OpenCDA

November 16, 2014

Mary Souza’s Newsletter – 11-16-2014

Filed under: Probable Cause — Bill @ 4:44 pm

11-16-2014 Souza's newsletter

Dear Newsletter Readers

Thank you for all your wonderful emails of congratulations! I am honored to be the Idaho Senator-elect for District 4 in Coeur d’Alene, and I know it would not have happened without your support.

This has been an incredibly interesting experience, as I’m sure you can imagine. I thought the campaign was busy, but, now with the election win secured, I’m getting calls and invitations from groups and individuals all over our region and state. Everyone wants to explain their concerns and detail their needs before the legislative session starts in January.

Here in Idaho, we are in session for three months–Jan, Feb, March. The state gives distance legislators a housing allowance to stay in Boise and pays for us to fly home on weekends, if we wish, which helps our families and gives us a chance to talk with people in our districts. There are also special monthly Legislative Update meetings, here in Kootenai County, during the session, which offer a great place for folks in our area to ask questions of us as legislators and to hear what’s happening in Boise. I’ll let you know when and where these are scheduled. This experience should be a great lesson on how our government actually works and, perhaps, how we can help it work better.

I want you to know that you will always be my top consideration. Foremost in my mind will be the question: How will each legislative action impact the people of Coeur d’Alene?

As readers of this newsletter, you know that I’ve always been fascinated by the process of government, so I was glad to be part of last week’s Legislative Tour in North Idaho. It’s been a long standing tradition that, following the elections, nearly all the legislators come up to North Idaho for a three day tour of two selected counties. This time the counties were Kootenai and Shoshone, and we visited a list of diverse, interesting businesses and public places. Many of the legislators also attended the tour in order to talk with each other, make plans for the session and participate in the caucus meetings, which took place the first evening of the tour.

The caucuses are separate meetings for House Republicans, House Democrats, Senate Republicans and Senate Democrats. It was a time for each of these groups to talk, get to know their new members and discuss possible leadership positions. Each caucus will elect their group’s leadership at a Boise meeting during the first week of December, and there will probably be campaigning within each group between now and then.

So I’ll be down in Boise for the first week of December and then the regular session starts on January 12th. As you can see, dear Readers, things are moving quickly. My sweet husband and I just ducked out of town for a few days to celebrate 36 years of marriage. We are so blessed. And now it will be non-stop busyness until Spring!

Meanwhile, I’d like you to know several ways we can keep in contact, if you so wish:

1. My email, always listed at the bottom of this newsletter, is marysouzacda@gmail.com

2. My campaign Facebook is: Mary Souza for Idaho

3. My campaign website is: marysouzaforidaho.com, and a new feature we’re adding very soon is a Journal. My plan is to write a brief entry each day during the legislative session, sharing an interesting bit about process, procedures or particular legislation. This was suggested by one of my supporters because, as she said, most people don’t know how things work in Boise…it’s a long way away from our everyday lives. For example, here’s a little process tidbit I recently learned:

In the Idaho Senate, the organizational meetings are during the first week of December. We are all (35 of us) sworn in as a group, then everyone stands along the back of the Senate chamber. One by one, according to seniority, we are called upon to choose our desks. (some even research the strategy behind desk choice–not me) After this is done, we are called by the same fashion into the Pres. Pro Tem’s office, right next to the chamber, to choose Committee assignments (very important). At the bottom of the seniority ladder will be the three new Senators–all of us women by the way–we will draw numbers to determine our seniority ranking.

What I’ve already learned from this experience is that, no matter our age or place in life, we can contribute our individual talents in some way, each of us according to God’s plan. Thanks again for all your warm wishes! –Mary

PS – I’m working on a new layout for this newsletter, so the next time you see one, it might look a bit different. The reason for the change is to get a better method for sending them out quickly and easily. There will be other new ways for us to communicate too…I’ll keep you posted.

Photos: Left, with my husband. Middle and Right, celebrating with area legislators on election night.
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Mary Souza is a 27 year resident of CdA, local small business owner and Idaho Senator-elect from Dist. 4. Her opinions are her own. To sign up for the free weekly newsletter, or access a free archive of past columns, visit www.marysouzacda.com Comments can be sent to marysouzacda@gmail.com.

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