Idaho House District 16 Seat A Candidate Q&A: May Primary Election

IDAHO — As part of Idaho News 6’s election coverage ahead of the May primary, candidates in the contested Idaho House District 16 Seat A race were invited to complete a written questionnaire about their candidacy, priorities, and approach to key issues facing voters.

Their responses are included below as submitted, with no edits except for length when necessary.

Candidates are listed alphabetically by political party, then by last name.

Democratic —

• 1. What motivated you to run for this position?

  • Jeffrey Watkins

    • As a lifelong Idahoan, I believe in an Idaho that supports the lives of all its residents—an Idaho where all people can live a life of dignity. Our current lawmakers seem more focused on making life worse for most Idahoans instead of addressing the real problems in our state. I face the effects of that in all parts of my life. As an educator, I’ve seen firsthand the damage of high educator turnover rates, crowded classrooms, and substitute teacher shortages. I am also a first time home-buyer, a union member, and a part of the LGBTQIA+ community. I have personally experienced the harm that our state legislature has done to the people it’s sworn to serve.
      That isn’t the Idaho that I want to live in, and it’s not the one that we deserve. That’s why I’m running for office. Together, we can build a future with strong, fully-funded public schools, fairly paid teachers, equal access to healthcare, reasonable housing prices, and a clean environment. We can demand more from politicians who forget who they represent once they take office. We can have an Idaho where people live their lives without fear of discrimination, isolation, or marginalization.

  • Megan Woller

    • In third grade, I started hearing classmates repeat harmful ideas they had picked up at home about groups my family and friends were part of. This instilled in me a deep sense of justice and ultimately manifested into my nearly fourteen-year nonprofit career. No matter the issue, my goal has always been to improve outcomes for Idahoans. Good public policy can do that. When I learned a House seat in my district was opening up, I knew it was time to step up and join the team of incredible women representing District 16.

• 2. What experience has prepared you to serve?

  • Jeffrey Watkins

    • For six years, I have been serving my community as a public school teacher and a union leader. I am the Vice President of Idaho Education Association Region 9 (our teacher’s union), a union representative for Meridian Academy High School, and am on the Executive Board of the West Ada Education Association. From the board, I’ve helped shape non-discrimination policies in West Ada, advocated for fair treatment of educators, and increased educator involvement in the political process through our union’s Lobby Days. I know what it means to lead in an environment that feels completely against you, and am not afraid to make my voice heard for what our community needs. I’ve been serving as Democrat Precinct Captain of District 16, which has given me boots-on-the-ground experience for what it takes to empower our community to take political action.
      My most valuable experiences have come from volunteering with amazing grassroots community organizations. Volunteering with Reclaim Idaho sparked my interest in politics, and I rally with the Idaho Sierra Club to protect our environment. I joined with Conservation Voters of Idaho to help pass the Open Space Levy, and I educate others on their rights with the American Civil Liberties Union.

  • Megan Woller

    • I have already served in both the House and Senate as a substitute for Senator Rabe and Representative Haws, which has acquainted me with the legislative process and current legislators. Also, as Executive Director of the Idaho Head Start Association, I report to a board of directors which consists of ten people with different personalities and priorities. I exercise diplomacy, tact, and negotiation skills to facilitate our organization achieving our mission. I also manage a 1.7 million dollar budget. I have conducted policy advocacy throughout my nonprofit career at the state and federal level, which has allowed me to develop relationships across the aisle. I look forward to leveraging those relationships when elected.

• 3. What do you see as the most significant issue facing your constituents, and how do you plan to address it?

  • Jeffrey Watkins

    • Idaho’s public education has been underfunded for decades, and I have witnessed first-hand how districts are forced to run supplemental bonds and levies just to keep basic daily operations running. At the same time, our public education system is being purposefully sabotaged by corporate elites seeking to sow doubt about our public schools in order to redirect public money straight into their pockets. If elected, I will firmly advocate for the full funding of our public schools, stand against misinformation about our public education system, and strongly oppose any efforts to spend public dollars on private school vouchers.

  • Megan Woller

    • The most significant issue facing District 16 is the rising cost of living, from childcare and housing to healthcare and wages that haven’t kept up. At the same time, the destabilization of public education continues to impact children, parents, and educators. Regarding access and affordability of early childhood education and care, I plan to create an early childhood trust funded by tax-incentivized private dollars. It would mobilize early childhood and/or childcare initiatives such as a tri-share model of payment between the state, the parent’s employer, and the parent. Everyone wins with adequate early childhood infrastructure–employees don’t miss work, children are ready to enter the K-12 system and have better long-term outcomes, and the economy experiences a high return on investment, immediately and later on.

• 4. If elected, what is the first policy you would seek to implement or change?

  • Jeffrey Watkins

    • Idaho needs to reverse the Idaho Parental Choice Tax Credit (aka the private school voucher program). We have seen how this kind of program has devastated public schools in states all across the nation. Arizona’s voucher program started the same size as Idaho’s and now costs nearly half a billion dollars per year. Our public schools have been underfunded for over forty years, and this program threatens to bankrupt our ability to educate our children and provide other essential community services.

  • Megan Woller

    • In addition to establishing an early childhood trust, I plan to partner with business and advocates to implement state-level protections for heat-exposed workers. In recent years, farmworkers have died in Idaho due to preventable heat-related illness. Basic protections like heat breaks, shade, water, and education can make farmworkers, construction workers, and warehouse workers less vulnerable to extreme heat. Preventing heat-related death on the job should be Idaho’s standard.

• 5. How would you balance community needs with budget constraints, particularly during times of rising costs?

  • Jeffrey Watkins

    • The Idaho Legislature refuses to serve everyday Idahoans. Because of tax cuts over the last four years, struggling Idahoans now pay a larger share of their income than wealthy individuals. Rich, typically out-of-state developers buy up land, drive up costs, and take advantage of working Idahoans who are trying to keep a roof over their families' heads. The school voucher program siphons our tax dollars to private corporations. The budget deficit exists not because we are providing too much to our communities, but because we are pandering to the wealthy elite.
      We can provide solutions–fully funded public schools, healthcare, affordable housing, well-maintained roads and bridges–and still balance the budget if we choose to stand up to the ultra-rich.

  • Megan Woller

    • Balancing community needs with budget constraints starts with being honest about how we got here. Idaho’s current budget shortfall and recent agency cuts show what happens when revenue is reduced without a long-term plan. I would prioritize core investments that lower long-term costs, like education, public safety, healthcare, and infrastructure, while also pushing to stabilize revenue so we are not forced into more damaging and reactive budget cuts. Balancing a budget shouldn’t mean balancing it on the backs of hardworking Idahoans. It means making disciplined choices that protect essential services and strengthen Idaho’s economy in a way that benefits everyone.

• 6. With multiple candidates on the ballot, why should voters choose you?

  • Jeffrey Watkins

    • Idahoans deserve representatives who will fight for them. Building relationships in the Legislature should be seen as the minimum requirement for an elected official. What voters need is someone who is willing to stand up for their constituents, fiercely debate bills, hold town halls and press conferences, and push for legislation that helps those who are struggling under the Legislature’s targeted bullying of specific communities like immigrants, LGBTQ+ people, and trade unions. They should organize and educate their community on how to fight back against repressive legislation.
      I promise to be that representative–and I already am doing this work by leading in our local Teacher’s Union and testifying against harmful legislation in the Idaho Legislature. I volunteer with several nonprofit organizations to connect my community to resources, educate them on their rights, and teach them how to use their political power.
      As a public school teacher, I struggle to make ends meet in Idaho. Each year it seems to get harder. We must have the courage to try bold new strategies if we want to create an Idaho where everyone can live a life of dignity. I’m ready to do the work, and I hope voters will join me.

  • Megan Woller

    • When I’m knocking doors, I have observed a key group of dedicated voters–parents currently raising children. I represent the lived experiences of many Idahoans needing a voice in the Legislature, including those families that are raising kids in today's economy as well as the nearly 240,000 Idahoans that identify as Latino. Representation of both of these large groups is desperately needed in our Legislature. Additionally, I grew up in a rural Idaho town but have lived in the city of Boise for fifteen years. The ability to view state policy through a dual, rural and urban lens is valuable to constituents statewide. I look forward to being that relatable representative in District 16 and our state as a whole. Finally, I am proud to have the endorsements of District 16 Senator, Ali Rabe, Senate Minority Leader, Melissa Wintrow, House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, and groups advocating for working class Idahoans such as the AFL-CIO, Professional Firefighters of Idaho, and the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation.