Rep. Barbara Ehardt being challenged by Miranda Marquit for District 33 seat A

IDAHO FALLS – Republican incumbent Barbara Ehardt is being challenged by Democrat Miranda Marquit in the race for District 33 seat A.

The seat is a two-year term. District 33 encompasses the “doughnut hole” of Idaho Falls between Anderson, Skyline and portions of Sunnyside Road.

Ehardt was first elected in 2017. Details about her campaign are available here.

Marquit has challenged Ehardt for the last several elections. Marquit’s Facebook page is available here.

EastIdahoNews.com sent the same eight questions to each candidate. Their responses were required to be 250 words or less. Ehardt did not meet the deadline for submitting responses, but Marquit’s responses are listed below. EastIdahoNews.com is publishing the answers in their entirety, and without any grammatical or style editing.

The general election is Nov. 5.

CANDIDATE QUESTIONS AND RESPONSES

Tell us about yourself — include information about your family, career, education, volunteer work, and any prior experience in public office.

Marquit: I grew up in Idaho Falls, graduating from Skyline High School. I’ve been back in Idaho Falls since 2015, serving in my community in various capacities. My son graduated from high school here in Idaho Falls and currently attends CEI, where he’s on the Dean’s List and is the captain of one of the esports teams.

Living in Idaho Falls has been a blessing to my family. I enjoy making use of our public lands and frequently spend time hiking, camping, snowshoeing, and soaking in hot springs. I’m connected to the community, participating in activities like trivia night, attending the symphony, and supporting various arts and education programs.

I was Chair of the Bonneville County Democratic Party for several years, and currently serve as Vice Chair. Additionally, I have served my community on various nonprofit boards and been appointed to mayoral committees and school district steering committees. As a result, I have an on-the-ground view of the issues that impact Idahoans in their day-to-day lives.

On top of that, my MBA, background in personal finance, and reporting on economic issues suit me to understand and manage budgets, which is a major part of being a part of the state legislature.

Why are you seeking political office? Briefly explain your political platform.

Marquit: I’m running because I’m tired of our legislature focusing on culture war issues. Instead of going after librarians and libraries, I want to address affordable housing and the cap on the homeowners property tax exemption.

Rather than targeting members of vulnerable communities, I’d focus on investment in public education, including supporting and expanding the LAUNCH program. I also believe that we need to stop tying public education funding to property taxes. Our state constitution requires a uniform education across the state. With our recent “surpluses” there’s no reason that we can’t create an education fund that supports our schools, ensures they remain in good repair, and that allows us to pay competitive wages to education professionals. Repeatedly, Idahoans say that one of their top priorities is education, and I agree with them. I’d like to see us make substantial investments in attracting quality educators to our state. I also believe that we need to fund our educational infrastructure directly, instead of relying on property taxes, bonds and levies. An investment in public education has been shown to lead to healthier, safer communities

Instead of making healthcare decisions on behalf of women and their providers, I want to talk about repealing the sales tax on groceries. I’m running because I want to work on sensible solutions to the challenges we face rather than wasting time making bad policy for nonexistent problems.

What are the greatest challenges facing people and communities in your district? What is your plan to meet those challenges?

Marquit: Affordable housing, public education funding and access to mental health services are three of the issues people speak with me about.

The state has an affordable housing fund that has yet to be properly funded. I’d push for us to use some of the money from our multi-year surpluses to start building that fund. We received some great one-time funds from the Biden Administration in our state, and were able to use some of that money to alleviate issues in Eastern Idaho. I’d also push to reverse the 2016 cap our state’s homeowners exemption. As home values have risen, the cap hasn’t kept pace leaving many of our seniors vulnerable.

Our state repeatedly has “surpluses” of between $500 million and $1 billion a year. This indicates under-investment in our communities and our citizens. A good example of ongoing under-investment is in our healthcare infrastructure. Between our lack of investment in mental health services and draconian laws that have led to the closing of multiple labor and delivery wards, the health of our families suffers. I would work to reverse laws like SB1329 that put our youth mental health at risk.

Finally, I’m against the school voucher scheme that will siphon money away from public education, which still hasn’t recovered from the cuts made in 2009 (factoring inflation). We should be trying to attract good teachers with student loan forgiveness programs, good pay, and respect for their professionalism.

Have you seen any mistakes made by the Idaho Legislature in recent years? How would you work to correct these errors?

Marquit: The state legislature has increasingly focused on culture war issues that do nothing to address actual challenges faced by everyday Idahoans. They waste time and our taxpayer dollars on bad policy for non-existent problems. Here are some examples that I would work to repeal:

SB1329 (2024): Our state is one of the highest for youth suicide and mental health professionals warn that SB1329 won’t do anything to alleviate the problem, and could potentially provide a shield for abusers.

HB710 (2024): The “stinkin’ library bill,” as Governor Little called it. More then 2/3 of Idahoans trust librarians to do their jobs, and this bill has already led to at least one library barring children altogether in fear of being sued. This bill puts power in the hands of a few to intimidate libraries in telling others what their children can read.

SB1309 (2022): Idaho’s abortion bounty bill, which has driven 22% of OB-GYNs from the state and resulted in the closing of labor and delivery wards. Politicians shouldn’t be make healthcare decisions for women, and this bill does nothing to protect health or life. In Texas both infant and maternal mortality have skyrocketed since their similar law went into effect. We’ll have to wait on our own numbers until the reinstatement of our own maternal mortality board goes back into effect (it was discontinued by the legislature before being reinstated this year).

I’d work to repeal all of these laws, which do nothing to contribute to the wellbeing of Idahoans.

What parts of the state budget could use more funding? Are there places in the budget where cuts could be made?

Marquit: As I’ve stated many times, the fact that we have such large surpluses year-to-year is an indication that we’re not investing in Idahoans. Healthcare, infrastructure, housing, and education could all use more funding. We have billions of dollars’ worth of sales tax exemptions on the books that haven’t been reviewed in more than a decade. We should be reviewing those as well for additional revenue.

What is your position on Idaho’s Proposition 1 ballot initiative that would end closed-party primary elections and create ranked-choice voting?

Marquit: Even though many Democrats are hesitant about this initiative, I support it. I understand the reluctance of some Democrats to support the initiative because right now, we have a guaranteed spot in the general election as long as someone runs. With an open top-four primary, we run the risk of having no one on the general election ballot, as a Democrat might not make it through the primary.

However, that risk is worth it to me because I believe that private party organizations have too much sway in our public election process. Our primaries are publicly funded, but run according to private party rules, meaning less participation. I believe that people should have more power than parties, and a top-four open primary is a step in that direction.

Ranked-choice voting also results in officeholders that have broader support because they have to appeal to a greater cross-section of the electorate, rather than just getting through a party-controlled primary that party bosses have out-sized influence over. Ranked-choice is nothing more than an instant runoff. It could save time and money by avoiding a completely different election. It’s been in use for more than 100 years, and has been upheld in our court system. It’s simple elementary-school math that can be audited like any other election.

What is your position on Gov. Brad Little using Idaho State Police resources to bolster security at the United States southern border? How does illegal immigration impact the constituents in your district?

Marquit: I’m not sure why Governor Little feels the need to grandstand with our taxpayer dollars. The Idaho Dairyman’s Association has made it clear that 90% of its labor force comes from some type of unauthorized labor. Our economy benefits, to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars, from unauthorized labor.

FBI statistics indicate that immigrants are responsible for much less crime than U.S. citizens, and undocumented immigrants are even less likely to engage in violent and property crime. According to border enforcement statistics, most of the fentanyl coming over the border is through legal ports of entry, carried by white American citizens.

Riling people up with false stories and stoking fear of the “other” does nothing to address local issues of healthcare, housing, and education.

A battle over the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer recharge led to a temporary water curtailment for thousands of acres of farmland in 2024. How should the legislature respond to this issue?

Marquit: I am dismayed by the curtailment, and believe that we need to figure out a long-term solution. Ultimately, though, the legislature has shown itself incapable of addressing serious issues through legislation. However, the legislature should act as a stakeholder and perhaps help moderate discussions. Additionally, it’s important to note that legislators in other parts of the state might have a different view than Eastern Idaho legislators, leading to protracted wrangling. Old agreements need to be revisited, but this is an issue that is more complex than simply trying to issue a legislative edict to stakeholders. The legislature can certainly learn, get some ideas, and help facilitate discussions, but trying to solve the problem through some type of sweeping legislation is not practical.