I look forward to serving in the Idaho Legislature to represent the communities in Idaho’s Legislative District 6. My husband, Dana, and I have lived in Latah County for over 50 years. We came to Idaho to attend graduate school at the University of Idaho, but we fell in love with the area and decided to raise our children and spend our lives here.
As an active community member, I have used my organizational skills to work with others to solve problems and address needs as a founding member of the Moscow Community Theater, Moscow Arts Commission, Friends of Phillips Farm, and Palouse Discovery Science Center and serving on the Latah County Parks Board for 13 years. I taught special education at Moscow High School, then eighth grade science at Moscow Junior High, also coaching problem-solving teams, until I retired. Now, Dana and I enjoy taking hands-on science activities to rural libraries and schools in our district.
I have followed the Idaho legislature carefully for the past 8 years, studied numerous bills, testified in committee hearings, and in 2022 helped draft a successful resolution (HCR 29) promoting understanding of how childhood trauma affects health. I have also served on an Idaho Behavioral Health Council committee addressing this issue.
My priorities are easy to remember (“FREE”):
- Freedom to be our best selves, free from discrimination, to find our unique ways to pursue life, liberty, and happiness, with access to affordable housing and healthcare that meets our personal needs.
- Respect for rights, ensuring voting and initiative rights, personal rights, and rights of locally elected leaders to make decisions free from state government overreach.
- Education to “establish and maintain a general, uniform and thorough system of public, free common schools” with high quality teachers and facilities where everyone can access affordable career technology and college opportunities.
- Environment, promoting stewardship of the land, protecting our public lands, and addressing energy needs while maintaining a clean, safe, healthy environment for our children’s future.
I’m committed to fiscal responsibility, so I’m very concerned that the legislature’s recent severe cuts to essential services will result in higher costs in the future. As Ben Franklin said, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” I will support legislation focused on prevention programs. Recent legislative action represents government overreach, taking away local control, and legislators are not adequately addressing the most critical issues facing Idahoans: attainable housing, healthcare, our doctor shortage, and maintaining and improving our public schools.
I will work to address the specific needs of the communities in District 6 and plan to use my problem-solving skills to create opportunities to bring people together to listen to and understand each other better. I want to understand your concerns, hopes and dreams for the future and genuinely believe that as Idahoans we have more in common than we have differences. I will work to find common ground in all discussions.
Kathy Dawes
Learn more about Kathy at https://kathydawesforidaho.com/
Contact Kathy: Kathy.dawes@kathydawesforidaho.com
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