Dear Friends and Neighbors:

Thank you for visiting my web site!

The 2008 legislative session is over and thanks to some hard work and many messages to legislators we managed to alter the $120 million business tax shift to benefit small business at a cost of only $19 million and stop the local option constitutional amendment designed to eliminate local community self determination. Good work!

2008 Campaign

It's campaign time! You can now donate to my campaign with your credit card! Simply fill in the contribution amount in the box below and hit contribute!

Contact Me

If you would like to speak with me or simply let me know what you think about an issue please contact me using any method provided below:

Telephone -
   Home Office Line - 208-658-0388
Email -
   Office - elliotwerk@mindspring.com

2008 Legislative Session Results

Team 17 focused on three basic areas in representing you in 2008:

1. Improving Our Quality of Life
2. Working for the Middle Class
3. Responsible and Responsive Government

Here is how some of the legislative initiatives I pushed or supported in the 2008 session (many developed with Team 17) came out:

• End the tax on food (proposed but no considered, supported successful grocery tax credit HB-588)
• $120 million/year business tax shift (After passing the House, Senate Democrats held firm - forcing a compromise that exempts almost 90% of Idaho business from the personal property tax and costs only $17.5 million/year!)
• Access to affordable health insurance (no movement - we could not even get a House committee to support a non-binding resolution supporting access to medical care by children! )
• Allow citizens to freeze their credit to stop identity theft (SB-1380a passed Senate)
• Foreclosure rescue scam protection (SB-1431 passed Senate)
• Minimum safety standards for child day care (SB-1376 held without a vote in committee by Sen. Lodge)
• Local option authority for transportation projects (derailed by an unnecessary constutional amendment that was stopped in the Senate)
• Energy efficient school buildings (SB-1412 killed in Senate State Affairs Committee - going to an interim committee for additional work)  
• Better mental health services (supported changes to the involuntary commitment laws, construction of a secure mental health facility, and conversion of state facilities in the Treasure Valley for mental health treatment)
• Improved community-based substance abuse treatment (voted to override Governor's veto and supported compromise to restore 90% of funding)
• Public financing for elections (SB-1292 held by committee chair w/o public hearing)
• Revolving door reform for legislators and state employees (SB-1303 by Kelly - held by committee chair w/o public hearing)
• In-state tuition for Idaho National Guard members from other states (HB-385 signed by Governor)
• State wide siting panel for large thermal power plants (coal and nuclear) (SB-1293 held by committee chair w/o public hearing)
• Increasing the Homeowners Exemption to $150,000 (SB-1304 held by committee chair w/o public hearing)

Working together Team 17 provides District 17 with a strong and unified voice in the Idaho Legislature. We will continue to work hard to represent you and all residents of the great state of Idaho.

Please take the time to visit the web sites of Representative Bill Killen at http://www.killenforhouse.com  and Representative Sue Chew at http://www.suechew.com/ .

I look forward to speaking with many of you at your doors during the election campaign. Please take the time to contact me if you have any legislative or community improvement ideas or just want to chat about the legislature or the election.