"Have you ever put your heart and soul into doing something, hopefully helpful to others, only to realize upon reflection later, how much you received in return?, Michelle Stennett said in Reflections from a retiring senator. "And how much you have yet to learn?"
Stennett, 61, is currently serving her sixth term in the Idaho Senate. She is the top-ranking Democrat, serving as the body’s minority leader. She announced Monday that she will not seek re-election to the seat, which will be up for election to a two-year term in November.
Senator Stennett represents District 26 in the Idaho State Senate which encompasses Blaine, Camas, Gooding and Lincoln Counties. She is the Minority Leader in the Idaho Senate and was the Minority Caucus Chair before. She serves on the State Affairs, Resources & Environment, and Health & Welfare committees. She is appointed to several interim committees focusing on natural resources, public lands access, fisheries, water issues, workforce development, and ethics in politics. Stennett is Co-Chair of the tourism Committee for the Pacific Northwest Economic Region and Co-Chair of the Canadian Relations Committee for the Council of State Governments-West.
Stennett worked in developing countries on disaster and famine relief and on water and sanitation projects. She worked in a hunting/fishing lodge in Alaska before moving to Idaho and worked several years managing community-based programs with philanthropic organizations, both in Idaho and abroad. She is a true leader who’s influence will be missed.
Regarding the the latest session of the legislature, she said:
Right out of the gate, the majority passed an income tax cut and rebate, which primarily benefits the wealthy, and gives $13,000 to people at the top of the income spectrum and $75 to most Idahoans. This cut took $600 million out of the funds available for education and other needs, and of all the ways you could deliver a $600M tax cut, there is almost no way to do it that would get less money to the people that need it than the path chosen by the GOP supermajority. As predicted, this precluded any meaningful grocery or property tax relief. Despite bills calling for the complete repeal of the 6% sales tax on groceries in Idaho, all the legislature did was increase the grocery tax credit by $20 in the year 2024 - effectively nothing. Taxpayers have to first pay this money into the state and then wait for their refund after they file their income tax returns. This dollar amount is trivial in the face of increased grocery prices. There was no straight property tax relief either. Many ideas that would have provided substantial help to Idahoans were not even given hearings. Democrats have a slate of solutions to go after low-hanging fruit, such as increasing the homeowner’s exemption and pegging it to housing costs, to meaningfully reduce people’s property taxes. More should have been done to help the people of our state. We need tax cuts that truly help working families. We also have to ensure vital needs, such as education and infrastructure, are funded first before considering income tax cuts.
"Investments were made in our educators this year, such as improving insurance benefits, providing pay increases and bonuses, and creating an incentive program to help those teaching in rural and underserved areas with various education costs," Stennett said. "Public school funding also was increased. But Idaho’s per pupil spending continues to be one of the worst in the nation, and teacher’s wages, even with the increases, still haven’t kept up with inflation."
She spoke on a wide variety of other issues affecting families, businesses, and youth:
We don’t know quite yet all of the infrastructure improvements that’ll be made, as more federal funding comes into the state. But I’m hopeful repairs will be made to our roads and bridges, as well as water and sewer systems — all of which is incredibly imperative as our state’s population continues to boom.
The Senate continued its long-standing history of being the backstop for bad legislation coming from the House. We were able to stop many dangerous bills, like several attacking voting rights and LGBTQ youth, and also pass many good ones. I’m extremely proud of the work the Senate caucus did this session. We ran bills to remove racist language from housing covenants and deeds, improve confidentiality for victims of sexual and domestic violence, increase access to contraception, enable schools to purchase electric school buses, provide in-home caregivers property tax relief, better clarify the collection process for a homeowner’s exemption, ensure patients can receive visits from caregivers, and much more.
"Next year, the legislature will look completely different — new members, leadership, committee chairs," Stennett said. "I hope going forward there is more civility and respectfulness in order to set a better example of government. You can debate the issue without attacking the person. And whatever is done in this building must be to better the lives of everyday Idahoans. We have to get back to policy, not ideology. We have to prioritize our people."
This also marks the end of my final session. This is challenging work, especially for a Democrat in this Statehouse. I have tried to bring my best self to it. Every day I pick myself up, dust myself off, forge ahead with purpose, grateful to be a part of a tiny piece of history. I have never lost the wonder of the magnitude of being here. We debate, agree, disagree, fight for what we care about deeply, listen, and give voice to those we represent. It’s been an extraordinary and humbling experience.
Stennett deeply values Idaho’s unparalleled quality of life and worked hard to bring respectful, collaborative, smart governing to the Idaho Legislature.
“Michelle Stennett has been a stellar representative for everyone in District 26 as our state senator for the past 10 years. Her knowledge on issues important to Idaho, especially in District 26, has made her a well-respected legislator on both sides of the aisle and someone who has a calm demeanor as she tirelessly works on our behalf. - Margaret Macdonald Stewart | Idaho Mountain Express
She will “continue to do her best work until her term ends,” Stennett said.