The candidates for District 3 Seat A in the Idaho House differ sharply on multiple fronts, including Medicaid expansion, minimum wage and education.

Republican Ron Mendive, the incumbent from Coeur d'Alene, is being challenged by Democrat Michelle Lippert, of Post Falls, in the Nov. 4 general election.

Mendive defeated Terry Werner in the May primary to advance, while Lippert was unopposed.

Mendive, who has a background in logging and mining and is a principal in a firm which developed a self-igniting pellet stove, said he opposes expanding Medicaid to 100,000 low-income Idahoans.

"Why continue to fuel a broken system?" Mendive said. "I believe in a hand up, not a handout."

Mendive said helping those in need is, in many cases, a role better served by the private sector.

Lippert, a North Idaho College philosophy instructor, said the Legislature needs to expand Medicaid.

"There's too many uninsured Idahoans," she said. "When they are sick, the only avenue they have is to go to the emergency room, which is more expensive - and that cost is being paid by local taxpayers. There is a moral obligation to take care of everybody in the state."

Lippert, who supports raising the minimum wage, said the average minimum-wage earner is 35.

"We know many people in our communities who are juggling two or three jobs to keep their heads above water," she said.

Lippert said she hasn't heard of any firm data suggesting raising the minimum wage will hurt businesses.

Mendive, however, believes increasing the minimum wage would take away jobs.

"Some of the service industry can only pay so much," he said. "I know of a lot of restaurants that have not succeeded, so there's a limit to what the market will bear."

On the education front, Mendive, a member of the House Education Committee, wants to explore any ideas which increase school choice and parental control.

"'Will this bill lead to greater parental choice?'" Mendive said. "This is the question I ask myself each time I evaluate reforms. My constituents want to know that they will have control of their child's learning."

Alternatives to the public school system, he said, increase competition in education, which is a good thing.

"If you increase competition, public schools have to improve," he said. "Competition always increases excellence."

He said he doesn't believe Idaho has fallen drastically short of funding education as some believe.

"Idaho is a poor state and about half of our budget goes into education," he said. "Proportionately, we're right up there."

But Lippert, who has been a Post Falls School Board member for 18 years, said limiting the restoration of education funds following the recession is "choking" schools.

"Funding from the state is less than it was in 2009 and - during the past five years - our costs have grown and we have more students than we did," she said. "We've increasingly had to rely on levies. The rural districts are really suffering. For them, this has been a grave hardship. Some districts have gone to four-day weeks. We know that this is not as beneficial to students as a five-day week, but it's to save money."

Lippert said she supports adding language to Idaho's discrimination laws to protect lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender people.

"All citizens are entitled to the same rights," she said.

Mendive, meanwhile, doesn't support such legislation.

"I believe in equal rights, not special rights," he said. "The American Constitution gave people equal rights. We have Constitutional guarantees, and I'm comfortable with that. There can be a slippery slope when it gets into sexual orientation."

Mendive said his agenda is to preserve freedoms for future generations as he believes they have been eroded. He believes the state needs to regain control of its natural resources.

Lippert said it's time for change in the state as Republicans have had a "stranglehold" on politics for 20 years.

"I believe that I'd do a better job for moderate Republicans and Independents," she said.

The District 3 Seat A position serves Post Falls, most of the Rathdrum area and south to Worley.

Online

Watch a video of the candidates discussing some key campaign issues: bit.ly/LippertMendiveVideoCDAPress

• Michelle Lippert

Age: 60

Profession: North Idaho College philosophy instructor

Education: Bachelor's degrees in biology and chemistry from Fort Wright College; teaching certificate; master's degree from Theological Union in Berkeley, Calif.

Public service: Post Falls School Board member for 18 years

Community service: Kootenai County Democrats; former chairwoman of the North Idaho College Faculty Assembly

How many years a resident of your city: 25, Post Falls

Marital status: Married

Family: Two sons

Hobbies: Reading, fishing, hiking

• Ron Mendive

Age: 64

Profession: Semi-retired, self-employed with a construction and excavation land services business

Education: Associate's degree from North Idaho College

Public service: State representative District 3-A, 2012-2014; precinct committeeman, 2010-2014

Community service: Hayden Friends church board

How many years a resident of your city: 40, Coeur d'Alene

Marital status: Married

Family: Two daughters and a son

Hobbies: Hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, camping