Who is Senator Foreman Protecting?
Refusing to schedule a hearing for H745 defies all logic.
Nearly one year ago, the 2025 legislative session adjourned sine die with House Bill 98—prohibiting taxpayer subsidies of teachers’ unions in Idaho—still sitting in Sen. Jim Guthrie’s drawer in the Senate State Affairs Committee.
Supporters of the bill regrouped over the summer, mapping out a path to the governor’s desk. At the same time, teachers’ unions prepared for battle with their “May Matters” strategy, aimed at defeating as many Republican supporters of school choice as possible. Stopping this bill was one of the union’s top priorities, as it would directly affect its bottom line.
In my capacity as a Republican district chairman, I carried Resolution 2026-15 to the Idaho GOP Winter Meeting in support of this legislation. After some debate in the Resolutions Committee, it passed the full State Central Committee unanimously.
In February, Rep. Judy Boyle carried House Bill 745 to victory on the House floor. Senate President Pro Tempore Kelly Anthon ensured it was assigned to Senate Commerce & Human Resources this time, where Chairman Dan Foreman was already signed on as a cosponsor. Lobbyists and supporters believed a majority of senators on the committee would support the bill, and that it would also gain majority support on the floor.
Then Sen. Foreman appeared to have a change of heart. He informed supporters that H745 would not receive a hearing. When Sen. Christy Zito attempted to invoke Senate Rule 14E to bring the bill directly to the floor, Foreman said he was engaged in negotiations with the teachers’ union and needed more time.
Whatever game Sen. Foreman is playing has worn thin on those of us who want to see this legislation enacted. On Monday, Idaho GOP Chairwoman Dorothy Moon, at the behest of the State Central Committee Executive Board, sent a letter to Foreman requesting that he give the bill a hearing:
In full disclosure, as a communications consultant for the Idaho GOP, I assisted Chairwoman Moon with language in this letter.
On Tuesday, Citizens Alliance of Idaho Executive Director Matt Edwards announced that Sen. Foreman would be considered a Pledge signer in “questionable standing” for what he described as a hostile action against fellow Pledge signers. On Monday, Edwards spoke with Sen. Ben Toews, the majority caucus chairman and the Senate sponsor of H745, about the situation:
Also full disclosure, I am a contributing editor to the Idaho Signal program. Matt and I continued the conversation on Tuesday:
Politics is a team sport, which makes Sen. Foreman’s actions even more baffling. Who benefits from keeping H745 from receiving a full hearing? Is Foreman protecting members of his committee from having to vote against the teachers’ union in an election year? Is he shielding Gov. Brad Little from having to either sign the bill—earning the union’s ire—or veto it—angering conservative taxpayers?
Or is he trying to protect himself, even as teachers’ union darling Rep. Lori McCann eyes his seat?
This is one of those situations in which doing what is right is also the most pragmatic political course. H745 removes taxpayer support for an organization fundamentally opposed to the values of a majority of Idahoans, and scheduling a hearing would demonstrate courage and moral clarity. Withholding it signals not just timidity, but cowardice.
Fortune favors the bold, not the timid. The teachers’ union is going to come after conservatives like Sen. Foreman regardless, so the best course is to do what must be done and let the chips fall where they may. Refusing to hold a hearing gains Foreman no new allies, but it does cause those who have supported him to throw up their hands and ask: what’s the point of having a conservative committee chair who acts no differently than his counterpart in Senate State Affairs?
Contact Sen. Foreman at DForeman@senate.idaho.gov or (208) 332-1405 today and respectfully urge him to do the right thing by scheduling this bill for a hearing.
Feature image by Pat Sutphin for the Idaho Capital Sun.
Maybe off topic. How much are union dues paid by individual teachers? If this bill were to pass would the paychecks be reduced for each teacher by the dues amount, at least, for this year? Or would this law be effective at the beginning of the fiscal year? As I read the bill it appears as if this pay reduction won't occur but becomes an accounting procedure once the bill is passed into law. There is no doubt that this is a "union busting" piece of legislation and way over due. My concern is teacher's, who currently required to be in the union, are not negatively financially impacted. Second, that teacher's are not subjected to harassment if each chooses not be in the union if this bill becomes law as the current make up of school boards might indicate this could happen.
Just wrote Senator Foreman.