Voter Guide: Jayson Meline (D)
- Background politically and professional:
- I have never sought or held political office prior to this election year. I was a registered unaffiliated (independent) voter my entire adult life until approximately 3 years ago when I chose to affiliate with the Idaho Democratic Party. I have supported, advised, and worked for candidates from both political parties in various places where I have lived.
I have worked for corporations, in government, the non-profit sector, and for small business.
My platform is to be an active and captive listener first without fear or perceived existential threat from contrary points of view that dominates our current political culture. I will invite different perspectives and points of view to those in my district with an open and independent mindset; and less ideology to build constructive consensus across various interests.
- I have never sought or held political office prior to this election year. I was a registered unaffiliated (independent) voter my entire adult life until approximately 3 years ago when I chose to affiliate with the Idaho Democratic Party. I have supported, advised, and worked for candidates from both political parties in various places where I have lived.
- Career/Education:
- I attended public schools in Pocatello-Chubbuck School District #25, Brigham Young University-Provo, Monterey Institute of International Studies, La Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Arizona State University. My educational background is related to finance, international relations, judicial interpretation and translation, forensic linguisitcs, and public administration.
My career has included multi-national production and manufacturing; as an appointed and certified judicial interpreter for the Spanish language in multiple State and Federal jurisdictions; forensic linquistic work for multiple law enforcement agencies and attorneys; micro enterprise, community economic development, and small business development within migrant and rural communities. I currently work in the insurance industry.
- I attended public schools in Pocatello-Chubbuck School District #25, Brigham Young University-Provo, Monterey Institute of International Studies, La Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Arizona State University. My educational background is related to finance, international relations, judicial interpretation and translation, forensic linguisitcs, and public administration.
- Personal information
- I was born and raised in Pocatello. I am a father, grandfather, brother, son, uncle in a great family.
- What issues do you feel are important and what would you do if elected:
- Change the polarized political climate-legislative representation not reflective of the broader citizenry in Idaho.
In order for checks and balances to work effectively within our form of government, there needs to be a majority combined with an effective and counter minority.
Approximately 30+ years ago, the Idaho legislature was evenly represented with a two-party system complimenting checks and balances with principled consensus representative of Idaho values without polarization, extremism, and fanaticism.
After achieving gerrymandering of legislative districts combined with closed primaries in Idaho as of 2012, the legislature is now a polarizing supermajority representative of a minority masquerading as a majority with no checks or counterbalance. We need to resurrect the two-party system in Idaho for a balanced, practical, sensible approach to all the issues we confront in Idaho that cannot be achieved with supermajority, one party rule.
My representation as an independent minded Democrat will reflect a needed counterbalance to the majority in the Idaho legislature. - Opportunity and challenge of growth with equitable benefit that reflects real stewardship of our resources and way of life.
I will give full and complete consideration to the water districts and Idaho Department of Water Resource proposed agreement nearing completion, and be prepared to support appropriation and needed legislation to prevent curtailment orders while managing aquifer regeneration and water usage sustainable for all stakeholders. I support Idaho’s autonomy in managing our water resources.
The legislature needs to provide appropriate oversight of land ownership, particularly from out-of-state legal entities and their intended use of lands. We need a strategic plan in Idaho that preserves local control, respects property rights, and balances those diverse interests with vital stewardship to preserve agriculture and economic opportunity in rural Idaho.
The legislature has passed some legislation to preserve agricultural land. I would continue to investigate other means with oversight in collaboration with local governments on how to secure resources for land management to preserve agriculture for our nation’s food supply. - Preserve and respect local control of governance.
I want the legislature to preserve; not infringe upon local control whether it be libraries, housing, managing growth. The infamous library bill that included private right of action violated local control. The law demonstrates lack of trust of local communities and the individual to address concerns regarding materials from patrons. It encourages litigation with associated costs as opposed to mediated solutions at the local level. In the end it was an approved solution looking for a problem. A perfect example of zealous ideology being applied as opposed to balance and practicality. The law needs repealed. - Increase resources to effectively meet IEP needs of special needs learners entering public schools at higher rates.
Our special needs learners are increasing for reasons not fully understood or known. The reality is families with special needs learners lack the individual resources of paraprofessionals and professionals to work with their special needs children. While educators who work with these learners are some of the most dedicated and caring, the schools still lack the ability to train and bring in professionals to best assist classroom teachers to maximize opportunity for these special learners. This is particularly true in rural school districts. The Idaho legislature last session rejected approximately 84 million dollars in federal funding that specifically would have assisted special needs children. Just like with the needed infrastructure funding with an authorized bond mechanism, we need to find better funding to support special needs learners in our schools. I will advocate for this within our education funding.
Continue to suppport Idaho Launch and other post-secondary education programs for our workforce and economic development. - Less regressive taxation for lower and middle income familes.
We need to eliminate many exemptions with sales tax that no longer aligns with our modern economy. The less exemptions you have in a tax base, the lower overall rate for everyone you can set while increasing revenue. We need to eliminate sales tax on groceries and essential medications. Low to middle income wager earners always expend a greater proportion of income towards sales tax than higher income households which makes Idaho’s sales tax inherently regressive. This would provide relief. - We need a legislature that understands and respects freedom of conscience.
This is particularly true with reproductive rights of families, their access to adequate medical resources, and their ability to make their own and difficult decisions with medical professionals that are not limited in providing the options to be considered.
Idaho lacks a rationale and reasonable medical exceptions along with a practical exemption for rape or incest; not the narrow exemption that currently exists regarding early termination of pregnancy.
To be clear, I am not a proponent nor support socially convenient abortion nor its public funding.
However, Idaho’s current law does not give full consideration of freedom of conscience to families regarding this issue. The outcome has been an exodus of OB/GYN and fertility specialists that already were scarce before the current law was enacted.
We need a legislature that has priorities that reflect balance between equally important values and principles; not false conflicts between them. This is particularly true with reproductive rights of families, their access to adequate medical resources, and their ability to make their own and difficult decisions with medical professionals that are not limited in providing the options to be considered.
- Change the polarized political climate-legislative representation not reflective of the broader citizenry in Idaho.
