Kennedy to run for senate

Fred Kennedy, a retired attorney from Mountain Home, today announced that he would be a candidate for the Idaho State Senate seat in Legislative District No. 22 (Elmore and Boise Counties).

Kennedy, a Democrat, will seek the state senate seat currently held by Robbie King-Barrutia, of Glenns Ferry. State Rep. Sher Sellman, a Republican from Mountain Home, has announced that she will oppose King-Barrutia in the Republican primary.

"Events occurring in the 2002 legislative session have convinced me that both the Idaho Senate and House of Representatives are in dire need of a major change in membership and leadership," said Kennedy, who has been successful in winning political office in Elmore County in the past.

"I was literally astounded when both houses of the legislature voted to repeal the terms limit initiative adopted by the citizens of the state of Idaho, in two separate elections.

"For the members of the Idaho legislature to arbitrarily ignore and override the clear mandate of the citizens who sent them to the legislature as their representatives," Kennedy continued, "demonstrates the highest degree of arrogance I have ever seen.

"Seventeen states in the nation have imposed reasonable term limits on state and local offices, but only in Idaho has the legislature voted to override the clear mandate of the people.

"Both Sen. King-Barrutia and Rep. Sellman voted with the overwhelming majority in both houses of the Idaho Legislature to repeal the terms limit initiative adopted by the Idaho citizens, and I believe they, and all of the other legislators who thumbed their noses at the citizens of the state of Idaho, are undeserving to continue to represent those who elected them to office."

"Also extremely important," he added, "is the damage the Idaho legislature has caused to the public education system in Idaho. The massive cuts in the budgets of our schools and colleges forced upon us by the legislature, while funding other programs far less important, have caused irreparable harm to our most important asset -- our children, and their right to expect and receive a quality education, from kindergarten through college."

"Concerning our natural resources," Kennedy said, "I recognize the importance of and need for a properly balanced and managed multiple use program involving our public lands. With proper land management policies and guidelines in place, we can maintain and enhance forest and range conditions for the benefit of Idaho's diverse fish and wildlife, and at the same time continue historical uses of our lands, including properly managed livestock grazing.

"Important as our livestock industry is to the state, we must strive to improve the management of our outstanding natural resources.

"Wildlife-related recreation, including hunting and fishing, are also extremely important to the state and our people, and I believe that management of our wildlife populations would be enhanced by insulating it from the whims of the political arena."

"There are many other important issues pending in the Idaho Legislature, and I am hopeful that all of them will be aired publicly in this year's election," Kennedy continued.

"It is clearly time that a two-party system be returned to the citizens of Idaho -- one that will require that our state government operates in the open, in full view of the people and in a manner consistent with the needs and the wishes of the people," Kennedy said.

Kennedy grew up and was raised and educated in Mountain Home. After completing high school in Mountain Home in 1956, he graduated from the University of Idaho in Moscow in 1960, and then attended the George Washington University Law School in Washington, D.C. Kennedy graduated from George Washington University Law School with honors in 1963.

While attending law school, Kennedy served as a legislative assistant on the staff of the late Senator Frank Church. After completing law school, Kennedy and his wife, the former Patty Scofield, also of Mountain Home, returned to Mountain Home with their children to make their home.

Kennedy started his law practice in Mountain Home in 1963, served as city attorney for the city of Mountain Home in 1964, and was elected Elmore County prosecuting attorney in 1964. Kennedy was re-elected as prosecuting attorney in 1966, 1968 and 1970.

Kennedy served as president of the Idaho Prosecuting Attorneys' Association in 1969. In March of 1971 Kennedy was appointed deputy attorney general of the State of Idaho in charge of the Narcotics and Organized Crime Division, and the family moved to Boise at that time.

In 1972, Kennedy entered the private practice of law in Boise, and continued his practice until March of 1991, when he accepted a senior management position with SCP Global Technologies, a major high-tech manufacturing company in Boise.

The Kennedys moved back to Mountain Home in May 2000, to be closer to their many lifelong friends and family members and the cabin they built in Featherville in 1973.

Kennedy continued to work in Boise until August of 2001, when he retired from SCP. During the fall of 2001, Kennedy spent most of the time at the cabin working nearly full time in donating his labor in the completion of the Senior Citizens' Center located at Pine.

The Kennedys had three children, Tammy, Teresa and John. Teresa is a professor at the University of Idaho, John is employed by the Arizona Game and Fish Department, as Habitat Branch Chief, and their oldest child, Tammy, died in 1992. The Kennedys have eight grandchildren.

"Idaho and Elmore County have been extremely good to Patty, me and our family. I feel that my work and the experiences I have gained in my many years in the public and private sectors will enable me to make a valuable contribution in attempting to solve the many important issues now facing our state and citizens.

"I have the time, experience and desire required to be able to serve effectively in a manner consistent with the good of the people and with the dignity and ethics I believe are required of our elected representatives.

"I would consider it a privilege and an honor to be able to serve the citizens of Elmore and Boise counties in the Idaho Legislature."