Idaho needs leaders who will address water rights and find solutions

As a rancher in eastern Idaho, I know firsthand that water is life. Our agricultural operations depend on it, and controlling its use carries high stakes for all of us. People like me rely on water to stay in business and to provide Idahoans with commodities or the beef they need. But what happens when there's not enough water to go around? Groundwater users have already had their rights significantly reduced and faced a curtailment order that would have had a massive impact this spring. It’s a problem affecting our livelihoods—and soon, it will affect yours too.

Water rights are a complex issue that requires Idaho's leaders to dig deep for solutions. We need lawmakers who are ready to listen to the people affected and address these critical issues, which are a true matter of life or death for our businesses and all businesses that serve Eastern Idaho.

Unfortunately, during the recent Idaho legislative session, we wasted time arguing about which books could go into libraries and flashy controversies that no one was asked to address.

Do you know what ranchers are looking for? Leaders. We want elected officials who will listen to the people they are supposed to represent and buckle down to solve real problems that impact our livelihoods, our communities, and our economy.

There was a time when our legislature was prominently served by ranchers and farmers—people who could take three months during the winter to work at the capitol. There was no need to worry about lawmakers understanding complex agriculture concepts in our agriculture-driven state, nor any need to be concerned about keeping those lawmakers accountable. They would feel the repercussions of their decisions on their own ranches and farms. But times have changed.

In 2012 the Republican Party closed the primaries. That means for the last 12 years lawmakers have been beholden to party bosses and political elites instead of the people who voted them into office so they can win a primary and basically be handed their seat in the Legislature due to no challenge in the general election come November.

It’s maddening to stamp our feet, raise our voices and feel like no one is listening.

Well, we’ve already gotten mad. Now it’s time to do something about it.

The volunteers with Idahoans for Open Primaries have heard stories of frustrated voters like us in the agriculture space for months as they knocked on doors, held town hall meetings and secured nearly 100,000 petition signatures. The uniting thread: people want their voices to matter again. We want to take power away from political parties and give it back to the voters. We want our lawmakers to be accountable to their neighbors, not some politico at the capitol building.

There’s good news. The Open Primaries Initiative is now Proposition 1. It is a solution that my fellow frustrated farmers have been looking for. It is a way forward. And it will be on your ballot in November.

So join me. Learn all about the Open Primaries Initiative. Get excited about the possibility of electing lawmakers who will listen and address real problems. And if you start to get mad at our current system and ineffective leadership, get ready to vote yes for Proposition 1 on Nov. 5.

Article written by Jennifer Ellis

Jennifer Ellis is a cattle rancher in Chesterfield, Idaho. She serves on the board of Take Back Idaho and is a supporter of Idahoans for Open Primaries.