Main Street Idaho Podcast Episode 9: Senator Linda Hartgen
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Brennan Summers (00:00):
Welcome to Main Street Podcast, an opportunity to talk to Idaho's elected leaders about the issues that matter to you. Hello. Welcome to Main Street, Idaho. We are here with a veteran now in the Idaho legislature. Senator Linda Wright-Hartgen. That's District 25, right out of Twin Falls, correct? That's correct. Now I say veteran because there has been so much turnover in recent years in the legislature. It seems like you've been there forever, but it really has only been five years.
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (00:32):
Yeah.
Brennan Summers (00:33):
Okay. And you recently made a change right from the house? I did. I did the Senate. What prompted that?
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (00:39):
I think everybody at some point thinks they'd like to go to the other side of the aisle as well, or I should say the rotunda, not the aisle. And I decided to had our senator was retiring in Twin and asked if I would be interested and I jumped on it.
Brennan Summers (00:57):
And what's that been like? Has there been a big difference between, you hear the legislature, the legislature, they don't go, they vote, but is there a big difference between the house side versus the Senate side?
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (01:08):
Well, is there's a rules difference even in how they vote? We don't use a machine, everybody, you always are called on with roll call vote every time, which takes up a good amount of time. So the rule changed. The decorum? Yeah, I think there was a change. I like it. I like the change. I like the people. The leadership's great.
Brennan Summers (01:33):
Yeah. You say decorum, you guys are a little bit better behaved than the house side, right?
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (01:39):
Well, you know what it seemed like, but there's only half of us, so they only have to get onto 35 people instead of seven.
Brennan Summers (01:45):
Easier to herd the cats. That's right. That's fair. That's fair. And so you've come over, but you've moved pretty quickly into chairmanship role, right?
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (01:54):
Well, that's right. When you said veteran, to be a veteran and to be a seniority at five years seems pretty strange. And so they did let me use my seniority, which they ordinarily don't. So I got to go in and was asked to be a chair of agriculture. And of course I said I, I love it. I have a background in agriculture as well. And
Brennan Summers (02:15):
That is such an important committee, not just to Idaho, but particularly to your community, right? In the Magic Valley.
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (02:23):
It is to my community and Idaho. It's still the breadwinner. It's still the running economic,
Brennan Summers (02:30):
Absolutely feeding the country. So I want to get into ag, but first we got to go back to the beginnings. A lot of people, even though you're a veteran, may not know you. I first met you, we were up in northern Idaho in the middle of the forest learning about the temper industry. And I thought, here's somebody who knows how to do their homework. You here, you're looking at the trees and asking all the questions I hadn't even thought of. So the people that don't know you, let's go back. What prompted you? How'd you get involved in the political scene in Idaho?
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (02:58):
I've always kind of been a political junkie. Really. Yeah. And 30 years ago, I actually ran for and was county clerk in Twin Falls. And so I really kind of liked that. I actually though left the job and went to be the court administrator for the next 23 years. So I have a background in both agriculture and in the judiciary. And so my spouse ran and was a representative for our district for 10, 12 years, and he became ill one in 16. And so I took his place for five weeks
Brennan Summers (03:35):
As like a substitute. That's a
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (03:36):
Substitute. And I really liked it. And of course his joke was he needed to get back to work because people were going to begin to send me donations to run against him.
Brennan Summers (03:47):
Were you surprised how at home you felt in the capitol?
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (03:50):
I was really intimidated at first to even find the speaker to be sworn in, but everyone was so friendly and they help out someone like that, you're just a novice and they know that you're there helping out, but it kind of gets in your blood.
Brennan Summers (04:08):
And before that, I mean you would've traveled around with your husband because he was a veteran by all definition and a statesman and still your late husband, but still very well respected for all the good he did. You didn't think as you would travel around with him and go to Lincoln Days and attend dinners, you thought maybe someday this can be my job. Well,
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (04:28):
I really did. You did? Okay. Yeah, I really did. I had always thought that it was something that I wanted to do. Actually when he got into it, it was because one of the senators had passed away in our district as well. He applied for that and he came in second. But when we got the call about it, actually I got the call from someone saying, I know that you've always wanted this. Why don't you put your name in? And I said, well, I don't want to retire yet. I still need to work on this. And so I called him and said, why don't you put your name in?
Brennan Summers (05:03):
And he did. What are some of the things that you learned before actually running by watching your husband as an elected leader?
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (05:12):
I think I learned one, you got to really ask a lot of questions and you need to listen and you need to get around your district and learn what's going on and get to know the people. But you also learned, I learned a lot from him about what worked and how political it really was up there. A lot of times you think, well, I'm just going to go up and do my very best and everybody will appreciate that. And I could remember coming home after my first week in sessions telling him, not everybody agrees with me on everything that I think. And so there's a lot of learning to do.
Brennan Summers (05:56):
Let's dig into a little bit more, because when you hear political, you picture campaign badges and signs. And the political part is when you're out and it's Republican, verse Republican in a primary and then Republican verse, that's the political, but you're telling me, and for the average person that might not have a glimpse behind the curtain, what's the political stuff that happens in the capitol that you have to deal with every day to be able to do your job
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (06:21):
Well? You really need to work with people and you need to negotiate and you need to come to agreement. And there are some up there that never come to an agreement with you. It's their way or the highway. And so trying to work around that and finding a majority of people that well agree with you on a certain bail seems really political. Yeah.
Brennan Summers (06:45):
Were there things that you watched before you were in the legislature, your husband do, that you thought, I don't agree with that policy or even that political position?
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (06:54):
Yeah,
Brennan Summers (06:55):
So there might've been discussions at night about, yeah,
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (06:57):
There were discussions that I know after I was elected, I'd come home and he'd say, I don't think I'd have voted that way, really. And I'd say, did you hear there's a new girl in town?
Brennan Summers (07:08):
Oh, that's fantastic. Projects that he felt very passionate about that you've been able to continue to carry the torch on?
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (07:15):
Well, projects especially infrastructure was a really big deal to him. Education, A lot of people thought he was not pro-education, but he truly was pro-education. And so that was something that I continued on to try to do what he wanted and also to keep taxes down. Philosophy is we need to do what we need and not necessarily what we want.
Brennan Summers (07:44):
You mentioned infrastructure. What are some things that are currently happening in Idaho that we need to be aware of in regards to new infrastructure spending?
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (07:51):
Well, in our district, a really big deal would be a third river crossing. And so that's so
Brennan Summers (07:58):
Huge. We've heard a lot about this, but for those that don't travel that way, why is that so important?
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (08:03):
It's important because we have so many people coming into Twin and so many trucks come across that prime bridge and they all enter into the city. I mean, there's tens of thousands a day coming through Twin Falls City. And so the studies have shown, yes, we do need a third river crossing. We've needed it for probably 30 years, but now it's really at a very critical point. And so they've done studies. They have come up with five different areas that they'd like to have it. Of course, many of us think there's only one place to have it, so we need to agree on a place to do it, but we need to start putting some money away for this.
Brennan Summers (08:41):
Any idea how aspects of it'll be?
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (08:43):
Yeah, right now it's 400 million for the spots that we don't particularly want it. And it's 600 million for the one I do want it. So it'd be a good time to start pocketing away several hundred million a year until we could do
Brennan Summers (09:01):
This. What's the timeframe look like?
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (09:04):
Oh, it's not quick enough. And I don't know, once we finish the study, it seems like they start another one and they're in the middle and probably the third or fourth study right
Brennan Summers (09:13):
Now. And so the legislature in theory is going to have to allocate some money towards that.
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (09:18):
They are. We're going to have to obviously probably contact the feds to make sure our own congressional people are on it and maybe they can help with a lot of this. It seems like they should,
Brennan Summers (09:30):
Should your taxes. That's they should help. All right. So infrastructure third river crossing's important. Looks like good news may be coming in our lifetime. Hopefully we'll get to cross hopefully. Before we go, let's talk ag. When you got named as chairman of the Agriculture Committee, probably a big task. What were some of the first issues you thought, these are the things we've got to tackle?
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (09:51):
Well, it's one I was with on a committee that there were probably only three of us that really had any ag background. And so you hear a lot of presentations. And so we had every different type of ag department come in and do their presentation so we could learn more sewer and could be on the same page,
Brennan Summers (10:13):
Which we hear spuds, Idaho's a potato state, but there's a lot of crops grown here. Oh
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (10:20):
My heavens, there's more than I ever dreamed.
Brennan Summers (10:23):
And I keep hearing about more and more things. And I was up in Teton County and I'd pointed out, I said, what could that possibly be? He said, that's quinoa. We're growing quinoa in Idaho now too. So a lot of different products, the growers have different needs and the state can help with those needs at times.
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (10:41):
They all have different needs and they all come with different policy ideas that they would like. And we obviously go over all of their rules during the first couple of weeks. We review all of the rules and agree or disagree.
Brennan Summers (10:55):
What do you think is the number one challenge that the agriculture industry is facing right now?
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (10:59):
Water,
Brennan Summers (11:00):
Water.
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (11:01):
Water. Yeah. I think, and it's to get on the same page about water, we priority doctrine first in time, first in. But we have lots of people that are also the ground pumpers that have a love of farming as well. We need to come to some sort of agreement. I don't think we can ever change the priority doctrine, and I ignore what I want to, but I do think that we need to make sure that everybody has a chance to be made whole and to keep their farms going.
Brennan Summers (11:37):
And we've had Representative Mickelson big grower on, and she's talked about her experience and how important the water is. And we've talked to Representative Ray bold about water. And it seems like the more that I hear about the issue, the less I understand about it. It seems like the water issue is pretty complicated.
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (11:55):
It is pretty
Brennan Summers (11:56):
Complicated. Is that something your committee's going to have to tackle or will that go through natural resources?
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (12:01):
It'll go through natural resources, which is probably a good thing. That is their bailiwick, but it's the aquifers, the recharge of aquifers. And how can we do more of that?
Brennan Summers (12:16):
The nice part is we have a governor and a lieutenant governor and
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (12:19):
Oh, they're all on
Brennan Summers (12:19):
Board that really understand the importance of it, which is nice. We've had some people that probably wouldn't care about the water issue, so it's good that we've got water. Important issue to ag. You signed on in a letter in the session kind of telling the Biden administration, Hey, our farmers need some help with their workforce, and the current state of immigration in this country is a nightmare. Why don't you walk us through what that issue means and why you would kind of sign on to something like that?
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (12:48):
Well, I signed on to it because my district and the districts right around us, well, actually the whole state, but we have a lot of dairies and a lot of farms that would not function without foreign-born labor. And I just feel the need that we, either we get this problem solved or we give these people some sort of a right to be here. I mean, many of them have lived here their whole life, but they live in fear every day. And I can't imagine sending my children to school and fear that they might come home and not find their parents there because kids were born here and they're good people, and our farms and dairies would be in a real hurt without
Brennan Summers (13:36):
Them. But there's a faction of your party who would say no sense that everyone that came here illegally needs to get sent home. And we also need to make sure nobody illegally comes in, right,
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (13:47):
Round them up, put 'em on a bus, send 'em home, and that just can't happen. And every time we tried to explain what this memorial was, they said it was an amnesty. It isn't amnesty. There is, amnesty was not a word ever in
Brennan Summers (14:03):
There. And amnesty means granting everybody who's broke the law.
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (14:06):
Absolutely.
Brennan Summers (14:08):
Yeah, exactly. But it's not. And how come it's
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (14:10):
Not? This was simply to tell the feds, get off your duff and get this taken care of. You've had it in your bailiwick for years, and you just keep punting down the road and it's time to fix
Brennan Summers (14:23):
It. So if we put you in the White House tomorrow, how would you fix this problem?
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (14:28):
Well, it would be nice to be able to do an administrative order. Me seem to do each presidential, but it would be to encourage and say, I'm not going to sign your budgets and tell you fixes this immigration
Brennan Summers (14:43):
Issue. And what does a fix to you look like?
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (14:46):
Well, a fix to me looks like the green cards need to be, I guess, given out easier. I have heard how hard it is when you come here to try to, especially to get citizenship. We've made it truly hard. But I think that we need to have more work release type things for these people to come here and be able to work and to be able to bank their money instead of sending it all back to Mexico.
Brennan Summers (15:17):
So you are on the record as a staunch advocate of legal immigration. That's right. And then where are you with the southern border and illegal immigration? How do you feel about that?
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (15:30):
Well, I think that they need to come in the country the correct way, and the people flooding through the borders right now, it's really hard to watch. And it's like they're just thumbing their nose out and that isn't good. I don't appreciate that either.
Brennan Summers (15:46):
So if we can control the border and set up a system where people are able to come and legally and be vetted, then we can get our farmers and ranchers workforce where
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (15:55):
They can. And it seemed like we were on that path. And then it stopped with the administration that we have now.
Brennan Summers (16:01):
Yeah. Yeah. We're seeing it every day. So a very serious challenge and something that's probably not going away anytime soon. Let's go back to, you mentioned time as a court administrator. Yes. Yeah. What did that include for you?
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (16:16):
It included, I worked in the eight counties in the Magic Valley. And so you work with all of the judges, all the elected clerks. You're the media person, so you're the go-to person and you put out a lot of flyers. You work on all of their budgets. So you do district court budgets and then you do the one for the Supreme Court for your whole district. I started many problem solving courts for people, and yeah, it was just actually, it was very interesting. It was not
Brennan Summers (16:43):
Dull. And it probably gave you some unique experience that you were able to take to legislature,
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (16:48):
Unique experiences of working with people, listening, working, making programs, go, actually getting in and getting people to work together. And that's what I assumed it would be like to go to the legislature. And my ideal is to go to the legislature and you take the hard stuff on first instead of waiting until the last days.
Brennan Summers (17:11):
And that doesn't seem to be the way that it is happening though.
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (17:13):
It doesn't happen that way. And so that was a real hard learn for me that because my administrative abilities say, no, you get in, you tackle big stuff and let the easy stuff flow later.
Brennan Summers (17:26):
So when you were on the house side, you actually served in a germane committee for judiciary, right? Yeah. What type of issues came before you and what are the type of issues that you're still dealing with when it comes to judiciary issues?
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (17:39):
Well, doxxing was a huge issue. It still is where people can be on your front porch or be out in front of your house and burning crosses and whatever. And so that was a big deal. All sorts of drug issues, all sorts of civil issues as far as child welfare and whether parents should be punished or whether they should have sole authority to do whatever they want with their children.
Brennan Summers (18:13):
And when you campaign, one of the big talking points you talked about is being very pro children. And where are we at in Idaho with that, and what do you think we still need to do to better be pro children?
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (18:26):
Well, I think when you're pro child, but it's not just having this child, it's keeping them healthy. It's making sure they're safe, it's making sure they're educated. It's making sure all the good things that we have to offer in the United States come their way. It's not just making sure they're mourn.
Brennan Summers (18:48):
Okay. And in the upcoming session, issues with children, you expect to be important. Education's probably always going to be at the topic. You mentioned that. Other issues that you might be dealing with?
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (19:02):
I just feel parental rights are a really big deal with children. Although when it comes to their safety, I think sometimes if the Department of Health and Welfare has stepped in, there is a reason that they've stepped in. But I think that parents should have the right of deciding how their child is treated no matter what their child is, they need to have the right.
Brennan Summers (19:28):
Yeah. And an issue that when it comes up, it's so important. It just doesn't come up maybe enough. Yes,
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (19:34):
Yes.
Brennan Summers (19:35):
So you've got five years under your belt. Looking back, do you think you consider some best things you've done?
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (19:42):
Well, looking back, especially this last year, the launch, I didn't carry it, but I did work on it in the governor's office often. And so the launch bell was huge. It's to give everyone a chance to go on to college that otherwise might not be able to or go on to rather a certificate school in job demand job.
Brennan Summers (20:06):
And that's just getting rolled out.
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (20:08):
It's getting rolled out. You're pretty excited. Third, I think excited.
Brennan Summers (20:11):
See how this plays. Yeah.
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (20:12):
And I am excited. I think it'll go really, really well. I'm excited about the tax cuts that we've done. Can they be improved? Yes. Yeah, it can be improved. I think we put too much in a bill. And
Brennan Summers (20:28):
This is the property tax bill? Yeah.
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (20:32):
I personally was not in favor of cutting the schools off in March, but I went ahead with it because we got lots of other benefits and just had to explain that to the schools.
Brennan Summers (20:43):
So there you are willing to negotiate going back to the political side and you might not get your whole way, but you got
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (20:48):
Some of it. So we'll help you out by getting increased salaries. But yeah, you're going to have to bite the bullet on March.
Brennan Summers (20:55):
And the salaries have been incredible.
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (20:57):
The salaries, that's another thing to be proud of. We've upped salaries over the last, actually 10 years. They've gone up a lot, but the last two or three years they've gone up exponentially. Could they go up more? Yes, they should. We should not stop. You should never be happy with what you're giving someone. It's something that they need to always keep in touch with nationwide.
Brennan Summers (21:23):
Sure. A lot of good things that have happened in the last five years. If you look forward to the next five years, whether you're a servant or not, what do you think are the priorities in the next five years that the Idaho Senate should tackle?
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (21:34):
Well, I think the priorities should be continued with the education. Continue with infrastructure.
Brennan Summers (21:41):
Yeah, we got to get third river crossing. They're crossing against absolutely five years. That's your deadline. Get it done.
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (21:47):
That would be a great deadline. And to keep the drugs out of Idaho, I've never been a person that would ever vote for any drug to come into Idaho. And marijuana is no exception. Really. Yeah. And I think medical marijuana is actually just the same as recreational marijuana. I guess if they have something that you go into a pharmacy, your doctor's written your prescription, you go to an actual pharmacy and you walk out of there with a sack that I might have to look at that, but that's it.
Brennan Summers (22:22):
So we've seen a lot of states around us except recreational. It's really transformed a lot of states. This stance on being against marijuana coming to Idaho, what have you seen or heard that's caused that?
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (22:37):
Well, I think working in the court has caused it for me. I know that that's why all the kids are in trouble. Every one of them that comes into our juvenile detention centers are tested hot for marijuana. And it's not the marijuana of the sixties when I went to high school. It's not that marijuana is, there's a huge factor of T H C in all of this that they have today. And they just won't change my mind on it. I'm just not a pro marijuana
Brennan Summers (23:07):
Person. Well, at times we've wondered if some in the legislature, if marijuana would help calm 'em down, but we don't think that would speed up the process of getting anything done. If they ever all chill down on marijuana, give him a little up your keep to make sure that that doesn't happen. Well, this is the fun part where we get to learn a little bit more about you. So I'm going to put you on the spot here with a couple fun questions. First off, number one book that you think everybody in their life should read Now, your husband, a great author, really good writer. Oh
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (23:34):
Yeah. I should read his
Brennan Summers (23:35):
Book. You can add, yeah, his book is a notable. What other book would
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (23:41):
You say? Well, I loved Sandra Dale O'Connor, and maybe that's because of the court background that I have, but I loved her book and she did not write it, but it was a biography of her this summer. I've actually done just some fun things, the Essential Ingredients book. Oh, fun. And it's about cooking. And another one. Have you seen Louis Valdez? Now I know that sounds like a crazy, but there are books on how different ages work together. I mean, they've always got an older person and a very young person, and they're working together. They're not stalking one another anymore. It seems like when you hear about age differences in people, everybody begins to wonder if something nefarious is going on. But these are wonderful books and it's just been a good time to read some feel good books in a time when there's not a lot of feel-good things.
Brennan Summers (24:42):
Yes. Especially because things can feel so negative. Yes. Okay, so we covered books. What about if there's the best place you've ever traveled in your life, do you think everybody needs to visit?
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (24:53):
Well, I wished I have traveled more, but I have not traveled a lot. The best place that I've ever gone, it's hard to say. I think I love traveling in the United States, and I have only been out to the country a couple times, Canada or Mexico, so it's not,
Brennan Summers (25:17):
Well, the correct answer was Twin Falls, that that's the place everybody used to travel in their life. Of
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (25:21):
Course, of
Brennan Summers (25:22):
Course. Missed that one. Watch the base
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (25:23):
Shower.
Brennan Summers (25:24):
But we got to wait until we get the third row across and then everyone can travel it. Okay. This one's you're definitely going to be able to get. Okay. What is the best place to eat in your district?
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (25:33):
Oh, I could get in
Brennan Summers (25:34):
Trouble. You could. Yes. So maybe give us a few.
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (25:38):
I'll give you a few. Okay. Elevation 46 always comes to mind.
Brennan Summers (25:42):
Elevation 46. Okay.
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (25:44):
Jakers comes to
Brennan Summers (25:45):
Mind. Classic. Classic.
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (25:47):
Yeah. And there's got to be, we have a new one Uptown Milner's Gate. Okay, that's a good one. There's three. We have a lot of good ones. We just have a lot of fun things happening in Twin Falls.
Brennan Summers (26:01):
Now we mentioned it's really easy to feel down and negative. Give us some good news of what's coming, something we can look forward to in Idaho.
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (26:09):
Oh golly. What's good that's coming in Idaho? I can't think of anything that's bad that's coming to Idaho. I think that Idaho is the place to be, and I think that our economics here is wonderful, and we have so many businesses coming to our area. Twin Falls has changed. If you've not been there in a while, you need to come see what Twin Falls
Brennan Summers (26:31):
Is. I love that optimistic message. So Senator, we started with your background and getting to watch your husband and learning that way. We got to cover your experience from agriculture and the water issues and immigration issues to infrastructure in that third river crossing. We got to learn about books and the places to travel. Last things you'd like to say to anyone out there who is maybe wondering what this is all about, who is this senator and really why should I care?
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (27:00):
That's true, but I love people. I love working with young people, but I love all ages, and I like the people that come to see us up at the session, and their hearts are so full of good things and everybody has an issue, and you just need to listen to every one of them. Whether you agree or don't agree. Oftentimes my mind's been changed because I do like to listen, and that's not always easy to say. Oh golly, I think they changed my mind on this. I've done that. I've done a 180 on a bill because you come in. So I love learning about the state of Idaho. We just came off of a tour that was in Pocatello the last three days, and fascinating. It's fascinating. We often think our own area is the very best, but then we travel around and do these tours and we know that everybody thinks that, and they are. Everybody's got wonderful areas. Ours just happens to be
Brennan Summers (28:04):
Fixed. Yeah, right. Well, Senator, we've been blessed to be able to listen to you today. Thank you so much for being on. We're going to have you back after you've tackled all these tough issues that are coming forward. We really do appreciate you being on.
Representative Linda Wright-Hartgen (28:14):
Thank you, Brennan. Thank you.
Brennan Summers (28:15):
Appreciate it. Yep.
