You may know Representative Barbara Ehardt as a basketball coach. She seems like a nice lady and who served on the city council. However, in Boise, the story is a little different.
Do you know her real record in the Idaho Legislature?
It’s disappointing, but, unfortunately, Ehardt has failed to represent us on several key issues:
- Property taxes
- Education
- INL
- Issues that impact us here in Idaho Falls
Ehardt’s Record on Property Taxes
In 2020, 2021, and 2022, Ehardt failed to address rapidly rising residential property taxes by not making any significant effort to either protect the portion of your home’s value exempt from property taxes or cutting them for our hard-hit senior citizens. A quick look through her voting record makes her priorities clear. Spoiler: most of her time is spent on pet issues authored with help from outside interests, not on the items many D33 residents say matter to them. She’s too busy doing the IFF’s bidding and pushing an extremist narrative surrounding a moral panic over drag queen story hour.
In 2022, she had a chance to increase eligibility for the “circuit breaker” (HB 481, 2/11/2022, S1259, 3/25/2022) and save some homeowners money on property taxes. She declined to even consider this half-measure to help those who need it most when 70% of the burden is on residential homeowners vs. 30% on commercial real estate owners.
(Source: Ehardt 2020, 2021, and 2022 legislative record.)
Ehardt’s Record on Education
Voted in favor of jailing librarians over “inappropriate” material. We already have laws against pornography. We don’t need to be jailing librarians for doing their jobs. However, Ehardt thinks it’s fine to jail librarians for providing help to students, all the while spouting conspiracy theories. Several of her statements, including the need to clamp down on educators because “critical race theory is real” in our schools, during our debate were unverified and concerning.
(Source: HB 666 3/7/2022)
Ehardt voted against funding for Idaho’s colleges and universities. Three times. These were not “extras.” There were basic appropriations needed to support our institutions of higher learning. She voted against these basic bills to fund education even though the INL and other major employers need strong colleges and universities to supply their workforce.
(Sources: HB 603, 3/9/20, HB 641, 3/16/20 and H644, 3/17/20)
In committee during 2020, she voted to eliminate Idaho’s education standards for K-12. Efforts led by local Republican Senator Dean Mortimer helped block this egregious move. It’s deeply concerning and disappointing that a legislator that spends so much time with our youth would take such an irresponsible step without a plan for replacement.
(Source: Idaho Education News, 2/5/20)
Voted against basic safety requirements, such as criminal background checks, seatbelts for travel, and emergency evacuation procedures, for daycare facilities.
(HB312, 1/28/20)
Ehardt’s Record on Idaho National Labratory
Authored a demand to end diversity and inclusion programs in our colleges and universities, despite insistence from INL and other major businesses that they need these programs. The Director of INL was so disturbed that he stated publicly that “diversity at the laboratory is really, really important to us” and is needed to build INL’s future workforce
(Source: Idaho Statesman, 10/6/19)
Opposed funding the Idaho Workforce Development Council which tailors Idaho’s education and training programs to the needs of local employers like INL and Melaleuca.
(Source: HB 542, 2/27/20)
Ehardt’s Record on Issues of Concern to Local Residents
Voted against the Idaho Patient Act, a bill championed by members of both parties and put forth by Frank Vandersloot in an effort to restrict overly-aggressive medical debt collectors. While the bill ultimately passed, Ehardt’s complicity with companies like Medical Recovery Services is concerning. It calls into question whether we can rely on her to fight for us, instead of against us.
(Source: HB 515, 2/24/20)
Opposed regulating vaping sales to minors. As a member of an Idaho Falls city subcommittee dealing with health, I understand that vaping among minors is a huge concern here in town. The bill ultimately passed, requiring regulation similar to tobacco. It’s disappointing that our local “representative” instead sided with a vape shop owner from Northern Idaho, Rep. Vito Barbieri, rather than putting the health needs of our youth first.
(Source: HB 538, 3/6/20)
On top of that, while complaining of federal government “overreach,” Rep. Ehardt is just fine with the state legislature restricting the actions of local entities. She voted against the ability of cities to impose their own taxes on tobacco and vaping — including the sale of products to minors.
(Source: SB1285, 3/17/2022)
Supported having legislative vacancies filled solely by political parties without the governor’s input. Our elected officials, whether we agree with them or not, should have input into replacements. After all, they are, ultimately, elected and accountable to We the People. We should not be letting backroom party politics dominate our state.
(Source: HB 378 2/12/20)
Wanted to prevent the Idaho public from fully learning who is communicating with legislators on legislation. This is vital. Some of Rep. Ehardt’s bills are actually authored, in part, by outside organizations. Idaho has amazing Sunshine Laws and other transparency efforts. It’s concerning when someone who is supposed to represent us won’t be forthcoming about where the legislation is actually coming from.
(Source: HB 601, 3/10/20)
Supported spending over $7 million on office space for our part-time legislators at the expense of other priorities like education. These “leaders” pretend like we don’t have the resources to fund our priorities, particularly education, but are perfectly willing to allocate funds for their own comfort.
(Source: H289, 3/27/19)
Voted to limit Idahoans’ constitutional right to put measures directly on the ballot. We’ve shown ourselves judicious in the way we approach ballot initiatives. Very few have passed in our history. The process is already difficult and time-consuming. There’s no reason to make it impossible. Instead of stomping on voters, our “representatives” should be listening to us. Every living Idaho Attorney General, past and present, concluded this was a breach of citizens’ constitutional rights, and it was vetoed by Gov. Brad Little.
(Source: H296, 3/29/19, and HB 303, 4/10/19)
Voted to block healthcare for the working poor and fought against Medicaid Expansion every step of the way — even though nearly 65% of the people living in our district voted in favor of expansion. Not only that, but Ehardt voted to add onerous restrictions on Medicaid expansion coverage, adding millions to the cost.
(Source: HB464, 03/21/18, and SB1204, 04/04/19)
Voted AGAINST mandatory reporting for child abuse. You’d think someone who complains so much about so-called “grooming” would take measures to actually protect kids. But it’s just lip service. She doesn’t think that mandatory reporting of child abuse is important. Luckily, the abhorrent bill she supported didn’t pass.
(Source: HB455, 3/3/2020)
Signed loyalty pledge to follow the Idaho GOP platform – no exceptions noted.
(Source: Idaho GOP website: https://idgop.org/candidate/barbara-ehardt/)
What’s in the current platform? And what resolutions did the convention support?
- Repeal the 17th Amendment to the Constitution — direct election of Senators.
- Require partisan elections for municipal elections
- Restrict early and mail voting
- Classify abortion as murder — an amendment to exclude rape and incest was shot down
- Create a school voucher system (see my TikTok on vouchers) that would undermine public education
Rep. Barbara Ehardt is too busy following the talking points given to her by the Idaho GOP, IFF and extremist organizations to listen to everyday Idahoans in D33. I’ve been holding public events around the district to listen to concerns. I even attended a Stand Up for Idaho meeting and answered questions honestly. I’m not afraid of the people. And I’m ready to represent you.