About My Opponent

Brandon Mitchell’s Voting Record

(Brandon Mitchell currently holds Seat 6B in the Idaho Legislature.)

Rep. Mitchell Votes Against Preschool and Kindergarten

  • Voted NO on Bill H 226 (2021) refusing to accept an additional $12 million in grant funds awarded to a very successful preschool program in Kendrick/Juliaetta.

  • Voted NO on H 790 to fund full-day kindergarten.

Rep. Mitchell Does Not Support Higher Education

  • Voted NO on S 1179 funding the University of Idaho.

  • Voted NO on H 24 to provide workforce training for Idaho high school graduates through the LAUNCH program.

  • Signed on to the 2024 Idaho GOP Platform that clearly states the party does not “support funding education with taxpayer money beyond high school.” This means that Idaho’s colleges and universities will receive no state funds in the future.

Rep. Mitchell Votes Against Women's Freedoms and Healthcare

  • Voted YES on ALL abortion bills, resulting in doctors leaving the state and women with problem pregnancies seeking healthcare outside the state and families of rapists to be able to sue doctors who provide abortions for rape victims.

  • Voted YES on H 81 to kill the Maternal Mortality Review Committee.

  • Voted NO on Bill H 633 (2024) to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage for new mothers from 2 months to 12 months.

  • Voted NO on Bill S 1234 (2024) to allow women to get 6-month prescriptions for birth control pills instead of having to fill prescriptions every month, providing continuity in preventing unwanted pregnancies.

Rep. Mitchell Votes Against Initiative and Voting Rights

Regarding our citizen-led Initiative rights:

    • In 2021, he voted for S 1110 that became law to ensure signatures are gathered from each of the 35 legislative districts. This law was declared unconstitutional by the Idaho Supreme Court calling ballot initiatives and petitions “fundamental rights, reserved to the people of Idaho…”

    • In 2023, he cosponsored SJR 101 that would have required a minimum number of signatures come from each of the 35 legislative districts, again making it nearly impossible to get citizen-led initiatives on the ballot. (It failed in the House.)

    • In 2024, he voted for H652 which shortened the time to collect signatures and made it more difficult for signature gatherers to turn in signatures, again making it nearly impossible to get a citizen-led initiative on the ballot. (This bill was passed by the House but never received a hearing in the Senate.)

    • In 2024, he voted YES on S 1377 to require paid signature collectors to announce they are paid, wear a badge, paid signature gatherer written on the document, or signatures would not be counted. (This became law.)

    • In 2024, he voted YES on S 1376a for public officials to use public funds to oppose initiatives! (This became law and is an abuse of our tax dollars!)

Regarding Voting Rights:

  • Co-sponsored H 340 (2023) which makes it more difficult to register to vote and actually disenfranchises homebound people without a current Idaho photo ID. (This became law.)

  • Voted YES on bill H 599 (2024) – Would take away your right to turn in your elderly neighbor’s absentee ballot, making it a crime. (This became law.)

  • Voted YES on HJR 4 (2024) – A constitutional amendment that would prevent any changes to how winners are elected, prohibiting any other possible methods of voting like Ranked Choice Voting in the future. (This resolution failed.)

Rep. Mitchell Votes to Take Away Local Control and Expand State Government:

  • Voted YES on H 415 – Requires all schools to remove “Gun Free Zone” signs and allow concealed weapons in all public K-12 schools. This would have replaced any “gun policies” already established by our locally elected school board members. (This bill was passed by the House but did not get a hearing in the Senate)

  • Voted YES on H 493 – Prevents any local control regarding mandating of face masks, no matter what future public health emergencies might occur. (This bill was passed by the House but did not receive a hearing in the Senate)

  • Voted YES on all library bills, including H 710 – Takes away local control by library boards and mandates specific library board policies set by the state and involve potential fines for all school and public libraries. (H 710 became law July 1, 2024)

  • Sponsored and Introduced H 545 - Prevents a local governmental unit to enact an ordinance or a resolution requiring participation in an optional federal housing assistance program (Section 8 vouchers) or regulates rent, fees, or deposits charged for leasing private residential property. This bill basically removes protections for renters from unscrupulous landlords and will increase problems with affordable housing in Idaho (This bill became law July 1, 2024)

  • Sponsored Bill H 470, without consulting the Sec. of State to waste up to $80,000 expanding state government unnecessarily by creating an Office of Elections Crimes and Security to respond to alleged elections violations. (This bill failed in the House)

  • Voted YES on H 572 – “The bill aims to prohibit local governments in Idaho from establishing or enforcing any laws, rules, regulations, or ordinances that provides payments to individuals under guaranteed income programs,” according to the Idaho bill’s statement of purpose. “These programs are defined as those offering regular, unconditional cash payments for any purpose, excluding those requiring work or training from recipients. The legislation declares such local efforts null and void unless explicitly authorized by state statue.” (This bill became law July 1, 2024)

(NOTE: In contrast, read about the success with guaranteed income: Idaho Capital Sun)

OTHER INFO: Mitchell served as Co-Chair of the House Transportation Committee. The Chair, Joe Palmer, does not allow remote testimony in any hearings! So, those of us in northern Idaho can only testify in person, which is totally impractical!

Additional votes:

He voted NO on S 1399 to fund Idaho Public Television.

He voted NO on H 539 the anti-bullying bill that “aims to better address the needs of those who are bullied in addition to responding to those who do the bullying.” Parents of bullied children currently do not have to be notified of their child’s experience being bullied. (This bill failed by only 6 votes.)

He voted YES on H 421 about defining sex/gender equally and with only a binary definition. (This is now law.)

He voted YES on H 668 to deny medical treatment or surgeries for trans people…in spite of the fact that major medical groups support gender-affirming care as medically necessary and safe, and that the bill could lead to a lawsuit against the state for discriminating against transgender Idahoans. (This is now law.)

He voted YES on H 538 that prevents requiring the use of preferred pronouns. (This is now law.) This law could allow school employees to incessantly, deliberately, maliciously misgender a trans child simple to bully that child. If the principal requests they stop, they could be sued.

He introduced bill H 583 that requires people moving to Idaho to apply for their driver’s license, vehicle registration and title within 30 days instead of 90 days, which has been the case for many years. (This bill is now law.)

And finally…Brandon Mitchell voted for…

HCR 35 which would have established “Traditional Family Values Month” (Mother’s Day through Father’s Day). This resolution described the “traditional family” as “designed by God” and “consisting of the natural female mother and male father, children, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and other extended family.” This would mean that adoptive families, foster families, single-parent families, families with grandparents raising their grandchildren, same sex marriage families, and many other very loving and devoted families would NOT be included in such a celebration. This is discriminatory.

(This resolution passed in the House but, thankfully, did not get a hearing in the Senate.)