When did it become a bad thing to question our government?

Why are we expected to simply trust and never ask questions?

One challenge I see in Idaho politics is that we often place trust in people simply because we have known them our whole lives. Many of them are third- and fourth-generation Idahoans, folks whose families have been part of our communities for decades. I hear it all the time: “Oh, they’re good people. We’ve known them forever.”

They may very well be good people and great neighbors. But something can change when we arrive at the Boise Capitol. Somewhere along the way, some forget who they are supposed to represent and who sent them there.

If we do not stay grounded by the people who actually voted us in, remember our oath of office, and guard our principles as if they were gold, silver, and rubies, it becomes very easy to drift. After spending four years at the Capitol, I can see how quickly someone could get caught up in the system. The pressure, the relationships, the constant stream of information, it is real. And the truth is, we are often outnumbered by the red and green badges in the halls.

Those badges tell their own story. The red tags represent government agencies. The green tags represent lobbyists or advisors. Different titles, but often the same purpose: men and women who are paid to influence whether legislation passes or fails in ways that benefit the interests they represent.

So let’s take a step back and look at how both government agencies and the lobby groups surrounding them have grown over the years.

Agencies:

Most Idahoans assume the structure of our state government is largely set by the Constitution. In reality, that is not the case. The Idaho Constitution establishes only a handful of offices and just three constitutional boards: the Idaho State Board of Land Commissioners, the Idaho State Board of Education, and the Idaho Fish and Game Commission. Everything else, the many agencies, boards, commissions, and councils that exist today, was created later through legislation.

That means the vast majority of Idaho’s government structure is not permanent. It exists because the Legislature created it over time.

In the 1960s, Idaho had a relatively simple structure: roughly fifteen to seventeen major state departments and about sixty boards and commissions. These were primarily focused on core responsibilities like education, natural resources, agriculture, and transportation. Over the decades, however, that structure steadily expanded. Federal grant programs, professional licensing requirements, and industry commissions all contributed to the creation of new boards and advisory councils.

Today, Idaho still has roughly twenty major agencies, but the number of boards, commissions, and councils has grown to well over two hundred. The agency structure has remained relatively stable, but the layers of boards beneath those agencies have multiplied. Because nearly all of these bodies were created in statute rather than the Constitution, the Legislature retains the authority to consolidate, reform, or eliminate them when necessary. Understanding how this growth occurred is an important first step in evaluating how our government has grown.

Lobbyists

Another number worth paying attention to around the Capitol is the number of lobbyists. Idaho’s Legislature is intentionally small, just 105 citizen lawmakers serving the entire state. Yet surrounding that small body of legislators each year is a much larger group of professional advocates. In recent sessions, roughly 400–450 registered lobbyists have been working in and around the Capitol representing more than 700 employers and clients. Businesses, industry associations, unions, nonprofit organizations, and even government entities all hire lobbyists to follow legislation and advocate for their interests.

It was not always this way. Historical records from the Idaho Secretary of State show that in the early 1960s there were only about 60–70 registered lobbyists in Idaho. Today that number has grown more than sixfold. Participation in the legislative process is a right in a free society, and citizens absolutely should have a voice in their government. But the numbers tell an important story. When hundreds of organized interests surround a Legislature of just 105 members, it becomes even more important for ordinary Idahoans to stay informed and engaged. The balance of a representative government depends not just on those who are paid to advocate, but on citizens who are paying attention.

Why am I sharing all of this? Because I have spent a great deal of time reflecting on it as I commit myself to campaign to serve as your senator for another two years.

The discipline and courage it takes to be your statesman, to stand firm and refuse to compromise principles, must be rooted in a deep love for the people of this great state. I truly believe that. Serving you is not about titles or recognition. It is about stewardship, responsibility, and remembering who sent us there.

In the coming years, the pressures will only grow. I do not believe we are out of our budget challenges yet, even though many seem to assume that state and federal dollars will always be there. Over time, far too many programs, and far too many people, have become dependent on government funding. When the conversation turns to reducing or removing a program, it pulls at your heart, because real people are affected.

But the truth remains: we cannot spend money we do not have.

That leaves us with only two honest choices. We either return to our constitutional responsibilities, make those our priority, and begin making the difficult decisions about what government should and should not fund, or we continue down the path of placing more burdens on the people through taxes, fees, and fines.

That is a tremendous responsibility, and it is one that weighs heavily on me.

At times, I find myself frustrated when I think about the decisions made by previous generations of leaders who allowed government to grow beyond what our Constitution intended. Those choices have left us with a system that is increasingly difficult to sustain.

But frustration alone accomplishes nothing.

That is why I will continue to fight, serve, and work, with humility and determination, in the hope that we can begin correcting some of these mistakes and restore a government that is sustainable and faithful to its constitutional role.

I do it for the people of Idaho today, and for our children and grandchildren who will inherit the decisions we make.