Potato lobby makes case in license plate debate

BOISE – Jerry Deckard, lobbyist for the Potato Growers of Idaho, brandished a big, brown, unbaked Idaho russet potato in front of the Senate Transportation Committee on Thursday and declared, “This is the girl what brung us.”

Deckard was opposing a bill by Sen. Hal Bunderson, R-Meridian, to allow Idahoans to opt not to have the slogan “Famous Potatoes” on their license plates, because he contends the potato is the traditional driver of Idaho’s economy.

“Don’t forget the girl who brought us to the party,” he said.

Bunderson had just told the panel that Idaho’s population and economy have changed since the plate was established in 1960, and Idahoans today don’t all want potatoes advertised on their cars.

“We like every industry in Idaho,” Bunderson said. “We want to support every industry in Idaho, but we want to have a choice.”

Deckard drew laughter by telling the committee, “I heard earlier my good friend, in fact my senator, indicate that he was in fact pro-choice. I think that was a revelation to many of us.” Bunderson is a conservative senator who’s strongly anti-abortion.

The Transportation Committee was receptive to Deckard’s pitch, and agreed to hold off on any vote on SB 1366 until March 2, when members of the Idaho Potato Commission will be back in town to testify – even though the committee secretary warned that the delay might make it too late for the bill to get through the legislative process. That comment was followed by chuckles and murmurs of “that’s the point.”

When acting committee chairman Sen. John McGee, R-Caldwell, announced the delay, he said, “I want to ask Sen. Bunderson for his continued patience on this bill. I know this is a little irregular.”

Bunderson responded, “Maybe I could hire Mr. Deckard to come and represent me.” Amid laughter, Deckard stood and said, “Mr. Chairman, that would be his ‘choice.’ “

After the meeting, Bunderson said he found Deckard’s testimony “kind of fun,” but said, “I think the silver industry in North Idaho would probably challenge that our economy was based on the potato. I had one fellow representing the sugar beet growers say he’d prefer to have sugar beets written across there. The people in my district don’t have a relationship with the potato industry other than as a consumer. Indeed, on this issue, I guess I am pro-choice.”