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.

00:01:49:03 - 00:02:19:04
Lindsay Allen
Okay. We are here with state Senator candidate for district four, Carissa Hober. Carissa, I'm going to give you one minute for an introduction. Take it away.

Carissa Hober
Okay. Hello. My name is Carissa Hober. And as she said, I am running for Senate in District four. And I am excited to be doing this, actually. People often ask you why, and I have a lot of things that I am passionate about.

00:02:19:04 - 00:02:41:19
Carissa Hober
My number one reason is I'm doing this for my kids. There are a lot of things that have been happening in Idaho, and specific bills that have been passed or things that have not been handled that I feel like really do need to be addressed. And, you know, my top thing would be education, women's rights, making sure we're taking care of our elderly, making sure we're taking care of our forests.

00:02:41:21 - 00:03:01:00
Carissa Hober
There are a lot of things that we could do better. To steal something from Kaylee Peterson. But I believe in better. And I believe that we can get there and that we can work together. So one of my my big thing is a tie dye wave. So blending red and blue together, because we all really believe in the same things.

00:03:01:00 - 00:03:25:05
Carissa Hober
I think we get a little hung up on a lot of the details of that. And so I feel very strongly that we can work together and make these things happen.

Lindsay Allen
Excellent. Okay. Question one. What are the top legislative priorities for district four and how do you plan to address them? You have two minutes.

Carissa Hober
Okay. Well, I feel like we have got a few issues that really need to be addressed.

00:03:25:06 - 00:03:44:06
Carissa Hober
Number one I would say is education. I have four children that are in the public education system, and I feel like we really need to improve funding at a state level so that the schools aren't left hanging with regard to how much money they're going to have every couple of years to make sure the levies pass. And can we have this many educators?

00:03:44:06 - 00:04:04:18
Carissa Hober
Can we have all these different programs for the kids? So I really think that that needs to be addressed at the state level and not leave that up to the citizens in our direct area. I think we can do better there. Another thing that we really need to address would be housing. Housing issue up here, I mean, housing, since I've lived here just in the last 12 years, has tripled.

00:04:04:20 - 00:04:25:09
Carissa Hober
How are we going to help everyone to be able to stay and afford this beautiful area? That's a key issue, I believe, as well. And we need to address that again at the legislature and make sure that we have systems in place to help everyone be able to stay here, and my kids included. I worry about them being able to afford their own homes someday.

00:04:25:11 - 00:04:47:19
Carissa Hober
Gosh. And women's rights. Oh, women's rights is huge. And I don't want to stomp on anyone's beliefs at all in this situation. I feel like women's rights and reproductive health are issues that really strike a chord or a nerve. And a lot of people, but I feel like there is a way to respect everyone's beliefs and still take care of everyone's health.

00:04:47:21 - 00:05:08:07
Carissa Hober
I think that that's very important and we're losing providers, health care providers, right and left in our state because of some of the issues that we haven't addressed with regard to women's reproductive rights. So I feel like those are some of my top issues. There are others, but those would be the primary things that I would be fighting for at the state level, for sure.

00:05:08:09 - 00:05:44:17
Lindsay Allen
Thank you very much. Okay. Question two. Let 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?

Carissa Hober
Okay, so this I believe that it's very, very important to listen. Listening is the number one part, I feel like of a job of a senator or representative when you're going at the to the state level to represent everyone in our area.

00:05:44:19 - 00:06:06:00
Carissa Hober
I'm not just representing my own beliefs. I don't believe in that. I believe in getting all of the information from people in our town. So if people email me address, you know, trying to get me to address concerns, I'll be sure to respond to their concerns and listen to what they are looking for. I'm also very passionate about nonprofit organizations as well.

00:06:06:02 - 00:06:24:03
Carissa Hober
And there are a lot in our area that do a lot of good for the community. For instance, Safe Passage is one of those is amazing. And my daughter just did a project to collect items for them. And, you know, I feel like if we could help get funding for those organizations that help a lot of our community members, that would be wonderful.

00:06:24:05 - 00:06:46:00
Carissa Hober
I don't have an agenda for myself or, you know, anybody in particular. What I would like to do is be a human being in the Senate, you know, and really think about what are we doing to help the people of Idaho. You know, what am I doing to help children? What am I doing to help the elderly? What am I doing to help the single parents?

00:06:46:00 - 00:07:03:09
Carissa Hober
And they can be male or female to be able to make it and take care of their kids and put food on the table and have a place to live. What am I doing to help everyone to have a better life in Idaho? It's not about me. It's not about my personal beliefs. It's about our kids and Idaho's future.

00:07:03:09 - 00:07:23:12
Carissa Hober
And I really feel very strongly about that. So if people come to me with concerns, I am. I'm here for them. I'm hoping that I can address those concerns and do my best at the state level to make a difference.

Lindsay Allen
Thank you. Third question if proposition one passes, will you support it or will you vote to repeal it?

00:07:23:14 - 00:07:47:19
Carissa Hober
I will support proposition one and here's why. I feel like not having open primaries really limits the views and perspectives that we're taking in from society at large, right. So if, for example, I was actually registered as an independent for a long time, I don't like being put in a box. And, you know, having to check. Yes, I'm on this side.

00:07:47:19 - 00:08:11:06
Carissa Hober
Yes, I'm on that side. I like to be able to think for myself, take in the issue and decide, okay, where are we going with this? And proposition one, I think with open primaries really allows everyone to have a say in who is running in November. You know, if you only if you have two people, but only Republicans can vote on them, or two people and only registered Democrats can vote for someone there.

00:08:11:11 - 00:08:32:11
Carissa Hober
You're really limiting the pool of people that have a say in who they get to vote for in November. So I feel pretty strongly that open primaries help to actually increase the democratic process and help everyone's voice to be heard. And I just I really feel that that's important to society at large, that everyone's voice gets to be heard.

00:08:32:13 - 00:08:53:11
Lindsay Allen
Thank you. Okay. We're going to move into closing statements, and you have one minute to address the audience.

Carissa Hober
Oh, wow. Okay, that did go by fast, isn't it? All right. Well, again, my name is Carissa Hober, and I'm running for Senate in District four. And I do feel very passionately about being here for the people of Idaho.

00:08:53:13 - 00:09:15:00
Carissa Hober
I'm not in this for myself. I'm not in this for personal gain. I'm in this for my children. I'm in this for your children. I'm in this for everyone who lives in our wonderful state. And I would like an opportunity to try and make things better at the state level. And I really do have a vision of that tie dye wave spreading across the state, where blue is mixing with red.

00:09:15:02 - 00:09:37:10
Carissa Hober
We're able to hold each other's hands and move forward together because, I mean, I have lots of friends on both sides of the aisle, and I truly believe that when you get down to the heart of things, we have the same values, we have the same principles, and we can work together to make everything better for everyone.

Lindsay Allen
Thank you.

00:09:37:12 - 00:09:44:21
Carissa Hober
Thank you.

00:10:31:10 - 00:11:03:20
Lindsay Allen
We now have our state senator, district four candidate, Ben Toews. Ben, you have a minute for an introduction to the audience.

Ben Toews
All right. Thank you. So my name is Ben Toews. I am the current state senator for district four. It's been an honor to serve for, really? The city of Coeur d'Alene is essentially my district. I feel like I've been able to get a lot done, and, I, I'm, just thankful to be able to represent the constituents in my district.

00:11:03:22 - 00:11:27:06
Ben Toews
In the last session, last two sessions, I've, sponsored legislation, including legislation to help with, parental rights. I mean, the education system. I sponsored a bill for open enrollment, which I think has really helped a lot of the families be able to choose between the different public schools and the public school system, the one that fits their child.

00:11:27:10 - 00:11:57:03
Ben Toews
So, I'm like I said, happy to be serving. Currently and would love to serve for you again in the coming sessions. Thank you. Question one as incumbent, what do you see as the top legislative priorities for district four, and how do you plan to address them? You have two minutes. Okay. So for one of my positions currently is the vice chair of the Senate Education Committee.

00:11:57:03 - 00:12:21:08
Ben Toews
And so I focus a lot on the education type issues. So to me, I really think that it's important that our, our children have as many options as they can for, educate, for their education and that parents should have the ability to choose what is best for their child. And I've already seen, improvement, in our system, just having a choice between the different schools and the public school system.

00:12:21:10 - 00:12:45:07
Ben Toews
But I'm a big supporter of, school choice or freedom for, parents to choose where their children go to school beyond that and have the dollars, actually follow the children. So I, I believe that having an, an education system that has more competition in it will actually lead to a better outcome. Likely will lower cost to the taxpayers and increase the quality.

00:12:45:08 - 00:13:09:13
Ben Toews
So to me, that's like one of the top issues of our day. I, I went through the current the, the, local education system. I had a great experience. I don't know if I would have actually changed anything if I had had school choice, at that time. But I do believe that it's something that's important, for parents to be able to, because every child is so different and they all have different education needs.

00:13:09:15 - 00:13:45:11
Lindsay Allen
Thank you. Question two. 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?

Ben Toews
Certainly, this is a very important issue. I believe that the, I'd say lobbying groups, although they can give you important perspectives because they often will educate you, certain side of an issue.

00:13:45:12 - 00:14:10:14
Ben Toews
I've found that, it's really important to just operate based on the principles that you run on. So if I, if I run on certain principles, if I'm focused on, you know, individual rights, then I'm going to be advocating for those rights. Whether or not any lobby group, it's more like, do they agree with me if they happen to agree with the principles that I ran on, then that's great.

00:14:10:19 - 00:14:35:17
Ben Toews
I'll end up working more closely with them if they don't match the principles, and I'll end up working with them less. But I don't see them as, actually persuading me one way or the other. And I think that it's important that we keep, a healthy distance from, lobbying groups, trying to force, legislators to do a specific thing or a vote a specific way.

00:14:35:18 - 00:14:56:05
Ben Toews
So, what you what my constituents can expect from me is that I will what I say, I will do. If you go and I website or you look at, some of my fliers, you'll see the principles that I run on and those will be the principles that I follow. And I expect to be held accountable to those principles.

00:14:56:07 - 00:15:22:00
Lindsay Allen
Thank you. Last question here. You have two minutes to respond. If proposition one passes, will you support it or will you vote to repeal it?

Ben Toews
Yeah, certainly. So proposition one, it's been billed as open primaries. And I think the Commonwealth that people have been asked is don't you believe everyone should have the ability to opt to vote in the primaries?

00:15:22:02 - 00:15:49:14
Ben Toews
I don't see it as, as that cut and dry. There's a ranked choice voting component that I, I really disagree with, I think would be really bad for our state. So, it's possible that, that there's, that we could actually support or allow some of it and not all of it. And I'd probably be looking at that kind of an option if it were to pass.

00:15:49:16 - 00:16:15:04
Ben Toews
But I don't I'm afraid that people have been misled, in the, in the fact that they bill it as open primaries and they tend to not talk about the ranked choice voting portion of it. So that's a concern for me. I, I do believe that the the will of the people has already spoken because, we actually voted legislation outlawing ranked choice voting in Idaho.

00:16:15:06 - 00:16:37:18
Ben Toews
So this to me is us is, is an outlier as a, you know, a group trying to circumvent the representative republic that we're a part of. So I do see that as a, as a problem. I don't think that, a direct democracy is, is, what we're meant to be. And so that's why I would be more likely to intervene in some way.

00:16:37:20 - 00:17:00:23
Lindsay Allen
Thank you. Okay. You have one minute for a conclusion to your audience.

Ben Toews
Yeah. Thank you. Well I would just say that it's been amazing to serve in the Senate. I think I've made a lot of, good ground in different areas, and I will I commit to continue to do that. Some of the things that are most important to me is protecting our children.

00:17:01:01 - 00:17:27:10
Ben Toews
I worked to, pass a law that actually requires age verification for children to be able to get, or to, to prevent children from getting on to adult websites. I think that was huge because that's a huge issue in our, in our society. And I'll continue to do whatever I can to support to support protecting children and to, make sure that we strengthen our families.

00:17:27:11 - 00:17:44:08
Ben Toews
I'd love to see a grocery tax repeal. I think that that's, we're one of only, I think five states now that have a grocery tax still. And I'd love to see that go away, especially with inflation the way it is. So, once again, I appreciate your support and would appreciate your vote. Thank you.

Lindsay Allen
Thank you. Ben.

00:17:44:11 - 00:18:09:09
Naomi Boutz
Thank you. On behalf of the Joint Public Policy Committees representing the Coeur d'Alene regional, Hayden, Post Falls and Rathdrum Chambers of Commerce, in partnership with the Hagadone Media Group and Coeur d'Alene Post Falls Press. 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.

00:18:09:11 - 00:18:30:14
Naomi Boutz
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. We sincerely thank candidates who took the time to discuss what is important to voters in Kootenai County.

00:18:30:16 - 00:19:06:10
Naomi Boutz
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. Thank you.