Legislation / How Ilana is helping District 18
Education
Enacted laws I have authored and/or co-sponsored:
- HB1, combining $410 million in ongoing support for Idaho education with a $500 million income tax rebate
- Improved healthcare coverage for educators
- Funding for full-day optional kindergarten
- Career ladder legislation providing teacher raises
- Anti-bullying law
- Civics education requirement
- Funding for trauma training and suicide prevention for parents & school personnel
Other work in education:
- Served on Governor’s Task Force on Higher Education, where I successfully advocated for increased scholarship funding for low-income students
- Volunteer teacher of classes on the Constitution and Bill of Rights in Boise schools since 2008
- Founding member of Boise State University Honors College’s Advisory Board
Recognition for my work in this area:
- Idaho Children are Primary’s “Primary Legislator” Award for support of children and families
- Rated 100% for support of education by Idaho Business for Education
- Idaho Federation of Families’ Outstanding Advocacy Award for Children’s Mental Health
- Endorsed by Idaho Education Association
- Idaho Women Lawyers’ Public Service Award
Healthcare and Community Safety
Enacted laws I have authored and/or co-sponsored:
- Coverage of PTSD treatment for first responders
- Coverage of hearing aids for children who are deaf or hard of hearing
- Restoration of dental care to Medicaid
- Improved funding for emergency medical services
- Regulation to prevent vape sales to minors
- Reform of Idaho’s civil asset forfeiture law to better protect civil liberties
- Medicaid expansion
- Felony penalty for animal torture
Recognition for my work in this area:
- Child Advocate Award from the American Academy of Pediatricians
- Outstanding Service Award from the Idaho Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
- Legislator of the Year Award from the National Association of Social Workers
- Named a Health Care Champion by Close the Gap Idaho
- Smile of Excellence Award from International College of Dentistry
- Idaho Women Lawyers’ Public Service Award
Environment and Quality of Life
Enacted laws I have authored and/or co-sponsored:
- Sponsored and passed the “Fair Warning Act” protecting tenants from surprise rent spikes
- Authored and passed the homeowner solar rights law
- Founded Idaho Business for the Outdoors, a nonpartisan business coalition advocating for Idaho’s outdoors
- Provided the tie-breaking vote for Affordable Housing funding
- Hosted two hearings on climate change at the Idaho Capitol
- Reformed Idaho’s draconian law on noncompete agreements
- Co-sponsored legislation to restore the indexed homeowner’s exemption to lower property taxes
- Co-sponsored numerous bills to lower property taxes, including impact fees on new development for school construction and caps on annual assessment increases
Recognition for my work in this area:
- Cecil D. Andrus Award for Conservation in Public Service from Idaho Conservation League
- Conservation Voters of Idaho’s Environmental Champion Award
- Idaho Women Lawyers’ Public Service Award
- Named one of Idaho Business Review’s “Women of the Year”