PERSPECTIVES
Greetings from Boise By Rep. Mark Sauter, R-Sandpoint Reader Contributor It is the duty of the Legislature each session to set and approve a balanced state budget. I believe it’s the only required duty. We have a considerable number of bills to pass to fulfill this obligation. Of most recent concern is the holding of appropriation bills on the House floor and doing the same with all Senate bills. I’m told this effort is to help with negotiations between the Senate and House leadership, and the governor. The original plan was for us to be finished on Friday, March 24. Things are getting contentious, too. Recently, an Education Committee member abruptly left our meeting after a vote didn’t support a bill she favored. Before leaving she made a point of scolding those who voted against the bill and disparaging the person (and his bill) next to her. She hasn’t returned. We get a lot of emails. Lately we average about 125-150 a day. This is understandable. It is good to hear the insight of so many. Most encourage a certain way to vote on
against an issue. Voting on a bill — no matter the direction of the vote — does establish a legislator’s position on an issue. Often, within an hour or two of a vote, posts start to appear on social media. The wording may go something like, “[fill in the name] doesn’t support kids, or families, etc.” The truth is the legislator may be supportive of the bill concept, but believe the current bill isn’t what it should be. Rep. Mark Sauter. File photo. Obviously, politics can be inserted into this mix as well. an issue. Some are positive, some An example of this problem are negative. Many point out how occurred with two recent library we should have voted. Some are bills. House Bill 139 was a broadthreatening. The same holds for ly written bill that carried civil phone calls. Some messages are fines for libraries found distriblate by several days, meaning the uting questionable materials to votes have already happened. minors. This type of enforcement It’s worth noting that not all language has been called a “privotes are “yea” or “nay.” Some vate cause of action.” Plaintiffs votes during a bill hearing give direction to the bill author to make who bring these types of complaints may be awarded thousands edits or more substantial changes. These votes don’t necessarily stop of dollars and are often given years to file their complaints after a bill. The bill just gets amendan alleged incident occurred. ed before it is moved forward. HB 227 directed libraries to However, to some, the vote to develop policies to cover the secudirect an amending procedure is a rity of objectionable materials — vote against the original bill and
The tricky business of amending bills, and other updates that is, keeping minors away from certain content — and how parents could protest materials they found problematic. Both bills defined obscene materials in a similar way and dealt with an issue that has been in the news for the last couple of years. They both failed to get a “do-pass” recommendation of approval in committee, but for different reasons. As a result, the bill authors were encouraged to work together to develop a bill that would give direction for library board policy, improve the confidence for parents and have some consequences. Today I learned another library bill will be introduced soon. I’m told the new bill has the fine portion reduced to $2,500 per event. I haven’t read the bill yet. The story is the bill will go before the State Affairs Committee this time instead of the Education Committee, like last time. Apparently the bill authors are hopeful they can get approval this time. The Education Committee will soon hear a school bathroom bill. Since last Thursday evening, I’ve received about 1,700 — yes,
1,700 — emails supporting the bill. Interestingly, our three school superintendents all support the direction of the bill. So I will likely be supporting the bill as well. What’s the point here? It’s that sometimes it takes time to work out the details of a bill. Yes, it can take too long, and the final product isn’t always perfect. But it can be better than it would have been on the first try. Finally, we just passed a property tax relief bill (HB 292). I will write about it next week. As expected, there was little time to consider it. It was first rolled out the afternoon before the vote, and will likely be the only tax relief bill we get to vote on this session. The bill is a mix of actions that should help our homeowners and our schools. Rep. Mark Sauter is a firstterm Republican legislator representing District 1A. He serves on the Agricultural Affairs; Education; and Judiciary, Rules and Administration committees. Contact him at msauter@house. idaho.gov.
Good transportation design requires balance between vehicle, pedestrian movement By Steve Klatt Reader Contributor It is interesting to observe the discussions begin again about transportation routes through Sandpoint, as individuals once again dig their philosophical trenches to create more “roadblocks” to finding an optimum or even acceptable driving solution. Having been on the Sandpoint City Council in the 1970s, when we implemented a one-way street grid so that we could drive through Sandpoint and worked with public involvement on the Sand Creek project, this subject is not new to me. I still find myself maintaining the position we need to have a transportation design that allows
Steve Klatt. File photo. all traffic flow through Sandpoint, and this does definitely include commercial trucks of all shapes and sizes. Through decades of commu-
nity transportation planning, we have never really done justice to the industrial trucking complex clustered in the northwest corner of Sandpoint, and this is one vital economic component of our community. Likewise, we are a community of pedestrians and bicyclists needing connectivity from one side of town to the other. Functional traffic design typically calculates the numbers of types of users on the road system. Designing dysfunction for the majority to accommodate a preferential few is not a good design premise, either. Sandpoint as a community chose a course of traffic routes bisecting Sandpoint in the 1980s, when the city began opposing the concept of a western route for a bypass that could connect all highways.
Finding solutions to any divisive community issue takes some open-mindedness, tolerance of others’ viewpoints and willingness to incorporate a little personal humor into our interactions. So, I find it troubling when we chide political polarity in governmental affairs and elected officials, then start chains of diatribe to instigate polarity on this issue rather than promoting community conversation. There are numerous elements available to be utilized for pedestrian movement, as well as choices for connecting traffic routes for both form and function. I am an old-school road and highway guy who believes traffic design has a primary purpose to accomplish: smoother vehicle movement while accommodating pedestrian
movement. The most recent downtown street designs were all about pedestrians and few considerations were made for how vehicles traverse between highways. Somehow, creating traffic movement that shifts to residential streets as the most expedient routes through Sandpoint is not really very good design for city residents, either. There are many of us who live in the county, traverse Sandpoint for our livelihoods and are local shoppers, but do not find the lack of vehicular connectivity a community attribute. Steve Klatt is a former Sandpoint City Council member and retired longtime director of the Bonner County Road and Bridge Department.
March 16, 2023 / R / 11