Heather Scott

1. I came to north Idaho because of the rural self-reliant life style it offers and became aware that government was beginning to encroach into every aspect of my life. I don’t believe in asking others to do something for me or that I would not do myself. Instead of sitting on the side lines and complaining, I got involved and have been working to make a difference ever since. It is not always easy or comfortable but rewarding to help educate citizens on how to get involved to control our government.

2. As a longtime aquatic biologist, I am uniquely qualified to deal with environmental and energy matters. I have shown in my first two terms I am not afraid to tackle tough issues, often leading the charge when other elected officials hold back. I have not compromised my position on legislation or issues in order to “go along to get along”. I vote on legislation based on its constitutionality and whether it protects or restrains personal freedoms, and I do so with tenacity, commitment and a strong work ethic.

3. I am opposed to the proposed smelter project and have remained actively engaged with the various groups opposing it. I have been and will continue to be a strong voice to ensure the protection of our valued north Idaho way of life. We cannot depend on Washington state bureaucrats to be looking out for Idaho citizens’ best interest. I drafted House Resolution 7 during the 2018 Legislative Session to alert the Legislature to this pending project. Among Bonner County’s most valued and irreplaceable resources is our water. Protecting it from any downwind impacts from the smelter project is a top priority.

4. • The proposed silicon smelter. District 1 residents need to have a voice when decisions are being made about all aspects of this project from environmental to aesthetics to road and travel impacts to costs to our county.

- Ensuring District 1 is properly represented and defended in the pending water adjudication process for Bonner and Boundary counties.

- Pursuing more transparency in government and working to reduce regulations and taxation through the legislative process.

- Finding ways to train and diversify our local work force to bring better paying jobs and finding creative ways to help our rural schools succeed.

5. A few of the issues that are not being given enough exposure include:

- Crony capitalism’s negative influence and impacts on elections and our community.

- The rapid expansion of international companies trying to exploit and control Idaho

resources.

- The Columbia River Treaty re-negotiations

6. Criticism comes with the job. My harshest critics are those who have chosen never to meet, talk with or get to know me. I am not afraid to tackle tough issues, call out lies and deception when they present themselves and stand on the Republican platform I ran on. The more the truth is exposed, the louder the voices of those who perpetuate lies become. If ever in doubt, follow the money. Exposing the truth is necessary in order to protect and preserve our way of life here in North Idaho, where many are coming to escape other failing parts of the country.

7. Be an educated and engaged voter and do your homework on every candidate. Don’t rely on glossy flyers or slick talk. Question candidates and demand straight answers. Follow the money and you will discover the truth on how a candidate will eventually vote.

8. No, it should not become a federal wilderness. Idaho does not need more wilderness areas and locked up land. Contrary to what proponents tell you, a federal wilderness designation moves us away from multiple use, diverse access, real forest management and it increases wildfire potential. There is a federal wilderness less than 20 miles away in Montana that is much larger, so if people feel the need to experience that, there is already one in close proximity.

9. There is an effort underway with much out-of-state support to bring Medicaid expansion into Idaho. Before we consider this issue, we need to take a close look at how the budgets of other states who have gone into Medicaid expansion have fared. The federal government fully funds the expansion costs for only three years, then reduces its financial contribution. That means states will be picking up more of the bill out of their own budgets. Idaho has a balanced-budget requirement. It means that the additional costs would impact other budget areas like education and infrastructure, to name just two important ones.

10. Question: What is more important for elected officials to do, follow the Constitution or the Courts? Answer: The Idaho Constitution is the foundational law of Idaho. The federal Constitution should act as a companion to the Idaho Constitution. In our three branches of government, our Founding Fathers made the judiciary purposely the weakest of the three as a form of checks and balances, but now in 2018 we, as a society, have forgotten that and rely way too much on the courts to rule every aspect of our lives. The courts offer an opinion of law but do not make law. Elected officials would do well to remember that and remember that they take an oath to uphold the constitutions, not the courts. We need to stop taking direction from the federal government in matters that are not in compliance with the Constitution and start acting like the sovereign state we were created be.