Keough enjoys helping others

SANDPOINT — Shawn Keough would rather work with available money than with funding that might not materialize.

After almost 14 years in the Senate, Keough, R-Sandpoint, has climbed the seniority ladder and earned a spot as vice chair on the budget committee.

She thinks her experience and seniority gives her the backing to get things done and has earned her a seat at the leadership table.

“I have proven experience in moving issues forward and getting results to some of those issues,” Keough said.

That is the message she wants constituents to hear as she faces Steve Tanner of Bonners Ferry for the District 1 Senate seat in next week’s primary election.

In an effort to buffer the effects of budget cuts in one of the leanest years on record, Keough and fellow legislators worked with educators to make certain Idaho’s schools didn’t face debilitating cuts.

“We brought together all the stakeholders to see how to preserve quality education with less money, ” she said. “We were able to hammer out a consensus budget.”

The work resulted in a provision that dissolved a potential $900,000 hit for school districts in the region that has seen a drop in enrollment.

“We were able to provide flexibility within the budget that schools never had before,” she said. “It kind of makes lemonade out of lemons.”

Legislators have been criticized for not using money that could become available next school year to minimize cuts, but the proposal is flawed, Keough said.

“We don’t want to set budgets for schools based on money we are not sure we’re going to have,” she said. “I can’t write a check for money I don’t have and have no way of knowing is coming in. That’s incredibly foolish.”

If the economy continues to tick upward, and the money becomes available, the budgets can be adjusted, she said.

“It is far better in my opinion to be conservative and plan on the money we have now, and not cause a disruption of services in the middle of the year because we got it wrong,” she said.

She thinks North Idaho’s natural resource industry lends itself well to economic recovery.

“We are positioned for the future … by virtue of the fact we grow trees in North Idaho,” she said. “As the population grows, we’re going to use those products definitely as a component.”

Checking regulations that stymie business, combined with a plan to grow broadband Internet services through federal and state partnerships will help usher economic growth, she said.

“Expansion of broadband is one component to provide job opportunities,” she said.

Keough said her background as a senior member of the transportation and budget committees allow residents solid representation in the Legislature.

“My seniority ensures our area has a solid seat at the leadership table,” she said.