Members of the Idaho Education Association revoked their 2022 endorsement of Rep. Ted Hill (R-Eagle), who at the time was a candidate to represent Idaho’s legislative District 14 in the Idaho Legislature.
Members of the IEA’s Government Relations Committee, which is made up of member educators from each region of the state, originally endorsed Hill in 2022’s primary and general election after recommendations from local educators in his district. The endorsement from IEA, Idaho’s oldest and largest educator union, was based upon educator interaction with Hill and his assurances about his stance on education and labor issues.
IEA members endorse pro-public education candidates for statewide, legislative and key school board elections each election cycle.
Hill was informed of the decision this week through a letter from IEA President Layne McInelly.
“After two legislative cycles and many votes taken on education issues, it was the determination of both the local educators who made the recommendation and a majority of the IEA’s Government Relations Committee that the IEA cannot continue to recommend or endorse your candidacy for office and have elected to revoke the 2022 endorsement of your candidacy,” wrote McInelly.
Hill sponsored and supported several bills during his time in office that ran directly counter to IEA members’ pro-public education policy priorities and IEA member interests, including:
- Votes that threatened the ability of public sector labor organizations to conduct fundamental duties that serve public sector employees, including conducting collective bargaining and resolving unfair labor practices
- Sponsorship of guns-in-schools legislation that did not include collaboration, input, or partnership with education and law enforcement stakeholders
- Sponsorship of several bills that impact Idaho’s LGBTQ+ community without collaboration, input, or partnership with members or groups representing that community
- Votes in the House Education Committee in favor of schemes to provide public funds for private school tuition that run contrary to the Idaho Constitution
- Votes that negatively impact libraries as bastions of the rights to freedom of speech and expression.
While the committee’s decision cannot be appealed, McInelly’s letter told Hill that he would be “free to participate in future endorsement processes or meet with educators to help explain your votes and actions.”