Democratic challenger running to replace District 28B representative
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CHUBBUCK – A Democrat is running against a two-term Republican to represent a rural legislative district.
Incumbent Republican Dan Garner is seeking to get reelected by his constituents, who voted him into office in 2022, while Democratic challenger Jayson Meline is running to replace him. Garner will complete his second term in December 2026.
District 28 encompasses a large area, including the entirety of Power and Franklin counties, much of rural Bannock County, the majority of Chubbuck, and portions of Pocatello. The district’s legislators represent around 51,200 residents.
EastIdahoNews.com sent the same eight questions to Garner and Meline. Their responses, listed below, were required to be 250 words or less, and were not edited.
Election Day is Nov. 3.
Tell us about yourself — include information about your family, career, education, volunteer work, and any prior experience in public office.
Garner: Dan has served on several local state boards like his local school board, Idaho Farm Bureau Board, CAPSA Board, and the American Farm Bureau Organic and Direct Marketing Committee. Dan has farmed and ranched in Idaho for 43 years after graduating from college in economics. He also operates several small businesses in Franklin County. Dans greatest achievement has been raising four great kids on the ranch in Idaho. He has served 2 terms in the House of Representatives and says he couldn’t have done any of it without his supportive wife of 35 years, Sherri-Jo Garner.
For more information about Dan visit his website DanGarner4Idaho.com
Meline: -Born, raised in Pocatello.
-Father to 7, Grandfather to 12.
-A public school graduate, Chubbuck-Pocatello School District 25.
-Attended Brigham Young University, Monterey Institute of International Studies, Arizona State University, La Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Fields of study: Finance-International Relations, Public Administration, Strategic Trade, Judicial Interpreter & Translation Studies.
-2 Year Mission for my church to Argentina.
-Career has included: International business and trade with multi-national companies; certified court interpreter/forensic linguist for the Spanish language and trial court administrator in the public sector; economic, micro-enterprise, small business development in the non-profit sector. I currently work in the insurance industry.
-Member of Pocatello Centennial Rotary, active member of my faith community.
-No prior experience in public office.
Why are you seeking political office within your community? Briefly explain your political platform.
Meline: -Promote constitutionally compelled balance to Idaho’s legislature by eliminating the tyranny of Idaho’s one-party supermajority that precludes the sensible and practical of the once Idaho way; and eschew concentration of power with one party by constitutional design.
-Address the $100 million dollar shortfall in special education for the most special learners in our public schools that charter schools can be highly selective and private schools do not have to accept.
-Provide ongoing State appropriation to support neurodivergent, special needs adults, and their families in partnership with community non-profit entities such as Journeys, New Day Products that operate accountable and effective programs to support the greatest self-reliance of our most special citizens and their families.
-Give local control back to local government taken in recent years by the Idaho Legislature under one party.
-Preserve public lands, with equally important access precluded by massive private land acquisition that blocks public land access without appropriate public easement for access.
-Promote human centric AI policy applied to our schools, State government, and economic base in Idaho.
-Advocate for constitutional application of both private and public surveillance. Defend 4th Amendment protections being eroded quickly by application of surveillance technology.
-Defend First Amendment and Idaho’s Blaine Amendment principles where incursion has been made by the Idaho Legislature with laws that preempt local control with deference to theocracy over constitutional values under which our State and nation was founded. The one-party legislature needs re-introduced to the establishment clause within our Constitution they seek to erode.
Garner: I am running for office so that my grandchildren can enjoy the same opportunities that I have been able to when I was growing up in Idaho. In order to do this, we have to maintain the Idaho values that have made this state a great place to live. This can be achieved by protecting personal property rights and ensuring that we maintain strong family values. Our children are our most precious resource, and we need to be creative in how we approach raising and educating them. Idaho schools need options for more technical opportunities, dual credit classes, and job readiness. This will better prepare Idahos future leaders for the fast changing world that we live in today. I’ve been honored to serve Idaho and wish to continue to protect Idaho’s way of life.
What are the greatest challenges facing people in your county? What is your plan to meet and overcome those challenges?
Garner: Yes, it is the role of the Idaho Legislature to improve the quality of life for all of its citizens. We have given major property tax relief in the last 4 years and hope to continue reducing the tax burden. I plan to find ways to lower housing costs for first time home buyers and young families. Allowing lifted restrictions on red dyed fuel will help the farming and trucking industries providing needed relief for the cost of shipping things we use everyday; hopefully dropping price of living for everyone. Idahos rapid population expansion puts pressure on the costs of living. As your representative, I plan to address this issue without stopping the growing economy that the expansion has brought.
Meline: -If any candidate is being honest, the Idaho Legislature is somewhat limited to address market forces for relief due to current federal fiscal, monetary, foreign, and trade policy that is the root cause regarding issues of affordability. This is particularly true with the commodity of petroleum driven by world markets. Policies the one-party Idaho Legislature provides full throated support in addition to our Congressional delegation who rubber stamps the current Administration at the expense of Idahoans.
-Housing Affordability: The Legislature can examine how it can get out of the way of local government to allow appropriate planning, zoning, building code updates, impact fees that local communities can determine is best to promote housing affordability. The Gem State Housing alliance is valuable partner to communities and legislature to find affordable housing solutions.
-Idaho Housing & Finance Association as well as the Idaho Department of Commerce development bond programs can be reviewed by the legislature for utilization in terms of financing first time home buyer programs, infrastructure development costs to facilitate affordable housing in partnership with local government; not mandates from Boise.
-Food Costs: Repeal sales tax on groceries and Rx with corresponding elimination of sales tax credits and income tax credits/deductions to special interests to offset repeal, particularly for data centers and targeted industry not enjoyed by small, locally owned businesses authentically vested to Idaho.
-Examine property tax relief by reviewing the current “circuit breaker” provisions and update them according to current housing market values for fixed and low-income property owners.
How will you best represent the views of your constituents – even those with differing political views? How do partisan politics play into your role as an elected leader?
Meline: -I was an unaffiliated voter until approximately 4 years ago. I am not hyper-partisan nor highly ideological; but rather independent minded.
-Based on knocking doors, being available at fairs and festivals this past summer; I can conclude most voters are looking for problem solvers that are practical and balanced over party loyalists and ideologues. At present, the average Idaho voter is not happy with either of the two major parties.
-I cannot take all credit for my party platform or position on the issues. I give all the credit to countless individuals, elected leaders in District 28 communities and tribal leaders, community organizations, subject matter experts with whom I have consulted throughout District 28. My platform is a District 28 platform that encompasses the Fort Hall treaty land, Power, Franklin, and Bannock counties.
-I have purposely spoken to those who do not agree or do not share my party affiliation for input on my platform for District 28 which reflects how I will represent their interest in the legislature.
-Partisan politics plays little to minimal role in how I intend to represent District 28. I have demonstrated I intend to represent and actively listen first to everyone and am cognizant I must find common ground with other legislators by being constitutionally compelled to moderate for the practical and balanced the Idaho way as a representative for the interests of District 28 over party or ideology.
Garner: I will represent conservative values. I am pro-life, and am a strong supporter of the second amendment. I encourage my constituents to reach out directly to me with their concerns and problems and encourage them to be involved in the process. I have an open door and mind to any policies that are best for Idaho. I refuse to play petty partisan political games and will stay true to my values and word.
What parts of the county budget could use more funding? Where are places in the budget where cuts could be made?
Garner: Education and healthcare would benefit from better funding; however, they are also where the most wasteful spending can be found. We need to ensure that only those who truly qualify are receiving subsidized medical services such as military veterans. In education we need to ensure that dollars are being spent in beneficial ways to get the most results. We also need laws that improve accountability of the education and healthcare systems.
Meline: -Special education and address $1 billion need per the LSO to facilities for public schools with an updated funding formula.
-Criminal justice specific to greater resources for community supervision and rehabilitation to include work release, mental health, vocational rehabilitation. This is particularly true for women as Idaho has the highest incarceration rate for women in the nation. We need to adopt restorative justice models that leads to a 65% increase in restitution to victims by the offender and reduces recidivism on average by 43%. We cannot incarcerate our way to good citizenship with offenders.
-Cut and do not expand the Education Tax Credit to fund in part special education.
-Idaho does not have a spending problem as expenditure per the Idaho Policy Center has remained flat when adjusting for inflation since the early 2000s despite population growth which demands greater infrastructure and services. Equilibrium of nominal tax rates was achieved in 2022 in light of growth and cuts from the federal government to the State which does not justify or sustain subsequent flat tax rate reductions to create manufactured deficit in 2026 and contemplated austerity in 2027.
-Cut credit, abatement, deductions to narrow interests within our sales and corporate income tax structure to maintain low nominal rates while providing relief to those households making less than $150,000 per year. Our current income tax as a flat tax system is highly regressive to middle and low-income earners who proportionally pay more in taxes than those making over $150,000 per year.
What specific changes can be made in this office to increase public transparency and access to public information? How will you communicate directly with your constituents?
Meline: -A recent 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decision can have big impact on Idaho’s water sovereignty.
-We need to examine the 30-million-dollar appropriation to the Department of Water Resources. I suspect $30 million is a proverbial drop in the bucket we need to adapt to changed weather patterns in our high mountain desert climate.
-I support study to increase the height of the Minidoka dam while determining addition of another reservoir in the Upper Snake River drainage.
-The best strategy starts with our water districts and users the Idaho way. We have capable and objective specialists within our water districts to evaluate best management and conservation practices. We have valuable partnerships with universities to leverage science to advise the legislature on needed resources while allowing management at local levels aquifers and surface water.
-We need to examine the prudence and feasibility to locate data centers in arid climates including Idaho. This position is not anti-progress, but rather practical stewardship of water.
-We need change of the MOU signed in the dark of night by Brad Little to accept 1/3 of the nation’s nuclear waste to undo the 1995 moratorium to be designated a next generation nuclear research center. INL already is a premiere site. The geology of the Snake River aquifer is not suitable for permanent storage. Never trust an agreement with the Trump administration to compromise the aquifer.
-I defer to objective experts on realistic timelines to realize measurable improvement based on implemented solutions to improve our water supply.
Garner: Water is a scarce resource. It is obvious that we need more storage. Raising dams for more capacity, building new ones, and saving Idaho water for Idaho instead of other states is a good start. We also need to look at Idaho water usage, data centers and industries that use water wastefully need to be scrutinized, and optimized before they are permitted to operate by cities and counties. Industries that recycle their water and reduce consumption should be encouraged. Aquifer recharge should continue to be a focus of the state, but not at the expense of curtailing agriculture and economic growth. I would like to see new dams and water tanks completed within 7 years to increase storage to carry the state through times of drought.
Can you give a concrete example of a policy or budget decision you would support to improve a county service within your first year in office?
Garner: No, I do not support Proposition 1. I will be the first to admit that Idaho’s abortion laws are not perfect. Doctors and patients would benefit from clearer definitions and guidelines of when and what procedures would be allowed under the current laws. Prop 1 however, goes too far in the other direction allowing for elective abortion for any reason at any point. I encourage you to Join with me in voting no this November 3rd on Proposition 1.
Meline: -Abortion is tragedy co-opted by extremes to create false conflict between equally important values.
-The extremes use abortion as a wedge issue to divide, and an umbrella to hide extremist agendas they harbor.
-Life v. Choice is a historical and false binary applied to the abortion issue.
-The Idaho Legislature, under supermajority of one party, does not trust the individual with agency.
-Prop 1 is direct result of Idaho’s one-party government refusing to listen to the People, families, and their physicians, including those who refuse to practice elective abortion on multiple occasions to remedy defects in the law.
-The defect of an imminent death standard for mother as opposed to endangerment to life and physical health with inclusion to consider baby’s viability due to developmental complications.
-Additional defect for rape and incest exceptions are too narrow given how victims come forward. I know. I had a long career interpreting for victims of these crimes for law enforcement, attorneys, and the courts.
-Undue physician liability is another defect.
-Support is not approval for socially convenient abortion.
-If Prop 1 does not pass, an indifferent status quo remains with legislative claim to affirmation.
-Passage will automatically result in the legislature overturning Prop 1, but with leverage to remedy longstanding defects and address concerns of faith communities in opposition.
-Ask yourself: Why does Utah under injunction not have the same defects in their law as Idaho?
-Support for Prop 1 is not defiance of faith communities regarding their concerns.
-I support Prop 1.
What experience do you bring that prepares you to manage county finances, and how will you ensure fiscal responsibility?
Meline: -The Idaho Legislature in concert with the Idaho GOP fully opposes voter initiatives and referendums regardless of any issue placed before voters.
-Incremental barriers for placement of an initiative or referendum on the ballot have been enacted by the one-party legislature on multiple occasions.
-However, voter initiatives are a State constitutional “check” on the legislature, particularly with a one-party super-majority.
-HJR4 was introduced in the dark of night and pushed through the last legislative session at the 11th hour.
-Regardless of your view on marijuana, the proposed amendment has absolutely nothing to do with the question of criminalization or legalization of controlled substances.
-The veiled purpose of HJR4 is to incrementally eliminate voter initiatives in Idaho by inducing the voter to believe they are voting to legalize or criminalize marijuana, when in fact the issue before you is whether to waive the right to voter initiatives regarding legalization or regulation of controlled substances thus giving exclusive purview to the legislature.
-I fully oppose passage of HJR4 independent from my view on the question of cannabis criminalization or legalization.
-I caution: Do not be deceived.
Garner: I personally feel indifferent on the resolution and will support whatever my constituents decide this November. That is why I voted for this joint resolution to be on the ballet. I wanted guidance and the opinion of my constituents on decisions regarding marijuana.