BYU-Idaho Radio · Rep. Jon Weber Reflects on 2021, Looks Ahead to 2022 Legislature
This year’s legislative session began on Monday,?Jan. 10. One of the legislators in Boise is Rep. Jon Weber, a?Republican from District 34.
For the legislator, highlights from last year’s session included tax cuts and rebates to Idahoans. This year he looks forward to passing and cleaning up legislation to decrease regulation.
Weber sits on the Commerce and Human Resources, Local Government, and Revenue and Taxation committees. As a member of the Local Government Committee, he wants to allow local leaders to govern freely without unnecessary state government interference.
“We need to be partners with local government,” Weber said. “And sometimes I feel, in this last session particularly, there was some tug of war going on between the state and local government.”
He compared this tug of war to that of state and federal governments.
“On the state side we don’t like the federal government coming in and telling us what to do,” Weber said. “It is that same principle on the local level.”
The Revenue & Taxation committees passed House Bill 389 last session, lowering the income tax from 6.9% to 6.5%. They also returned a $50 rebate to Idahoans. Weber sat on the committees and is proud of these changes.
When speaking of Idaho’s $1.6 billion surplus, the representative believes this is a chance to give back to Idaho.
“There are a lot of states in this nation that wish they were in Idaho’s position,” Weber said.
He believes that the legislature should give some of the surplus back to the people as well as invest in infrastructure. These investments include transportation, broadband, and supporting local water and sewer.
With experience as a small business owner and former Madison County commissioner, Weber says his roles have always been focused on serving people.
When it comes to the Idaho Conservative Agenda for 2022, Weber agrees with many of the points. However, he chose not to formally sign onto the agenda, which he believes could potentially tie his hands and prevent him from doing what is best for his constituents.
“We have to remember that we work for the people, and we listen to those individuals,” Weber said.
Weber says the main concerns for his constituents in District 34 include freedom, less government, less regulation and lower taxes.
He encourages residents to stay positive.
“There is so much divisiveness and headbutting,” Weber said. “But there are so many great things to still look forward to.”
Weber encourages Idahoans to contact their legislators if they have any questions, comments, or concerns. Their contact information is available on the Idaho legislature website.