In a recent "Reader's View" piece published in the Idaho Statesman Gov. Clement Leroy Otter claims the Patient Protection and Affordable Healthcare Act halted plans already in place to improve Idaho’s healthcare. 

It is great to hear the Governor finally express concern about affordable health care but the truth is that Otter didn't tackle meaningful health care legislation until passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Healthcare Act forced his hand. Please, Governor, show us the bills you were trying to introduce. We are unaware of any concrete plans to improve health care by the Governor’s office prior to the passage of the Healthcare Act.

The people of Idaho do require affordable and accessible healthcare to enjoy the quality of life living in Idaho provides and thankfully they will finally have that, one way or another. Under the new federal health care law, Idaho has to create an exchange or participate in a federally run national exchange. Standards and funding for these exchanges are provided by the Patient Protection and Affordable Healthcare Act.

As the deadline draw’s closer, Otter’s discussion on healthcare reform has become quite different in tone. Despite filing a lawsuit and railing against efforts to improve our nation's health care system for year’s, Otter now refers to a health insurance exchange as an “idea of a one-stop clearinghouse for the best, most up-to-date and concise information available about options for insuring themselves and their families against the potentially catastrophic costs of health care.” Since the governor can't make that policy sound like a bad idea, perhaps he's looking for ways to make it sound like his idea?

Regardless of his inventive recollections, we hope this new task force is more successful than its predecessors. Governor Otter’s previously set up health care task force, like numerous other task forces he has wasted our precious resources on, produced no results that we know of and he will have a tough sell to the GOP legislators that he has previously poisoned on healthcare.

We know our Democratic legislators are looking forward to working together to ensure Idahoans get an affordable and accessible healthcare system that is long overdue. We wish the Governor the best of luck in the successful passage of the exchange. Doing something that will help all Idahoans is, after all, part of his job.

Written by Idaho Democratic Party Executive Director Shelley Landry.

On Wednesday, January 4th, the Idaho Education Association will be hosting a send-off social for the Bannock County legislators from 6 to 8pm.

This event will be held in the foyer of the Omni Building, which is located at 275 S. 5th Ave.

All individuals with concerns or comments on about the education of students in Bannock County and the state of education in Idaho are invited, regardless of IEA affiliation. The 2012 Idaho Legislative Session convenes on January 9th, so this event will be a great opportunity to speak to our legislators before they head off to Boise.

Entrances are at the front and back of the building, with parking in front. The Idaho Education Association looks forward to seeing you there! For more information about this event, please contact their organization at mcalica@idahoea.org.

On Tuesday, December 13th, the Bannock County Democrats will be holding our December 2011 Political Soup lunch. We'll be serving up some yummy soup and bread between 11:30 am and 1:00 pm.

This event will be held at our headquarters, which are located at 355 Yellowstone Ave., across the street from Mama Inez restaurant.

Bannock County Clerk Dale Hatch is scheduled to speak about the effects of the redistricting process on Bannock County and its precincts among a variety of issues. It will be a great time to get answers in a fun, informal way.

Political Soup is a great way to stay in touch with fellow Democrats in our area, as well as to pass around ideas and suggestions. Entrances are at the front and back of the building, with parking in back. We look forward to seeing you there! For more information about this event, please contact our organization at chairman@bannockdemocrats.org.