The MVP of the 2023 legislative session is Senator Scott Herndon (R-Sagle).

I first met Sen. Herndon at the 2022 Idaho Republican Convention in Twin Falls. He was seriously impressive is his floor debates regarding the sanctity of life in the state party platform. Already the chairman of the Bonner County Republican Central Committee, he decided to take matters into his own hands this year by defeating incumbent moderate Republican Jim Woodward by double digits.

Scott brings tremendous life experience to the Legislature. His background includes finance, information technology, homebuilding, serving as a jail chaplain, and as father to eight children.

He came to Boise ready to work, sponsoring numerous common-sense bills such as preventing CPS from taking your children away because of their vaccine status, loosening regulations regarding raw milk sales, and preventing cities from requiring that public works contractors provide transgender bathrooms. Most of these passed with broad bipartisan support.

Scott co-sponsored a bill to prohibit using student IDs for voting; this bill passed on strict party lines.

He also proposed some radical ideas such as completely abolishing abortion and getting the government out of the marriage business.

Scott was often the strongest voice on JFAC (alongside Rep. Tanner) with regards to cutting budgets and using the power of the purse to stop funding woke nonsense. His floor debates were always fantastic as he calmly and logically explained the reasonableness of his position and the absurdity of opposing it. Unlike many political figures who simply repeat conservative talking points, Scott has a deep understanding of conservative principles.

I believe Scott will be a force in Idaho politics for as long as he wants to be. We can only hope that he spends a few more years doing this great work before, like Cincinattus and George Washington before him, the call of the quiet life back home becomes too irresistible.

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Read more from Brian Almon at his Substack.