00:00:00:00 - 00:00:40:04
Lindsay Allen
Welcome to the 2024 General election meet the candidate forum. My name is Lindsay Allen and I am joined by Naomi Boutz. We will be your moderators for the 2024 Meet the Candidates series. This year's forum is sponsored by the Hagadone Media Group, Quicksilver Studios, and the Joint Public Policy Committee of the Coeur d'Alene regional, Hayden, Post Falls, and Rathdrum Chambers of Commerce in partnership with the Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls Press.

00:00:40:06 - 00:01:05:17
Lindsay Allen
This forum is intended to allow you, the voter, to hear from the candidates representing various Idaho state legislative …

00:00:00:00 - 00:00:40:04
Lindsay Allen
Welcome to the 2024 General election meet the candidate forum. My name is Lindsay Allen and I am joined by Naomi Boutz. We will be your moderators for the 2024 Meet the Candidates series. This year's forum is sponsored by the Hagadone Media Group, Quicksilver Studios, and the Joint Public Policy Committee of the Coeur d'Alene regional, Hayden, Post Falls, and Rathdrum Chambers of Commerce in partnership with the Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls Press.

00:00:40:06 - 00:01:05:17
Lindsay Allen
This forum is intended to allow you, the voter, to hear from the candidates representing various Idaho state legislative and Kootenai County positions who will share their vision and policies to help inform your vote. Candidates will be given one minute to introduce themselves, then asked three questions with two minutes to respond to each question. Candidates will be allowed one minute for their closing statements.

00:01:05:18 - 00:01:49:01
Lindsay Allen
These forums provide a unique opportunity to connect with the candidate who seek to serve our community. By meeting our candidates one on one in a more casual environment, we aim to better inform Kootenai County voters about each candidate's point of view.

00:02:17:16 - 00:02:41:17
Lindsay Allen
We are here with state Senator for district two candidate Tom Hearn. Tom, welcome.

Tom Hearn
Thank you.

Lindsay Allen
Have a minute to do an introduction for the audience, please.

Tom Hearn
Okay. Well, thank you for having me here. Again, my name is Tom Hearn. I, just briefly, I've been, resident of of Idaho since 1976. I now live down by Harrison.

00:02:41:18 - 00:03:02:04
Tom Hearn
So I'm running for senator in district two, which is a vast district that goes from, Blanchard to Orofino. I, my background briefly. I've, was on the Coeur d'Alene school board for six years. I was on the Harrison school board for two years. I'm retired now. I used to own a mental health clinic in Coeur d'Alene.

00:03:02:06 - 00:03:28:17
Tom Hearn
Before that, I worked in child protective services up in Sandpoint and a little bit in, a little bit in Coeur d'Alene. And, so I've also my I have a wife have been married for 44 years and have two children and four grandchildren. And, I could talk a lot more, but I'm I don't have a lot of time, so I that's that's my background.

00:03:28:19 - 00:03:57:03
Lindsay Allen
Okay. Excellent. Thank you. Question one is, what is the most pressing legislative issue facing district two. And how would you work to address it? You have two minutes.

Tom Hearn
Okay. Well, I think it's important for people to understand that the district two is a very rural district, and the issues out in district two are different than they are to some degree, not dramatically, but some degree than they are in core Lane or the more urban areas.

00:03:57:05 - 00:04:23:16
Tom Hearn
And for me, the biggest legislative issue is that I'm really concerned about anyway. And if I'm in the legislature, I will fight for this is, public schools supporting our public schools. And as I said, I've been on two school boards and my wife is a retired teacher. I'm really opposed to some of the things that are going on as far as vouchers as far as, you know, moving public money to private schools or to homeschoolers.

00:04:23:16 - 00:04:44:04
Tom Hearn
I and to me, that's a big issue. And, when I was on the school board, I was also a member of the Idaho School Board Association. I was on the, board of directors of that. And I, we saw what was going around the state, going on around the state as far as schools. And Idaho has, grossly underfunded schools for a long time.

00:04:44:06 - 00:05:07:23
Tom Hearn
And if you compare Idaho's, funding our way, we fund to other states, most of the states around, if you look around, do not run levies every two years. But I do, the legislature, because of this chronic underfunding has, has requires local school boards to run, to run levies. And we don't like to do that. I didn't like we didn't like to do those kind of things, but we had to do it because they were essential services.

00:05:07:23 - 00:05:29:01
Tom Hearn
They were not supplemental. So the answer, your question is very number one issue to me is supportive public education. That's what I would be fighting for. There's a lot of other issues down there. The rural areas, the economy is not as good, you know, and it's like Saint Mary's or or, you know, Orofino or or Blanchard as it is, of course, in the more urban areas.

00:05:29:03 - 00:06:07:14
Tom Hearn
So that's a that's a real concern too. But I guess top priority is public schools.

Lindsay Allen
Thank you. Question two is legislators often receive input from advocacy groups and organizations as well as your constituents. How will you balance these perspectives when supporting or opposing legislation, and what steps will you take to ensure transparency to your constituents?

Tom Hearn
Well, I know that, as a legislator, as a as an on school board, I was on you get a lot of pressure from various organizations.

00:06:07:16 - 00:06:26:23
Tom Hearn
Our constituents that come up and ask you a lot of questions. One thing I would like to do that I know the incumbent hasn't done is I'd like to have regular meetings in the small towns and rural communities. I'd like to go to. I'd like to meet with the, you know, citizens and and Wallace and all these different places in district two.

00:06:27:00 - 00:06:46:10
Tom Hearn
And I'd like to do that during the legislative session and when the legislative session is not in session. As far as lobbyists, I mean, that's kind of comes with the territory. If you're a legislator, you're going to get lobbyists. I think that, I think you have to maintain your integrity. I think you have to, be to have good values, be an honest person.

00:06:46:10 - 00:07:12:04
Tom Hearn
You can listen to what they have to say, and sometimes they're helpful as far as giving you some insights into particular pieces of legislation. They can be helpful. They're not always bad. But, you you don't, they don't run the show. They're not people that, you can you can you can listen to them. But I'm much more interested in listening to the citizens of district two.

00:07:12:06 - 00:07:31:08
Tom Hearn
And as I've been trying to do for the last six months, I've been going around, you know, walking neighborhoods, knocking on doors, speaking at various groups and organizations, trying to trying to be open minded and listen to the concerns. You know, as a as a mental health therapist, I was real good. I did that for 27 years.

00:07:31:10 - 00:07:55:16
Tom Hearn
I'm real good at listening to people, and I think I can use those skills of listening to people. As a legislator, as I think I did on the school board. So, that's how I answer that question. Thank you.

Lindsay Allen
Thank you. Okay. Our last question is if proposition one passes, will you support it or will you vote to repeal it?

00:07:55:18 - 00:08:15:14
Tom Hearn
I would support it. I'm in favor of proposition one. I know that, some people are, but I am. And the reason I'm in favor of it is, I think, you know, I've been around here a long time, and I've seen what has happened since the close the primaries. You know, there's a more, in my opinion, a more extreme group of people that are running some of the central committees.

00:08:15:14 - 00:09:00:08
Tom Hearn
Now, there are some people that have been elected who I don't think represent the, the, values are of the, communities. My my opponent, for instance. He, well, there's some question whether or not he even lives in the district, but that's another issue. He, you know, he doesn't, a lot of the people that the central committees go through this thing where they, they at least a Republican Central Committee where they, you know, rate and vet people and, I and and it's led to, I think, a fairly, extreme group of conservatives as far as, I, I basically think opening up the primaries is a good idea.

00:09:00:10 - 00:09:19:16
Tom Hearn
The rank chase choice voting, it seems to be the more controversial issue. Most, most people I've I've talked to were I'm fine with opening the primaries, and they can see what has happened historically in the last ten, 15 years as they close the primaries. Ranked choice voting. It's a little more controversial, but I don't think it's that, I don't think it's going to be a problem.

00:09:19:18 - 00:09:40:07
Tom Hearn
I have some concerns about whether or not this bill is going to pass because, because Republicans are done dumping a ton of money into to, to not, you know, to to try to defeat it because they know it would lead to loss of some of their power. I mean, that's that's the reality. But, possibly some more moderate people would be elected.

00:09:40:07 - 00:10:02:05
Tom Hearn
Even even people like Democrats might be elected, but certainly more moderate Republicans could be elected. So, but anyway, so I support proposition one. I would vote for proposition one. And if I was in the legislature and they wanted to repeal it, I would oppose that. Thank you.

Lindsay Allen
Okay, now it is time for our closing statement. You have a minute to address our audience.

00:10:02:08 - 00:10:27:11
Tom Hearn
Okay. Well, again, I appreciate this. This time. I, I live in a rural area. I've been in Idaho a long time. I think I and I have a history. I didn't say it, but I. Yeah, because I didn't really have time. But I've been appointed. I have a long history of working in a bipartisan manner. Three governors, Governor Andrus, Governor Kempthorne and Governor Bat.

00:10:27:12 - 00:10:50:06
Tom Hearn
Not Bat, Governor Otter appointed me to state boards down in Boise. Have also been appointed to boards to, by attorney generals Al Lance and, Jim Jones. So I've had a long history of working in a bipartisan fashion. I got a lot of history as far as being on school boards. I know how to work works and problem solving and mental health therapists.

00:10:50:06 - 00:11:23:04
Tom Hearn
I'm pretty good problem solving. I would hope that people would at least, consider me, consider, the candidate, and not just vote straight party line. That's the problem is, people often just vote straight party line. Thank you.

Naomi Boutz
On behalf of the Joint Public Policy committees representing the Coeur d'Alene regional, Hayden and Post Falls and Rathdrum Chambers of Commerce in partnership with the Hagadone Media Group and Coeur d'Alene Post Falls Press.

00:11:23:06 - 00:11:48:09
Naomi Boutz
Lindsay and I thank all candidates for participating. I would also like to thank the production team members at the Quicksilver Studios, the Hagadone Media Group, and the Coeur d'Alene Press. And of course, thank you to those who have taken the time to learn more about each of the candidates featured in this year's Meet the Candidates series. This series has made it possible to hear from 23 Kootenai County local race candidates.

00:11:48:11 - 00:12:14:01
Naomi Boutz
We sincerely thank candidates who took the time to discuss what is important to voters in Courtney County. We hope this townhall forum has helped inform those still uncertain about whom they will cast a final ballot for in the coming weeks. Please remember to vote. It's one of the most significant rights and responsibilities as Americans. The fundamental message this year is cast informed votes.