House Rankings by Voting Record Indicate a Very Liberal Idaho
by Sue Dawson
The following chart reveals the approximate ranking of Idaho State Representatives by their voting record on bills passing through the legislature. The first and second columns are the rating by Freedom Foundation Index for the 2016 and 2015 sessions. Ratings by FFI tend to be based on fiscal issues not social issues. For the current year you can track ratings for specific bills as the votes come in at idahofreedom.org -click on “freedom index” heading.
The third and fourth columns are from acuratings.conservative.org and represent the votes of “Idaho legislators with the highest scores voted most consistently with the ideals articulated in the U.S. Constitution: limited and transparent government, individual rights, personal responsibility, and lasting cultural values.”
Please note that some discrepancies in a legislator’s position may be influenced based on overall scores. An individual may in fact slide toward the Red or toward the Blue a few notches based on specific issues/bills. In case of a dispute, I suggest you talk with the legislator on why he/she may have been rated this way by these two organizations. Also, you can see which bills were contributing factors to their ratings at the respective websites.
In most of Idaho it is widely known by candidates that to get elected one must run as a Republican. Unfortunately the voters rarely stay engaged in the voting record of “Republicans” they elected. Check out the voting record of your Representative below. Does your Representative measure up to Republican values?
Red designates Republican Platform voters. Purple designates moderate views or a mix of the two party stands. Blue designates Democrat Platform voters. New legislators are not yet rated but are generally positioned by color according to campaign statements. Leadership legislator names are green.
| Dist# | IFF | IFF | Acuratings | Acuratings | |
| Party | 2016 | 2015 | 2016 | 2015 | |
| 1R | Heather Scott | 97% | 98% | 100% | 92% |
| 34R | Ron Nate | 97% | 93% | 100% | 83% |
| 21R | Steven Harris | 93% | 94% | 94% | 67% |
| 1R | Sage Dixon | 90% | 89% | 88% | 92% |
| 3R | Ron Mendive | 87% | 93% | 88% | 92% |
| 22R | Jason Monks | 87% | 72% | 88% | 70% |
| 13R | Brent Crane Asst Majority Leader |
83% | 78% | 81% | 67% |
| 2R | Vito Barbieri | 80% | 92% | 80% | 83% |
| 6R | Mike Kingsley | ||||
| 6R | Thyra Stevenson | ||||
| 35R | Karey Hanks | ||||
| 23R | Christy Zito | ||||
| 7R | Priscilla Giddings | ||||
| 8R | Dorothy Moon | ||||
| 33R | Bryan Zollinger | ||||
| 20R | Joe Palmer | 79% | 61% | 81% | 75% |
| 3R | Don Cheatham | 78% | 95% | 75% | 83% |
| 33R | Janet Trujillo | 77% | 51% | 81% | 75% |
| 7R | Paul Shepherd | 76% | 59% | 80% | 80% |
| 8R | Terry Gestrin | 76% | 59% | 81% | 83% |
| 9R | Judy Boyle | 76% | 70% | 75% | 91% |
| 21R | Thomas Dayley | 75% | 58% | 75% | 75% |
| 22R | John Vander Woude Majority Caucus Chairman |
72% | 57% | 75% | 67% |
| 13R | Gary Collins | 71% | 54% | 75% | 67% |
| 15R | Lynn Luker | 71% | 71% | 69% | 67% |
| 14R | Mike Moyle Majority Leader |
71% | 62% | 75% | 64% |
| 20R | James Holtzclaw | 69% | 55% | 75% | 75% |
| 30R | Jeff Thompson | 67% | 48% | 79% | 83% |
| 10R | Brandon Hixon | 67% | 41% | 75% | 64% |
| 2R | Eric Redman | 66% | 48% | 75% | 83% |
| 9R | Ryan Kerby | 65% | 33% | 69% | 75% |
| 11R | Christi Perry | 65% | 35% | 75% | 75% |
| 10R | Greg Chaney | 65% | 64% | 75% | 82% |
| 26R | Steven Miller | 65% | 43% | 75% | 67% |
| 12R | Rick Youngblood | 63% | 36% | 69% | 82% |
| 5R | Caroline Nilsson Troy | 63% | 45% | 67% | 83% |
| 12R | Robert Anderst | 63% | 33% | 75% | 60% |
| 28R | Kelley Packer | 62% | 33% | 69% | 64% |
| 34R | Dell Raybould | 61% | 32% | 69% | 67% |
| 23R | Megan Blanksma | ||||
| 4R | Paul Amador | ||||
| 14R | Gayann DeMordaunt | ||||
| 28R | Randy Armstrong | ||||
| 29R | Dustin Manwaring | ||||
| 5D | Paulette Jordan | ||||
| 26D | Sally Toone | ||||
| 11R | Scott Syme | ||||
| 31R | Julie Van Orden | 60% | 38% | 67% | 75% |
| 4R | Luke Malek | 59% | 37% | 71% | 91% |
| 25R | Clark Kauffman | 59% | 28% | 69% | 73% |
| 32R | Marc Gibbs | 59% | 33% | 63% | 67% |
| 24R | Stephen Hartgen | 57% | 30% | 69% | 73% |
| 30R | Wendy Horman | 57% | 31% | 63% | 67% |
| 32R | Thomas Loertcher | 57% | 57% | 63% | 75% |
| 27R | Scott Bedke Speaker of House |
57% | 36% | 60% | 75% |
| 31R | Neil Anderson | 55% | 30% | 56% | 83% |
| 15R | Patrick McDonald | 54% | 47% | 63% | 75% |
| 25R | Maxine Bell | 53% | 27% | 56% | 75% |
| 35R | Van Burtenshaw | 53% | 30% | 57% | 75% |
| 24R | Lance Clow | 53% | 38% | 53% | 75% |
| 19D | Mathew Erpelding | 46% | 28% | 13% | 25% |
| 17D | John Gannon | 45% | 40% | 13% | 42% |
| 18D | Phylis King | 41% | 28% | 06% | 33% |
| 19D | Melissa Wintrow | 41% | 27% | 13% | 17% |
| 29D | Elaine Smith | 41% | 21% | 13% | 50% |
| 16D | Hy Kloc | 35% | 28% | 07% | 58% |
| 17D | Sue Chew | 42% | 34% | 07% | 45% |
| 16D | John McCrostie | 38% | 33% | 06% | 58% |
| 27R | Fred Wood | 45% | 31% | 31% | 58% |
| 18D | Ilana Rubel | 38% | 27% | 06% | 33% |
Bedke , Guthrie the adulterer and their others in that mutual back scratch cabal need to be thrown out. Corrupt politicians are the same world wide.
This list needs to go to every voter in Idaho. We are not getting what we have been promised by the candidates. Expose the truth in the record. Liberals, Your days are numbered.
So this is what you call a conservative state? I watched some of the Bedke interviews and he seems to have an inordinate amount of power and control even to the point of controlling speech and when to sit down. I was especially fascinated by his warning to a member to “tread lightly” in an apparent move to limit any opposing speech. If an opponent’s speech is severely limited and controlled, he never gets his or his constituents’ views fully aired, which might influence his fellow legislators toward a better understanding of the issue. In addition, the one controlling the legislative body is more likely to get his leftist bills passed. As I recall, the founding fathers engaged in spirited debate in their legislative sessions. I wonder how Bedke will fair in the face of real courageous opposition where the voters and fellow legislators won’t put up with his smoke and mirrors media con jobs. As I hear about current “leadership” and watch them in action, it reminds me of my days as a jr. high teacher-“Johnny, go back to your seat, Mary, stop talking”- where are the adults?