Kathryn Larson

Kathryn Larson was born in Dallas, Texas. She graduated from Highland Park High School. She attended Regis University and earned a bachelor's degree from Southern Methodist University in 1980. Her career experience includes working as a consultant.[1]

Larson has been affiliated with the following organizations:[1]

ArtWorks

Community Assistance League

Pend Oreille Pedalers

Worth of a Woman

Idaho Trails Association

Pend Oreille Economic Partnership

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Independent for Idaho. I answer only to the people who live in North Idaho. I want to keep decisions local, infrastructure reliable, and Idaho affordable. I've spent my career successfully working with organizations - large and small, for-profit and nonprofit - deliver on their goals.

I specialized in identifying and clearing bottlenecks, focusing on long term sustainability rather than short-term profits. We moved to North Idaho in 2015 to be closer to my husband's family. I've been coming to this area for over 30 years and I love its independent spirit, the generosity of its people, and its beauty. I am running for office to make it possible for our children and future generations to thrive in North Idaho.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Local Decisions – Decisions should be made as close to the people affected by those decisions as possible. Right now, the Idaho legislature, under the influence of one-dimensional scorecards, is consolidating power at the state level and rural needs are being ignored.Working Infrastructure - We expect the basic infrastructure to be sound. Safe roads and bridges. Clean water. Good schools. Access to doctors and care providers. Top down decision making, bullied by a one-dimensional scorecard, make that harder. Changes to funding and new layers of control are being sold as savings, but they actually just shift costs back onto rural communities, like ours.

For 100 years, Idaho prioritized self-governance. For the last 20 years, the Idaho legislature has neglected maintenance, infrastructure, and public school funding. Our employers struggle to attract good employees when these things are lacking.Affordable Idaho – We want our kids and grandkids to be able to afford to live and work here. That means supporting a strong local economy. North Idaho already has a diverse, strong local economy, from agriculture and aviation to retail, tourism, and growing tech. We should clear the obstacles for local businesses and support their grow, rather than tilt the playing field toward large national firms through state laws and tax policies.

I’ll stay close to local employers and workers and take their concerns back to the legislature. I'll prioritize policies that support opportunities and funding.

I am passionate about rebuilding the practical foundations that allow Idaho communities to thrive. I have a simple test, not a rigid scorecard. These are my criteria: Does it strengthen the community, and keep power close to the people affected? Does it expand local opportunitues? Will it make sense ten years from now?

We need to protect access to rural healthcare and public lands, maintain high quality schools and transportation, address housing affordability without handing control to distant interests, and ensure that state government does not shift costs onto counties, cities, schools, and property taxpayers.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Veterans for Idaho Voters

Video for [the profile publisher]

Video submitted to BallotpediaReleased April 22, 2024

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I’ve lived in Sagle since 2015. My husband grew up in North Idaho and Spokane. We moved from Colorado to be closer to his parents. I’m an artist at the local coop, Artworks. I volunteer with several local groups.

Experience taught me:

Consulting with organizations on their toughest issues taught me about getting divided groups to agree to work together to find common ground.

Game design taught me to think about how things work together and long- and short-term effects. Working as a waitress taught me about service and hospitality.

Problem-solving around the world with people from all walks of life taught me that despite our differences, we can come together as neighbors and work for common good.

Being the sole female executive taught me that looking people in power in the eye and challenging them to do the right thing, can be effective ... sometimes.

Engaging in my community taught me that every person has something valuable to say and contribute.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Local Focus - Our politics should be about our communities. Before putting forth bills or voting on legislation, elected officials need to ask the question: How will this impact our quality of life here in District 1? If a bill will cost tax payers more money because it shifts the burden from state to local, that doesn't serve constituents. If a bill will create more divisiveness, stress, or fear, our elected officials have no business voting for it. North Idahoans are fiercely independent, loyal to our neighbors, and we should not be controlled by the Boise-based, nationally-driven, Idaho Freedom Foundation that runs our legislature currently.Freedom - I'd like legislators to ask how bills might impact rights of the constituents in District 1 to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Our constitutional right to freedom is being systematically stripped away by overreach at the state level. A few people force our librarians to issue completely new library cards for anyone under 18 and check IDs at the door, instead of being free to curate the best books for our community. Doctors risk criminalization if they deliver that standard of care to pregnant women instead of being free to be excellent in obstetrics. One legislator changed the laws because the courts ruled against him 3 times. Now we are not free to decide whether we want guns at our events.An economy that works for all of us - We have a rich business ecosystem of family-owned businesses, small and mid-sized businesses, across industries - seasonal, manufacturing, resort, food service. Our legislators should focus on clearing obstacles and establishing laws that invigorate our local businesses. Housing is a huge issue here. We can't attract high quality talent without housing and excellent schools and women's healthcare. Laws should reward the working class families and individuals who contribute to our economy.

Our lawmakers can represent help the economy instead of doubling down on culture war issues that are brought here by outside big money. Our legislators are wasting our tax dollars,

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I spent the first three months of this year reading the 700+ bills introduced into legislation this session, writing my legislators, and being ignored. I am passionate about reforming public policy. Current policy doesn't focus on the issues and goals that really matter in District 1 and in Idaho.

I'm passionate about restoring the power of government to the citizens of North Idaho. We have handed over the governing power of our state to the Idaho Freedom Foundation which is very profitable, national "non-profits" funded through dark money.

Attempts to shut down citizen-led initiatives like Medicaid Expansion, educational funding, and open primaries are blatantly not representative of the taxpayers in Idaho.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Integrity and honesty.

Representation of all constituents.

The ability and commitment to understand the issues of their district, read all bills, analyze risks/benefits, listen to input from constituents, collaborate with other lawmakers, and vote based on what's best for the district.

The courage to stand up to the bullying, threats, and intimidation.

The humility to understand that no single person has the answers.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I'd like my legacy to be:

- restoration of a healthy balance and healthy, respectful debate at the statehouse

- making Idaho more purple

- allowing the people of District 1 to ignore politics again without losing freedoms and public institutions

- paving the way for younger people to serve in the legislature

- increasing the desirability of holding public office for decent people

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The Cuban Missile Crisis. My mother took us to the store to stock up. I was 5 and remember my mother being very frightened. My father worked building satellites and he calmed my mother down.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I rode my bike to a new restaurant 5 miles from my house and got a job as a busser, when I was 14. I worked there for two years. When I got my driver's license, I went to a more popular restaurant where I worked for three years. Whenever a new restaurant opened in town, I got a call to see if I wanted to help open it. I worked my way through high school and college. In fact, I worked at the very first Chili's restaurant.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Arlo Guthrie's Garden Song that I heard on the radio today.

Inch by inch, row by row

Gonna make this garden grow

Gonna mulch it deep and low

Gonna make it fertile ground

Inch by inch, row by row

Please bless these seeds I sow

Please keep them safe below

'Til the rain comes tumblin' down

Pullin' weeds and pickin' stones

We are made of dreams and bones

Need a place to call my own

'Cause the time is close at hand

Grain for grain, sun and rain

Find my way in nature's chain

Tune my body and my brain

To the music of the land

Plant your rows straight and long

Season with a prayer and song

Mother Earth will make you strong

If you give her lovin' care

Old crow watching from a tree

He's got his hungry eye on me

In my garden I'm as free

As that feathered thief up there

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

The governor and state legislature should share power in ensuring that our state operates effectively and efficiently. The governor is in office year round and the legislature meets for only 3-4 months. Each should provide checks and balances on the other. However, our legislature has a supermajority. And the republican party has instituted loyalty oaths that ensure no individual legislator can stray from the party line. Legislators gave themselves line item veto power deep into state budgets this year. Then handed that power over to the IFF. Our governor has no ability to veto bad legislation. We've lost all balance in our government.

I’d like to see that balance restored. I’d like to see healthy debate and checks and balances to avoid misuse of power.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Yes. Our legislators shouldn't all agree but they should have healthy relationships built on respect. Healthy debate and respect are essential for good government.

By building relationships with people who see things differently, we learn. By getting to know each other, we find common ground. By finding common ground, we create better solutions that work for more people.

That's why I'm running.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

No, I'm doing this for civic duty because I love North Idaho and I care deeply about my neighbors. I hope to do my part and that others will run in the future. We all have to participate to keep our representative democracy.

There is an amazing young woman, Kaylee Peterson, running for US Congress in Idaho. She's 7th generation Idahoan with deep values. She's an amazing communicator with a bright future representing all of us.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

I've heard so many stories over the past months. A few come to mind.

- The young woman with endometriosis who cannot get treated in Idaho anymore because of the closure of OB/GYN practices. She can't get medication for endometriosis because it's also gender affirming medication. She's experiencing the unintended consequences of bad legislation.

- The doctor who drives to Spokane every day to practice because it's not worth the risk of prosecution or losing his medical license to work here.

- The young man who is working two jobs to pay for a garage apartment and is considering moving to Washington where the math makes more sense.

- The retired neighbor who is worried that the republicans will take away social security and she'll have to sell her house to make ends meet.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

I believe in real transparency. Our state finances shouldn't just look good on paper, they should reward middle-class productivity. Tax breaks that give $30 back to the middle class but cost local taxpayers 10X that amount should be exposed for what they are.

I have helped a lot of organizations increase financial transparency and accountability. A representative government should be transparent, accountable, and responsive to the citizens it serves. Unfortunately, our legislators play games and feed us misinformation in the guise of transparency. For example, the school funding bill promised to bring Idaho schools much needed funding. But, If you look at it closely, funding will be doled out in a way that doesn't help the schools that much, it will create more debt for some, rural schools are severely disadvantaged, and other bills drain the funds faster than they are dispersed in this bill. This is not a school funding bill but another assault on public education.

The tax rebates and refunds don't provide meaningful benefits to individual tax payers but do further defund public schools by draining the general fund.

Our legislators tell us an accountability and transparency narrative that doesn't match reality.