate to limit the session length and number of bills an individual legislator can bring. This will allow more focus on what's important and save the state money as well. These ideas were also not considered in the house.
It has been an honor to serve my community, school district, county and legislative district in several different capacities. Each opportunity presents unique challenges, and I have grown as a decision maker because of that diversified service. I believe those experiences coupled with my commonsense approach to problem solving position me to be a strong advocate for this part of the state.
I have great respect for local control and understand the importance of our elected officials at all levels. One size does not fit all because local jurisdictions have differing personalities, needs, budgets and economies. I am very appreciative of the rural nature of Idaho and as such place a high value on the unique personality of our state.
The issues I hear most about are inflation, coping with growth, property taxes, and concerns about education and water. Certainly, there are many other issues. As we promote growth, let’s not sell Idaho short by giving away the farm at the risk of losing our farms.
At the state level we have appropriated money to help mitigate ever increasing property taxes, but they remain an issue. In my opinion we have placed too much focus on cutting income tax rates and instead should have placed more importance on the property tax dilemma. I have supported water conservation and recharge efforts, and this work needs to continue. Our commitment to education cannot waiver because our children are our future, and they need to be prepared.
I few years ago the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee or JFAC changed the way they format budgets. As a result, it has become confusing, time consuming and counterproductive to good decision making. We must return to a more transparent process so Idaho citizens can see more clearly how their money is spent. Setting a balanced budget is the only thing we are required to do, and we desperately need to clean that up. I also believe we must place our focus on common sense policy that is good for Idaho and limit bills that provide for political grandstanding. The political division and infighting are not conducive to providing the best public service to our citizens.
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