Reclaim Turns in Enough Signatures to Put Education Initiative on the Ballot; Verification Still Pending
By Greg Pruett • June 4, 2022Reclaim Idaho said last month it had turned in more than enough signatures to get its education initiative on the ballot in November.
On May 2, Reclaim Idaho said they had gathered more than 97,000 signatures to turn in for verification. The group posted the following message on Twitter,
We did it! With nearly 97K signatures submitted, we’re confident that the Quality Education Act will appear on the ballot!
AdvertisementThis means that voters will have a chance to increase K-12 funding by $323 million annually—with no new taxes on anyone making under $250K a year. #idpol
No official announcement has been made on whether or not the signatures Reclaim gathered have had enough verified to put their education initiative on the ballot officially. Idaho Dispatch reached out to the Secretary of State’s office for an answer, but we have not yet received one.
To get the initiative on the ballot, Reclaim had to gather 6% of registered voters from at least 18 of the state’s 35 legislative districts. Groups will often gather more than the necessary amount because signatures can be tossed out for various reasons.
Some individuals signing may give an incorrect or incomplete address, and those signatures are then invalidated.
We asked Reclaim co-founder Luke Mayville if he knew whether or not the signatures had been verified. Mayville responded to Idaho Dispatch initially by asking if it was too late to answer some of the questions we had sent him. We informed him there was still time but have not heard back from him yet.
Reclaims “Quality Education Act” would raise the tax rate on those making more than $250,000 a year ($500,000 for a couple) and raise the corporate tax rate from 6.5% to 8%. Reclaim estimates that approximately $323 million will be raised for education through the tax increases.
The group also says on its website that none of the increase would go to administrative costs.
One of the questions Idaho Dispatch asked Mayville was whether he thought the current state of the economy would have any impact on their effort to pass the initiative. If Mayville responds to our original questions, we will update the article.
Those opposed to the initiative say it is not time to raise taxes on Idahoans and that spending more money on education will not yield better results.
One online commenter posted a reply to Reclaim’s tweet from May 2 saying,
The irony of this, of course, is that those making more than $250k a year are already the ones paying for the bulk of the taxes and their kids don’t even attend them. Way to stick it to the man!
What do you think of Reclaim Idaho’s education initiative? Do you support it or oppose it?
Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Tags: Ballot Initiative, Education, Quality Education Act, Reclaim Idaho
29 thoughts on “Reclaim Turns in Enough Signatures to Put Education Initiative on the Ballot; Verification Still Pending”
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I’m wondering how they define “quality education,” as recently there’s been fierce debate in Idaho as to what “quality education” entails. It’s a gross simplification to arbitraily increase funding year after year, regardless of economic circumstances. Who decides exactly how that money is spent? This initiative is like a plebiscite for taxes.
Are these monies for Home Schooling, Charter and Private schools?
Surely they are not thinking of throwing new monies at a Failed Public School system.
Our Public School system has been Destroyed by Leftist Leaning Teachers Unions, Socialist Media Outlets and Complacent or Purposeful Socialistic maneuvers/voting by the Leadership in all three Branches of Idaho’s government.
If the legislature repealed the medicaid expansion that has now grown way beyond Reclaim’s claims, there would be no need for this tax for institutionalized education!
Amen!
Too true!
I’m a parent and this isn’t my first rodeo. I have an older child who finished schooling long ago and one who has been privately educated, or home schooled all of his life. I would love to vote a resounding No on this one. We don’t need more money; we need to end common core and leave the department of education.
Absolutely agree! Throwing more money at a failed institution expecting different results is Insanity. Who really is this grp?
You are right on. Money is not the answer to the education issue. The department of indoctrination has only degraded education.
I always vote against raises taxes!! So many hands in the pot, no accountability. Especially throwing money at the corrupt public education system that is sexualizing our children and indoctrinating with communist Marxist ideologies. Basically to hate America and become racist. Who are these people and how did they persuade so many others to buy into the LIE that more money equals quality education?
Raising the corporate tax rate will, in turn, raise consumer prices which will hit everyone at every income level at a time where prices and inflation are alresdy is at it’s highest in years .
There alaways seems to be enough money to ruin the education system and more money needed to fix it. Now is not the time to pour more money into a system set up purposely to fail our children. We need better “representatives”. Not “leaders”. The system is broken and money is not going to fix it. Morals, honesty, high values, loyalty, kindness, compassion, integrity, and high standards are not bought with money. They come naturally. You either have them or you don’t.
I don’t support and will vote NO. More money will not make the schools any better, that has been proven time and time again.
With property taxes that just went through the roof in Idaho, inflation, the price of gas, and costs going up everywhere, a new tax is a bad idea and bad for Idaho.
I feel like a couple making 500k could afford it. We are a 1 income family living on just over 110k & my husband busted his arse in a University for 5 years and I gave up my career to take care of our child. We basically live just as well as the HFH people across the street in a smaller house with a MUCH higher mortgage! YES the Public FOOL system is EFFED but guess what…they is ZERO private schools in the tiny North Idaho town we live in and our daughter REFUSES to homeschool at 14. Parents today are SCREWED no matter which way you ‘spin it’! Pretty sure that Idaho is near last in education for spending and in general so if you think that $ towards education has nothing to do with that then with all due respect…you are a fool. We live in a completely different POST boogie-CO world today and it’s not our kids fault…it’s just VERY sad.
THERE IS/ are ZERO-NOT “they”
Just how much is enough?? Reevaluate the spending, curriculum, need for personnel. District I live in has 35 teachers and assistant’s, 12 office staff and 9 other staff for approx. 350 students. Is this efficient way to spend the tax dollars?
You can count on my NO vote
This is no time to raise taxes, especially Business taxes. There was a budget surplus this past fiscal year, why would we want to raise taxes in a time of high inflation?
There was a budget surplus because our great tyrannical Gov Little and his cronies took every Penny the federal government through our way. And with it comes all the socialist red tape e have to follow
More socialist crap disguised as a benefit “for the children”.
The problem with socialism my lefty friends, is that “eventually you run out of other people’s money” (quoting Margaret Thatcher).
But trying to be a positive for these Marxists…why don’t you try California or Oregon?
I can help you pack.
Ban government involvement in education in any way. That’s how you reclaim Idaho
Agreed!!
Reclaim Idaho is a out of state funded far left liberal group. Guaranteed the liberals running this will do everything they can to ensure your kids are indoctrinated.
As a young Second Lieutenant in the US Army way back in the last century (1971), I learned a very valuable lesson that I’ve carried with me to the current century: Never reinforce failure. The fact that Idaho Dispatch has not received answers to questions posed to the Reclaim Idaho outfit is a significant data point. Reclaim Idaho, indeed. Reclaim Idaho from the soon to be boiling water the current administrations of DC and Boise have us “frogs” in. Let’s Reclaim Idaho from the lack of critical analysis on the part of individuals in this state (in particular, the parents of school children now attending public schools with phase three of the indoctrination taking place–that Marxist gender-bender nonsense). Here’s an idea: Let’s Reclaim the Republic.
Nope. Put in a voucher system with real choice and maybe. Otherwise S-can the whole idea of more taxes. BTW, isn’t this more class envy type taxation?
Will we actually get to vote on this? I don’t remember seeing any opportunity to do so. But we really have no say in anything, because when push comes to shove, elections will either be rigged or the person running, that waves your values around, is pretending. It’s the [somewhat] new democrat strategy: say anything, and use any platform you need to, until you’re elected. Then you’re home free, and you can do the opposite of what you campaigned on.
You stand CORRECT!!
Here are apparently the goals of the initiative that want to be put into law:
the following goals: Reducing class sizes and preventing class size
increases; attracting and retaining highly qualified teachers and support staff, including but not limited to, providing
competitive salaries, offering continuing education opportunities, and providing support for new educators; attracting and
retaining counselors and school psychologists; providing current and adequate classroom materials, such as textbooks and
supplies for students; providing full day kindergarten; providing career technical education; providing art, music and
drama programs; providing support for English language learners; providing enhanced instruction in civics, American
history, and American government; and providing special education services.
Only those who use government indoctrination education should pay taxes for this system and those who choose to fund these schools. We need a law to end funding from taxpayers who do not support a system that is failing students in countless ways.
How many dead people signed this initiative?
How many people from one address signed this initiative?
How many illegal migrants signed this initiative?
And yes…..what does “quality education” actually mean in Woke terms?
Just say NO.
.. need to get rid of public schooling.