Scott votes against bill to feed seniors

BLANCHARD — Representative Heather Scott joined 10 other lawmakers on Wednesday in tapping federal funding to provide meals for senior citizens.

Scott's vote appears to be part of a broader effort by House conservatives to end Gov. Brad Little's emergency declaration and ending public health orders during the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Scott, a Republican from Blanchard, sided with Rep. Vito Barbieri, who argued that supplemental appropriations should be placed in the 2022 budget even though the appropriations funding can be spent immediately.

Scott did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.

“I’m not against the aging, but what I am against is moving supplemental money around so it’s... hard to find for citizens," Scott said, according to an Idaho Press report.

Scott said the bill provided too much government money to take care of the aging and that care for the elderly should come from neighbors and churches.

"That's where I think this care should come from with regard to the aging," Idaho Press reported Scott saying.

In addition to Scott and Barbieri, reps. Chad Christensen, Greg Ferch, Priscilla Giddings, Karey Hanks, Dorothy Moon, Tammy Nichols, Tony Wisniewski and Julianne Young also voted in opposition to House Bill 123, according to the Idaho Legislature's website.

Idaho Press reported Rep. Brooke Green, D-Boise, the House sponsor of the bill, said, “As we all recognize, this past year has been trying for many of our communities, but particularly for our seniors.”

With the closure of in-person meal programs, she said, Area Agencies on Aging in Idaho had additional costs including to-go containers, personal protective equipment and transportation to offer those seniors home-delivered meals instead. “These additional funds will enable home-delivered meals to be an option for many of our seniors and many of our communities,” she said.

Keith Kinnaird can be reached at kkinnaird@bonnercountydailybee.com and followed on Twitter @KeithDailyBee.