Jaquet Works with Unlikely Allies to Improve Idaho Communities

As a community organizer and past Chamber of Commerce director, Idaho House Minority Leader Wendy Jaquet (Flemming Fellow `97) believes that she can achieve change by partnering with the private and nonprofit sectors. Many of the bills Jaquet introduced in the 1999 session reflect a commitment to bringing together diverse and sometimes conflicting groups.

One of Jaquet’s bills brings together the uncommon allies of farmers and developers. HB 323 allows counties to transfer development rights from agricultural lands to urban areas, making it possible for farmers to be compensated for maintaining agricultural lands and developers to gain rights to develop in dense areas. "The bill would preserve agricultural lands, promote development in dense areas and discourage subdividing," says Jaquet.

Jaquet also brought together taxpayers and family farmers to work together on regulations for confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs). "We ended up with a win-win proposal," says Jaquet. "Family farmers win because they receive protections from neighboring industrial farming operations. Taxpayers win when localities don’t pay for more expensive services for farms in rural areas."

"My education in an inner city high school in Seattle framed where I am now and dedicated me to helping people," Jaquet explains. This past session she worked to secure $5 million for Idaho’s Reading Initiative, funding curriculum design, teacher training, K-3 testing and reading intervention programs.