{"id":13522,"date":"2012-12-10T11:00:38","date_gmt":"2012-12-10T18:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/?p=13522"},"modified":"2013-01-28T12:58:01","modified_gmt":"2013-01-28T19:58:01","slug":"how-lawmakers-day-jobs-affect-policy-decisions-in-idaho","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/2012\/12\/10\/how-lawmakers-day-jobs-affect-policy-decisions-in-idaho\/","title":{"rendered":"How Lawmakers’ Day Jobs Affect Policy Decisions In Idaho"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Emilie Ritter Saunders \/ StateImpact<\/p>

Idaho's Senate Chamber sits empty nine months out of the year. Lawmakers typically in session from Jan. until late March or early April.<\/p><\/div>\n

Almost half of the legislators in Idaho work in agriculture or business when they’re not making policy in Boise.<\/p>\n

Over the last month, StateImpact Idaho<\/em> has collected basic demographic information on the 2013 Idaho Legislature.\u00a0 Some of the information we gathered came directly from lawmakers. Some of it was gathered from Project Vote Smart, the Idaho Legislature, or Nexis.<\/p>\n

We wanted to better understand the makeup of the Legislature, and whether the people making laws in Idaho truly represent the overall population.\u00a0 When you look solely at occupation, it’s safe to say Idaho’s citizen Legislature isn’t very representative of Idaho.
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The U.S. Census Bureau collects occupation information, but categorizes it differently than we have.\u00a0 We know from Census data that 5.3 percent of Idahoans work in an agriculture-related field (this also includes forestry, mining, fishing and hunting), while 21 percent of Idaho legislators work in ag.\u00a0 Census data also tells us that the majority of Idahoans work in educational services, health care, and social assistance.<\/p>\n

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The National Conference of State Legislatures has been tracking lawmaker occupations since the 1970s.\u00a0 Their latest data shows most state legislatures are made up of full-time politicians.\u00a0 That’s not the case in Idaho. Idaho’s Legislature isn’t full-time work.\u00a0 Lawmakers meet in Boise for about three months each year. \u00a0Most are paid $16,116 plus housing and travel expenses.<\/p>\n

As is the case nationally, a large number of Idaho legislators are retired.\u00a0 Nineteen percent of Idaho’s legislators don’t work outside their duties as an elected officials.\u00a0 Nationally, that number is more like 16 percent.<\/p>\n

It’s not uncommon for lawmakers to be retired, especially citizen legislators, given they meet for three months during the winter.\u00a0 For CPAs, that’s peak tax season.\u00a0 For teachers, that’s smack-dab in the middle of the school year.\u00a0 For farmers, it’s off-season.\u00a0 For business owners, it’s likely difficult to take any prolonged time away from the office.<\/p>\n

Sen. Shawn Keough (R-Sandpoint) does have a full-time job outside of the Legislature.\u00a0 She works in public relations when she’s not in Boise.\u00a0 It’s a job she doesn’t entirely step away from during the months she spends legislating in Boise.<\/p>\n

“I’m blessed to work for employers that see the value of public service and support me in that role, but it comes at a cost to any employer on a variety of levels, politically and business wise.”<\/p>\n

“The preponderance of Idahoans have to work jobs, and families have to work generally speaking, two jobs to make ends meet,” says Keough.\u00a0 “Is that reflected here in our Legislature, and those issues that come along with that?\u00a0 Those are questions voters need to be asking themselves.”<\/p>\n

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