Rep. Barb Ehardt and opponent Miranda Marquit discuss policy views during race for legislative seat

IDAHO FALLS – Two candidates, incumbent Rep. Barbara Ehardt, a Republican, and Democrat Miranda Marquit, are running against each other to be the Idaho State Representative for Seat 33A in November.

To learn more about the candidate’s platform, EastIdahoNews.com sent the same eight questions to each legislative candidate. Their unedited responses were required to be 250 words or less. Their answers are listed below.

More information on Ehardt can be found on her campaign website.

More information on Marquit can be found on her campaign website.

District 33 covers Idaho Falls and a section of Bonneville County.

Tell us about yourself – include information about your family, career, education, volunteer work and any prior experience in public office.

Ehardt: I love Idaho! I’m a 5th generation Idahoan who was born and raised right here in Idaho Falls. This is home to me. Most people know that I played Division I basketball at Idaho State after playing at North Idaho College. I then coached Division I basketball for 15 years at four fantastic institutions – UC Santa Barbara, BYU, Washington State and as the Head Coach at Cal State Fullerton.

My experience was much more than just coaching Division I basketball. As a coach, I had the unique experience of working extensively with academia as we got student-athletes into school, through school and graduated from school. I was also blessed to teach at the university level while at UC Santa Barbara & BYU.

As a coach, I ran multi-million dollar athletic programs. I also had to fundraise, work to build booster clubs and do outreach in the community, especially with the youth.

I run a small business, Coach E’s Camps & Clinics. This includes running & coaching a high-level travel boys’ basketball program. I have had thousands of kid’s go through my programs. Coaches impact the lives of our youth!

I am blessed to be employed at Club Apple as one of the managers/ directors over Youth Programming.

• Served on the Idaho Falls City Council from 2014 – 2018.
• Served as our Bonneville County Republican Women’s President.
• Worked on many campaigns.
• I have volunteered throughout my life in many areas of this community but primarily with our youth.

Marquit: I graduated from Skyline High School and went on to receive my bachelor’s degree in communications with a minor in political science. I also hold a master’s degree in journalism and an MBA. Since 2006, I’ve been a financial writer and nationally recognized money expert. I consult with Fortune 500 companies, as well as write for outlets like Forbes and U.S. News & World Report.

My family has deep roots in Idaho Falls, with my paternal grandparents moving here in the 1970s. My dad works for the INL, and my mom recently retired as a teacher and my sister is still a teacher in the area. I have one son, who currently attends the College of Eastern Idaho.

Community involvement is important to me, and I have volunteered with the Community Food Basket. Additionally, I serve on the boards of the Soup Kitchen, YMCA and Habitat for Humanity. I’ve also served as chair of the Citizens Review Committee for the legal department, been part of the health CUSP subcommittee, D91 facilities steering committee and the Mayor’s Scholarship Fund selection committee.

I served as chair of the Bonneville County Democratic Central Committee (BCDCC) from May 2016 until October 2019. I’ve also served as a precinct chair and as state committeewoman. I am currently the chair of the BCDCC again.

What are your proudest accomplishments in your personal life or career?

Marquit: I’m especially proud of my son, and the fact that he is, at almost 20, a kind, self-sufficient young man.

However, I’m also pleased with the recognition I’ve received at the national and international levels for my writing and podcasting. But nothing feels as good as when I receive emails from people saying that my financial articles have helped them make a difference in their lives.

Being involved in the community and seeing the difference that the small actions we can all take — from volunteering with local charities to helping our kids grow into thoughtful adults — has been among the most rewarding things I’ve been fortunate to experience.

Ehardt: I am honored to have received the trust of my community to serve as your State Representative. The confidence and expectation that community members have placed in me to champion their concerns is indeed humbling.

Like you, I have differing “proud” moments. As an athlete, I enjoyed success as a player on our North Idaho basketball team as we qualified for the National Junior College Athletic Championships in Senatobia, Mississippi. I was blessed to be our captain at Idaho State University. As a collegiate coach, going to the NCAA tournament was incredibly exciting and rewarding.

I have been blessed to work with our young people and help them grow. These young people have grown into successful adults. They are making tremendous impacts on those by whom they are surrounded. They are a blessing to their communities. And it is most gratifying to have your former players reach back and express their love and appreciation for all that has been done for them.

The power of sports and of a coach is life-altering. There’s a reason that 95% of all female CEO’s participated in sports. CEO’s in general, participated in & benefited from the lessons learned in sports.

Finally, I have been honored to receive the State GOP’s Legislator of the Year award. I was also named Alliance Defending Freedom’s National Legislator of the Year.

Why are you a member of the Republican / Democrat / Independent / Other party? Briefly explain your political platform.

Ehardt: I am a Republican because our party absolutely:

• Believes in and acknowledges God as the Creator of this world and the Father of us as His children.
• Believes in the family unit as the base unit and the most important unit of government.
• Believes in the Constitution of the United States of America.
• Believes in the sanctity of life.
• Believes that our rights come from our Heavenly Father and not from man – when our rights come from the Lord, they are inalienable and do not change. When they come from man, they are negotiable and change depending on the circumstances.
• Believes in the 1st amendment – the right to freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom to peacefully assemble, freedom of the press, freedom of expression, freedom to redress their government, and more.
• Believes in limited government.
• Believes in the rule of law and not anarchy.
• Believes in the ingenuity and genius of man – that is unleashed when the shackles of government are dropped.

I am a Republican for these and so many other reasons.

Marquit: I’m a member of the Democratic party in Idaho because I believe that it’s important to have strong representation for a variety of viewpoints. When any one party gains too much influence, it’s too easy for them to ignore the people and stop representing them.

I don’t like the two-party system. Like George Washington, I am deeply skeptical of parties gaining too much power. That said, however, I believe that the Idaho Democratic Party currently focuses more accurately on the issues and values that matter to a wider swath of Idahoans, including an emphasis on prioritizing education and addressing challenges that impact Idahoans, such as property taxes, infrastructure and access to public lands.

I’m tired of bad policy being created for non-existent problems and the grandstanding that has come to dominate the legislative session.

What are the greatest challenges facing Idahoans?

Marquit: Right now, affordable housing is a major issue for many of the Idahoans in D33. Indeed, many of our senior citizens are concerned about rising property taxes and how it impacts their fixed incomes. In 2016, the disastrous changes to the exemption have only led to further issues. Unfortunately, members of the legislature continue to push bad policies for problems that don’t exist.

Another concern is that we aren’t investing in our communities through education and infrastructure. Much has been made about the huge “surplus,” but this isn’t so much of a surplus as it is evidence that we continue to underfund our communities. Rather than providing more tax cuts for people who don’t need them, we should be investing in our communities. Most Idahoans say they want more education funding, to address the affordable housing crisis, to focus on healthcare and good jobs. Tax cuts for the wealthiest Idahoans don’t make the top five priorities.

All of this indicates that one of our biggest challenges right now is the fact that many of our so-called representatives are more interested in grandstanding and catering to special interests than working on solutions to some of our challenges.

Ehardt: For me, education issues and our children will remain front and center. We must ensure that our kids will never again be subjected to the devastating effects of learning loss, anxiety, fear, nervousness, depression, and suicides – all due to lockdowns. It is also important that in K-12, we get back to the academic basics – reading, writing and arithmetic. Let’s focus on the well-being of the student.

Idaho is doing incredibly well as a state, as demonstrated by our $2 billion surplus. Some of the latest data shows Idaho is: the #1 state for economic momentum; the #1 state for tax revenue growth during the pandemic; the #1 top growing state driven by tax policy; the #3 state prepared to withstand economic stress. And, we have been the #1 state in financial solvency.

Unfortunately, Idaho now has to deal with national Democrat policies that are affecting our state. To begin with, the border crisis is finding its way to Idaho. Fentanyl, child sex trafficking, coyotes, terrorists – all of this is making its way to our state. But that’s not all. The Democrat attack on our American and Idaho values are real. Democrats push to defund the police, transform our language, change pronouns, indoctrinate our kids, revise history, allow crime to flourish and then refuse to prosecute lawbreakers, create inflation and use the DOJ to intimidate parents at school board meetings. The Democrats have created this crime and chaos, but they want us to pretend that nothing is wrong – except it is.

How will you best represent the views of your constituents – even those with differing political views?

Ehardt: I best represent them because they understand my principles and that the person I portrayed myself as when I first ran is the same person I am today. I will meet with anyone who will be respectful and I will try to find a WIN/WIN situation to solve problems.

I do value people and as Stephen Covey taught in his 7 Habits for Highly Effective People, we should ‘seek first to understand, then be understood.’ When one attempts to do this, the conversation often changes because you realize that what you thought or expected them to say isn’t what they may have meant. Listen first. Value people.

Marquit: There’s no way to completely agree with anyone, but I believe that most of us want to do what’s best for our community.

Like last time I ran, there are Republicans involved with my campaign and interested in helping me. I regularly participate in community events that include people of all political persuasions and am more concerned with community outcomes than what label someone uses.

In general, I believe in listening to constituents and considering their points. One of the best ways to do this, I believe, is to hold regular town hall meetings. I am happy to hold regular town hall meetings.
I also frequently stream Facebook Live videos where I listen to people and take their questions. One of the reasons I focus on property tax and education so heavily is because this is what people of all political stripes have told me are concerns. On top of that, my volunteer work in the community and my association with various faith congregations in town allow me to get a feel for the concerns of D33 residents. I would continue these efforts to be involved in the community and have conversations.

What role do lobbying entities play in the decision-making of Idaho legislators?

Marquit: I think lobbyists can provide information and context to legislators, and in some cases can even provide a needed voice for marginalized communities, especially those that don’t often have the ability to take time off work to speak with legislators.

However, it’s important to balance lobbyists with the needs of a wider swath of the voters. Additionally, it’s vital as a legislator to carefully consider legislation and to avoid simply taking whole bills crafted by shady outside organizations and presenting them. Unfortunately, much of what we see in the legislature these days is brought from out-of-state organizations and designed to stoke culture war, rather than address specific issues in Idaho.

Ehardt: Lobbyist should play a role.

Often times they represent a large mass of people that have hired them to advocate on their behalf. Lobbyists can also assist in understanding legislation. But, for me, my constituents and Idahoans are always equally important and I work to make time to meet with them.

How can you encourage compromise, debate and a bipartisan approach to introducing new legislation in Idaho?

Ehardt: I have demonstrated my ability to lead and build a team consensus on multiple pieces of legislation that passed with almost unanimous bi-partisan support. I attribute my ability to build a consensus to my coaching experience.

It’s always about bringing people together and working to build others up. This past session (2022), I even teamed up with Democrat Representative John McCrostie to bring the Campus Free Speech bill, something both of us have felt passionately about. Some of the bi-partisan legislation that I have passed includes:

• HCR 36 IDAHO NATIONAL Laboratory – Recognizes nuclear power as a significant emissions-free energy resource and the significant emissions-free energy resource and the significant contributions of the Idaho Notational Laboratory.
• HCR 9 Idaho’s Hydro Power – Recognizes that Idaho has a tremendous resource in its many rivers, lakes and dams. These greatly contribute to the power produced in Idaho. The Idaho legislature recognizes that our hydro power is clean, reliable and renewable and is key to our energy portfolio moving forward.
• H66 Minimum Marriage Age – Prohibits marriage for those under 16 years of age and restricts the age difference of individuals under age 18 years of age and not less than 16 years of age to 3 years.
• 139 Foreign Defamation / Rachel’s Law – protects authors, speakers and journalists in Idaho from being drugged into foreign courts over frivolous libel charges in jurisdictions that do not respect, value and protect freedom of speech and of the press.

Marquit: It starts with focusing on the people of Idaho and our communities. It starts with listening. Idahoans have been yelling from the rooftops that they want better funding solutions for education, they want the legislature to address affordable housing and they want to focus on infrastructure, including rural broadband.

Rather than pushing culture war red herrings, actually doing the people’s business would naturally result in bipartisan bills. It’s time to stop focusing parties and focus on people.

What parts of Idaho government could benefit from additional state funding? What part of Idaho government could be improved with financial cutbacks?

Marquit: We should be adjusting our funding mechanism for education. The Idaho Constitution calls for uniform and funded public education and we don’t have that. We need an overhaul that ensures that we’re competitive in attracting teachers and that ensures our children have the tools they need — including safe and adequate buildings — to learn.

It’s unfortunate that the state legislature routinely cuts federal money we receive from our libraries and early childhood education, all while many legislators take advantage of federal subsidies to prop up their ag businesses and in the form of PPP loans.

One area we could definitely cut back on is that fund created to defend frivolous lawsuits over unconstitutional legislation. It’s also possible to reduce what we’re spending on prisons with the help of reforming mandatory sentencing laws, so that we don’t have to pay to build more prisons and ship our inmates to other states. Instead, we could be using those resources to invest in education and address our growing opioid crisis.

Ehardt: The Department of Health & Welfare’s budget absolutely needs to be re-examined. The budget in this department has increased dramatically in the last few years, beyond what was expected. At the very least, monies in this department should be redirected towards mental health.

Higher education budgets need to be held accountable for their spending and their results, which are currently best measured in degrees and jobs. However, on the other end of the spectrum, our community colleges, such as College of Eastern Idaho, are doing an amazing job with the monies they have been given. They have demonstrated great fiscal responsibility. This creates a compelling case to continue to direct more funds their way. When one considers the cost verses the ROI or return on investment, we would be wise to encourage more students to attend our community colleges first. Here students can develop the skill sets necessary to move onto our universities and achieve success.