Voter Guide: Dan Garner (R)

• Career
  • Farmer and rancher
• Personal Information:
  • Raised four children
  • Served on the local school board, Idaho Farm Bureau State Board, and American Farm Bureau's Organic and Direct Marketing Committees.
  • Graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics
  • Certified SMAW Welder from Bridgerland Technical College, Logan, Utah.
• Website: https://www.dangarner4idaho.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100078405643264

Interview transcript:

So first I got to ask your name.

I'm Dan Garner.

Can you give me a little bit of your background politically, professionally, and as well as your education?

Sure. I am, a farmer and rancher down in Franklin County. I grow, hay, grain, beef cattle and, raised kids. I got four great kids. I grew up here. I went to Brigham Young University, got a B.S. degree in economics. I served on my local school board for ten years, and I served in, Idaho Farm Bureau Federation Board, and the Idaho Farm Bureau Insurance Board for about eight years.

So born and raised here as well.

I was born in Salt Lake City. Stayed there until I was about 13. And then we moved back up here to a farm.

And did you say, you went to BYU Idaho?

BYU, Provo.

Oh, Provo. Okay. And then you moved back up here?

Yep.

Wow. Okay, fantastic. Family details. So you mentioned you have four children.

Yeah. Four beautiful kids that I was able to raise here in Clifton. I bought my farm in 1984. Well, I've been farming since then. I've got an older daughter and then three young boys. Not young boys. I guess they're all graduated from high school and in college are working. But to me, they still look young. Yeah.

Of course. First. Well, okay, so considering your background in economics and also as a farmer, what issues do you feel are more important or most important? And, you know, what would you do if elected?

It's obvious that water is going to be a very, contentious and important issue this year. Infrastructure has always been important. And, and education, education. Serving on the school board. I've seen education, get hammered and underfunded for years. I'm glad to see that the legislature has started funding them more appropriately. I think at some point we're going to have to address the main issue of all these problems, which is the massive growth that Idaho is experiencing, and that puts pressure on all of our natural resources and all of our, infrastructure and all the resources that, contained and spend their money on.

So that number one would be growth. We need to find a good, manageable, rate for the growth and figure out how we're going to do that.

And, and if if you were elected, what what would you like to implement to maybe control and adapt to that, to this growth?

I think what we need to do is, try and, find, medium ground where we have the developers help pay for some of the infrastructure without crossing, without inhibiting the public,  your property rights or the private rights of citizens to be able to do what they want. I think we saw a good solution to that with, House Bill 521 and House Bill 292, where they came up with a different way to fund, school facilities.

And I think we need to just, look for those other ways to do things that will benefit those.

Absolutely. And if you don't mind me asking, your your view on water, what what would you like to implement as far as water goes?

I think the Governor at this time and the Lieutenant Governor Bedke have the right idea that if the parties can come together themselves and solve it by themselves, it'll come up with a better result. Obviously, though, what those negotiations have been going on, it's it's been apparent that where we need to start is measuring the water use.

There's places where they aren't even measuring what's being used. And we need to start their basic measuring so that the state knows where this, finite resource is going.

Absolutely. And funding education. What's your plan? As far as that goes?

Like I said, we've done real good the last two years with, putting more money into the education system. I'm not a fan of vouchers. My voting record, supports that very well. but I think we need to prioritize the funding on education, and, we need to have some quantitative results, measurement of the results that we are getting, and then hold the educators accountable.

And so your top priorities, if elected into this position, are education, water and.

Probably property rights.

And property rights.

Yeah, I see our local governments, our cities and our counties infringing on the local property rights of farmers and ranchers.

And is there anything that you would like to say about, you know, farmers property rights. Is there anything else that you think that the people should know about? Your plans if elected into office?

I can't think of any unless you can come up with a question that clarify something.

No, those are great answers. And anything that you would like for people to know about, more about your background politically and professionally? To see, you know, anything that would, add to, to your credit in going into this decision?

Yes. I, I didn't mention that I am the current Representative for District 28. I really enjoyed and I'm honored to be elected to serve these people in this district. And I try very hard and pride myself to be available for their comment. And, if they'll send me an email or voice their concerns in a text to me or something, I try very hard to get back and respond to them.

I want to be accessible to my constituents.

And considering your history. Is there anything that you've seen from your last term that you wish to improve on going forward?

Yes, the bills that have been coming through the House have quite a few of them have a private cause of action. I think we need to get away from this. It just clogs up the legal system and we need to stop putting those in the bills in my mind that it clogs them up. And then the bills need to be more concise and written more not so broad.

We get we have, one that came through and it's called the Band-Aid bill. Now, because it makes education so that they have to get health insurance before they give the kid a Band-Aid. And that's because of the way it was written. It was too, too broad. And we need to be more concise in our wording of legislation as, as we move forward.

And I would imagine that that would involve a lot of communication between representatives. what are your priorities and values as far as communication within the state of Idaho?

I think it's very important to keep associations with other representatives and legislators, your county officials that are elected and your city officials are elected. We need to keep those communications open because the overreach of government from the state telling the county, and the closer you can get a decision, the closer to the government and closer to the people, the better decision they come up with.

And so we need to keep both lines of communication open. So we aren't stepping on their authority or their toes.

Thank you so much for for for those answers. sorry if any of those questions were were overstepping.

No, not they were great. I just I, I'm not sure I'm articulating where I want to be with them, but I think you understand where I'm going.

Absolutely, yeah. And my job is just communicate your values and your priorities to the public. That's all.

Yeah. I think you'll do great.

Well. Thank you. Yeah. And just, just some follow up questions. Is there somewhere where I can access your website? Facebook?

Yes.

Dan Garner for Idaho. I've got a website there that goes into my priorities and all the information on how my constituents can get ahold of me. My Facebook link is on that website.

And, let's see. Other than that, I can give you a phone number where they're more than welcome to contact me with questions.

That would be great. Yeah. If we can.

It is 208.

208.

244.

244.

0999.

0999. Perfect.

Yeah. And then an email they can reach me at when I'm not in session. They can use my, government one when I'm in session. But if I'm not in session, Daniel Garner.

Daniel Garner.

1966.

1966.

 At gmail.com.

gmail.com. Perfect. Righty. We will get all that information. And you know what?

 I'm seeing this one last question here that I would like to ask, if you have time for it. Just this what are some of the issues people from your district are discussing and seeing as important?

Water is what they're really discussing now. Franklin County is going through the bear River adjudication process right now. They're watching what's happening in the Snake River drainage right now, and they're concerned about that. And then the process of, filing on their springs and their water rights. So there's a lot of talk in the in Franklin County about that. Power County and the Bannock County, of course, they're in the Snake River drainage.

And, the curtailment is the biggest thing on their mind, right now, I believe, because it would dry up a lot of farm acreage and farms in that, Power County area.

More specifically to the curtailment. what is your stance on that?

I, when you say stance, can you tell me what you want, what you're thinking? I mean, like, I think that they need to I if they can work it out between the water users instead of bringing it to the legislature, it's going to be the best solution. I'm not. I'm, I won't mess me personally.

I won't mess with priority doctrine. I think that's important to leave that there. I do believe that it's a state resource, and they need to measure it because they aren't measuring what is flowing out the end and they need to make. They might be getting their water and they don't know if they don't measure it. They don't know if they're getting their water.

Absolutely.  So leaving it to the water users.

I think that would be the best. But, if they can't come to agreement,  it's obvious that the legislature is going to have to stay, get involved and define. And how we would do that is we would define some of the terms like, what is, feudal water call? And we would define that. And as it is, they're making calls on water that will move through the aquifer, you know, 20 years or so.

And we might say a few of this is just an example is not what I'm proposing. But they they might say, hey, if you if it's a feudal call, if you call for the water and we can't get it there in two years or in a year, you know, and that's that's how the legislature, I believe, will, approach it or is it's one way they could approach it.

And that's why I think if the private water users can come up with the solution by themselves, that will be a better solution.