Press Release: The Concerned Citizens of Canyon County Candidate Selection

The following Press Release was sent out by the Concerned Citizens of Canyon County. Note: Press Releases sent out by organizations do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of those at the Idaho Dispatch.

County Offices:

We have two county commissioner seats in Canyon County who will be up for election or reelection this year.

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We are recommending:

Brad Holton For Commissioner District 2, the proven highly skilled executive, and present Mayor of Greenleaf. Brad as Mayor has watched the expansion of his city be curtailed by legislation limiting growth, recognized the need for Impact fees on New Construction for Jails and schools.  Impact fees will supply the finances for both in the future rather than the cost falling back on the existing property taxpayers.  He is opposed to federalism taking over state and county operations such as the EPA regulations on water.

Zach Brooks for County Commissioner District 3. Zach is an active member of the Canyon County Republican Central Committee, holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree with an emphasis in accounting from Lewis-Clark State College. As a business manager of a national chain of restaurants he is fully experienced with budgets, employees, and taxes.  He currently sits on the boards of three non-profits.

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Keri smith and Pam White.  This committee opposes the re-election of both Keri and Pam for the following reasons.  Both have refused to establish impact fees for jails or public safety and parks which will add $2.5 million per year to our property taxes, and during the past three years we have lost $5 million for future jails from new construction. Nor have they prepared a capital plan prioritizing capital requirements or established a capital construction fund to address capital needs while overlooking several potential funding sources for this.  They fail to solicit or consider citizen input on a variety of critical issues and the system they used for salary determination was highly expensive and flawed.  Their failure to act as an executive body has allowed other county officials to exert too much influence.

State Offices:

The Committee being fully familiar with the candidates, their past accomplishments or lack thereof, and having interviewed those we were not familiar with suggests the following candidates from Districts 9-13 for the May Primary Election.

“NOTE” where there wasn’t a clear choice between candidates by the committee, we have not listed the race.

Remember in Idaho at this time due to the Republican and Conservative Electorate, those who are elected in the primary will be elected in the November Election.

Your vote in May is highly important

Legislative district: D-9 Senatorial contest:  Neither Sen. Lee nor Sen. Rice should be returned to the Idaho Senate.  Senator Rice has for the past 3 years developed bills for property tax that would have the effect of raising property tax on homeowners. Fortunately, through the activities of this committee identifying the flaws we have been able to block these bills from passing.

Sen. Lee has been inactive on this issue.

We Recommend Jordan Marques for this Senate seat.  He is a conservative business owner in Payette, is active in legislative issues, including writing and editing legislation, Jordan rejects Cooperative Federalism and supports Dual Federalism.  He wants to end federal attempts take over within Idaho, preventing CRT, socialism, and sexual identification within our schools.  He will represent you the voter as opposed to business and industry.

D-9 Representative Seat B.  Judy Boyle has been remarkedly responsive in representing her voters and is protecting Idaho citizens from the liberal movement eroding the state and federal governments at this time.

Legislative District: D-10 Senatorial Contest:  Tammy Nichols has proven her responsive representation of the voters of Caldwell and Nampa as a Representative over the years and will continue to do so as Senator. She has been supportive of indexing the homeowner’s property tax, is competent, diligent, and knowledgeable of the legislative process and the method to develop and promote legislation.

D-10 Seat A Representative.  Rachel Hazelip.  She is opposing Mike Moyle the present House Floor leader.  She is a young conservative, who has worked with and is still working with the Tim Tebow Foundation.  A historian and teacher who has taught English, writing, psychology, and American history in university classrooms, high schools, and overseas as part of educational ministry programs since 2017. She has earned degrees in criminal justice, liberal arts, and political science from the College of Western Idaho with high honors in 2017; and graduated magna cum laude from Northwest Nazarene University in 2020 with degrees in history and international studies. She is an active supporter of the War Hawk Museum and is concerned about cooperative federalism taking over the states, liberal education in our schools and career politicians such as Moyle who are not representing the people.

Moyle has been in the legislature for 24 years and has blocked every property tax bill that would have rebalanced the shift between commercial and residential property tax.  If left in office property taxes will continue to increase.

D-10 Seat B Representative. Bruce Skaug.  Bruce is owner of Skaug Law.  After two terms as a Nampa Councilman, he was elected to the House 2 years ago and has been extremely active in the legislature supporting conservative issues and carrying bills for his district.  He actually represents the people and was the representative who carried the property tax bill during the 2021st session that would have rebalanced and reduced homeowners’ property taxes.  Although the bill had 44 senators and representatives as co-sponsors the House leadership, Moyle and Bedke would not let the bill be printed or presented to the House.  This year Skaug carried a bill to stop sexual mutilation of children, a bill to prevent smut being available to minors within schools or libraries, and a bill that would prevent a county from being able to build court houses and Jails without the permission of the citizens.  He will cure property tax if allowed to stay in the House.

Legislative District D-11 Senatorial Contest:  Chris Trakel.  Chris is contesting this new Senator seat against Greg Chaney.  Chris is a disabled Veteran leaning to the right of the GOP.  He has supported property tax relief, protection of natural rights, adherence to the Constitution, and less government control.

Chaney seems to have wandered into opposition of the right side of the GOP and opposed the moratorium legislation, the abortion issue (heartbeat) and carried a bill to prevent Doxing.

Legislative District 11 seat A Julie Yamamoto. Julie is highly responsive to her electorate. She earned a BA in Elementary Education and MA in Educational Leadership from the College of Idaho and her Educational Specialist and Doctor of Education from the University of Idaho.  She is an active and conservative Christian. Idaho needs more Julies.

Legislative District 12. Senatorial Contest:  Ben Adams. Ben is a 2nd term Representative from Nampa.  A combat veteran of two campaigns in the middle east.   Ben is moving to the Senate from the House as redistricting left the Senatorial position void.  Ben has had a remarkable first two years as a Representative proposing, promoting, Federalism, and debating Conservative legislation. He supported the abortion prevention bill that prohibits abortion after a heartbeat can be heard, opposed Covid 19 mask mandates and closely supported the 2021 Skaug property tax bill to correct the shift of commercial and agriculture property taxes.  He is an effective, bold representative of his citizens.

Legislative Representative District D-12 Seat A:   We stumbled a little with this decision finally selecting Machele Hamilton.  Machele is an active Republican, who for years has headed offices within the Canyon County Republican Central Committee. Has worked as Senator Rice’s Legislative Secretary. She is well known in the legislature, conservative, believes in the 2^nd amendment, birth starts at conception, states’ rights, opposes liberal education in our schools and federalism.  Due to her experience and activity, she will have an almost immediate effect and position with the legislature.

The Second Choice was Sebastian Griffin.  Sebastian is a bright well educated young man, 21, who has as a high schooler proposed legislation, some of which became law.  He is fully familiar with the legislative process and is working toward taking the Idaho Bar Exam.  When interviewed he brought with him several bills that he supported and fully communicated the contents.  We as a committee are sure that he will be in the legislature and will be an asset for Idaho.

Legislative Representative District 12 Seat B: Jaron Crane: Jaron Crane is a member of the legislative Crane family.  His brother Brent is chairman of a House committee, and his father was a prominent legislator and head of an Idaho Agency.  He, like his family are conservatives who believe in states’ rights, the right of an individual to live their life free from intrusive government, are against unnecessary abortion, 2^nd amendment supporters, and anti-federalism.

Legislative Representative district 13: Senatorial Contest:  Senator Agenbroad of 2021 D-13 faces challenger Brian Lenney:  the committee is equally divided on this contest and will not as a committee support either candidate.

Legislative Representative District 13 Seat A:   Brent Crane, Chairman of the House State Affairs committee is unopposed

Legislative Representative District 13 Seat B:  Tara Barling:  Tara has been a member of this committee from the onset. She is now a director of the committee.  She is, and has been, active within the Canyon County Central Committee and a precinct Committeeman.  Tara has been very active in supporting legislation and helped with the property tax bill Representative Skaug carried during the 2021 session.  She consistently testifies at hearings on bills at the Capitol.  She became very discouraged during the 2022 session due to the lack of representation and ignoring property tax legislation, decided to run for this office to end the lack of representation of the voters by the legislators.  She is a religious Christian, conservative, mother, and grandmother, familiar with the legislative process and testifying before the legislature.  Her main objectives will be to correct property tax for homeowners, protect the 2^nd Amendment, stop liberal education, put God back in the schools, and oppose a Constitutional convention.