Rexburg Legislative and local candidates face off at debate

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) – Six candidates squared off on housing, immigration, infrastructure and private school tax credits at a Rexburg Chamber forum Tuesday at the Romance Theater in Rexburg.

The primary election is quickly approaching in two weeks on May 19.

In a close race for Madison County Commissioner, three-year incumbent Dustin Parkinson and challenger Madison School District #321 Trustee JC Weber addressed housing and economic development.

Dustin Parkinson: "We've been able to reduce, just a couple of things, almost $1 million in expenditures in my tenure. So it's very important to me to not put any more burden on the taxpayers and make housing affordable – that's a big part of it."

JC Weber: "Potentially, having 0.5 acre lots there available in rural residential and building those out from the city core, as we look at making smaller lots potentially in the county. That could obviously lower some of that tax burden that would be from the property tax."

Meanwhile, in the race for the Legislature, District 34 incumbents explained their biggest priorities last year, while their challengers responded with the session’s biggest failures.

Britt Raybould (District 34 Seat B): “I want Idaho's public lands to remain public and accessible to all Idahoans. That court iInterpretation of under Idaho’s Supreme Court left the door open to where the state landlord, which manages those lands would potentially be in a position of being forced to sell Idaho's public lands. I don't think that's right. And so the constitutional amendment that I brought for that required a two thirds vote in both the House and the Senate. That's a high bar, and it would have come to you on the ballot."

Larry Golden (District 34 Seat B): "One of the things that frustrated me was when it came to illegal immigration - specifically House Bill 704 of the work. Those I would have voted different.ly on. Though as I said, and come from a family of immigrants. It's like my family came in legally. I would expect those that come here be willing to follow the rules, to come here to do things right, the right way. They shouldn’t get advanced because they're working on a farm."

Doug Ricks (District 34 Senate): “So, you know, the federal government passed the big, beautiful bill in the middle of last year, and it had a lot of big tax cuts.You have no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, car interest deductions, an additional $6,000 deduction for, deduction. for seniors who are 65 and older. I was proud that I was able to get that [conformity bill] passed.”

Ethan Sanford (District 34 Senate): "I am not opposed to tax reductions and on cuts themselves. I just believe that the enacted these taxes without without consideration of, you know, the state government, whether the state government, whether it's a big one or a limited one. And I do support limited, limited governments, but without considering, you know, how to replace those revenues and just making cuts. I think the Legislature did fail on that. If elected, I would work to reverse that."