Kathryn Larson

BIOGRAPHY 

Kathryn Larson is a consultant and an artist. She has a bachelor of science degree in geology, with postgraduate work in education and organizational development.

She co-founded a technology company with her husband and has pioneered experiential learning programs and has worked around the globe advising the leaders of common brands.

She and her husband have three children and nine grandchildren, parents and parents-in-law.

She can be reached via email at kathrynlarsonforIdaho@gmail.com or online at kathrynlarsonforidaho.com.

ANSWERS: 

1. I won’t wait 100 days to begin. I’ve already reached out to lawmakers, constituents, and experts to prioritize our District 1 focus and understand the committees' function. I’m seeking the advice of former legislators. The first 100 days will be a whirlwind with hundreds of bills to read. I’ll continue to develop relationships across the aisle and into key state administrative offices. I’ll listen to constituents, study the bills, seek the counsel of subject matter experts, and analyze the ongoing impact to Boundary and Bonner counties. I’ll communicate with constituents through email, social media, town halls, and phone calls. 

2. Constituents say:  

Education – Healthy, thriving communities need high-quality public education. Nationally, we are last in school funding. Increase state funding for public schools. Endless levies required for basic operations results in uncertainty. Schools need to be able to plan.  

Economics/affordability – Skyrocketing property taxes, housing and grocery costs. People are struggling to make ends meet from long-time residents to young people to retirees. 

State legislative overreach – While preaching freedom and small government, our elected officials pile on regulations, ignore voter demands and legal mandates for school funding, and exert control in doctors’ offices, libraries, schools, and local government.  

3. Education – We need to prioritize funding for public education at the state level and change state funding formulae to level the playing field for rural schools.  Boundary and Bonner County schools need reliable, consistent funding for operations. When funding is uncertain, schools can’t plan. Vouchers pull badly needed money out of public schools, and have proved to be an expensive failure in states like Arizona, particularly in rural communities. The endless levies create uncertainty and greater burden on local taxpayers. Public schools have fixed costs (transportation, special education) not required of for-profit schools. 

Economy – The state shrank funding of local services from 75% to 50%, disadvantaging rural areas where costs are shared by fewer taxpayers. This reduction delivered large surpluses to the state general fund, while stressing local taxpayers and services. Restore the fairer state funding, rather than issuing tax refunds that don’t help most Idaho residents. Adjust the homeowner’s exemption to reflect current housing prices. Create tax incentives to provide housing to people who live and work locally. Quit turning our federal tax dollars away. Increase the grocery tax credit. Revisit regulations that make it harder for local businesses to thrive. 

State government overreach – We need to get the Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF) and other special interest groups out of our state house. Lobbyists and big-money interests have coopted local representation at the state level. There needs to be honesty and calculations in the fiscal notes attached to bills so we really calculate the impact of bills on costs and implications. Sloppy bills open the doors for costly lawsuits. None of this serves the people.    

4. Yes. Put the power back into the hands of voters, not parties. For example, Chuck Lowman would be on the ballot now if we had Open Primaries. Chuck and Cornel each received about 7,000 votes in the primary. That’s one-fourth of registered Republicans voting for each. Independents would like the opportunity to vote for a moderate Republican in the general. Rank choice voting lets people vote for their favorite candidate first, instead of calculating who has the best chance of winning. It minimizes the likelihood that party operatives can manipulate candidate chances.  In Maine, the costs were significantly lower than projected.  

 5. It's hard enough to attract providers to rural communities without passing laws creating legal jeopardy. Providers must be free to offer honest information and evidence-based care so that patients can make informed choices. This is not just about abortion and OB/GYNs. Our pediatricians and family doctors have left and new doctors do not want to practice here. Have you tried to get an appointment with a specialist lately? And while other states explore innovative solutions to rural health issues, Idaho turns down federal funding that could support better mental health, elder care, reproductive care, and care of chronic conditions and my opponent calls for more restrictions and penalties on providers and less funding for our Medicaid program. Yes, we have a crisis.  

6. The Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF) controls Idaho Republican Party leadership. Conservative ratings published about candidates are obedience scores. My opponent signed a loyalty oath to accept this rating system. In Boise, loyalist legislators are pressured to vote as the IFF dictates each day. The needs and wishes of Boundary/Bonner County residents are not considered — not for land use, nor education, nor health care, nor taxes, nor housing. Some legislators even vote against their own bills after working for months to bring a bill to the floor. I won’t sign a loyalty oath. I’ll work for my constituents.  

7. North Idaho is about beauty and resources that surround us - logging, lakes, recreation, and wilderness. Public land use is a complex issue with multiple stakeholders. We need to protect those public lands. My opponent wants to change the federal constitution to take back those lands into state hands where they can be monetized. The projected cost of maintaining those lands is exorbitant and experts anticipate that the state would sell them off. Do we want our public lands being sold off and gated? A better approach is to foster the many organizations we already have wrestling with multi-use issues. 

8. Divisiveness creates a constant state of fear and anxiety. Special interest groups (IFF) stoke it to win through division. Exhausted, we become defensive with our neighbors and let the divisive people have the power. To break this, let’s respect and seek to understand one another. This place is special. When we talk to people here, we quickly find common ground. Our local businesses and nonprofits do so much good work in the community. We can stand side-by-side and work together with people from opposite political parties. Our pioneer spirit draws us together to solve real problems. Let’s stoke that spirit. 

9. Nearly every constituent I’ve spoken with mentions affordable housing as a top concern, including our business leaders. Yes, government at all levels has a role. We need federal representation to enact policy to keep private equity from buying up our already meager housing stock. At the state level, we have a housing authority. We need to empower it. Create tax incentives for local ownership/renting. Legislators must quit challenging local common sense housing requirements. A problem as prevalent as affordable housing requires the government to work creatively to craft incentives and cooperate with non-profits on models that work in rural communities. 

10. People here are already involved in so much. The persistent onslaught of divisiveness, false urgency, and chaos drive many to avoid politics. And, the people who live here already attend tons of meetings, nonprofits, community groups, and raising families. I’d employ strategies including eliminating the divisive tone of traditional communication vehicles (emails, blogs, town halls) to reduce drama and constant alarms to action. 2. Work through already organized groups to present, get input, and craft solutions. Include a diverse range of groups across the counties, political spectrum, and interests. (e.g. preppers, schools, churches, charities, land stewards).  

11. There are many core characteristics for good political representation – courage, systems thinking, communication, ability to navigate the system, etc. When you have a team of three representing a district, they can work together. Not everyone has to be strong in everything. Pragmatism is arguably the most important differentiating characteristic needed in the legislature in Idaho today. We need legislators who clearly see the goals of our constituents and stay focused on crafting solutions that make progress toward those goals without creating new problems along the way.  

12. With the influx of out-of-state people, how can we preserve our North Idaho quality of life and values? 

Over nearly 200 years, this place has attracted high-quality people. People who have brought their skills, talents, and ingenuity to homestead, cut timber, build world-class businesses, encourage arts, explore and protect the land and water. We can learn from what has happened to places like Aspen. Let’s use our legislation to ensure that the people who work here and create value here, can live and thrive here. Let’s make sure that the loudest voices are the people who jump in, roll up their sleeves, caretake, produce our food, and help keep our communities vibrant.  

13. I contribute to many groups our community – ArtWorks, Community Action League, Rotary, POP, PEP, and more. I choose to live here. I choose to invest in my communities – Boundary and Bonner counties. I bring my experience and capabilities to serve, however I can. I commit to listening to you.  If you elect me, I will give everything I’ve got to represent our constituents and keep this place special. If you don’t elect me, I’ll still give everything I’ve got to volunteer, participate, and improve our communities. It’s up to the voters to decide who will best represent you in Boise.