COEUR d’ALENE — Rep. Paul Amador was one of nearly 50 state legislators from across the country to take part in the Millennial Action Project’s second Future Summit July 29 in Malibu, Calif.

Democratic House Minority Leader Rep. Mat Erpelding was Idaho’s other participant in the bipartisan event.

MAP is a non-profit, officially non-partisan organization building Future Caucuses of legislators in states around the country, as well as among federal legislators on Capitol Hill. Founded and led by Steven Olikara, the organization states that politics among millennials is defined by “diversity, technology, pragmatism, and collaborative attitude.” Future Caucus members have supported measures to promote ridesharing, address student debt, and extend the EB-5 visa program, among other issues. Olikara opposed the Trump Administration’s termination of the DACA program.

Amador, R-Coeur d’Alene, said Erpelding reached out to him about the Future Summit, where the pair attended breakout sessions on higher education, workforce development and the “gig” economy; health care; and criminal justice reform. The summit was mainly educational in nature, and provided a good opportunity to network with legislators from across the nation and across the aisle, said Amador.

Also, legislators learned how to form and operate a state Future Caucus, which Idaho does not have.

Amador said the topics discussed were applicable to Coeur d’Alene as it transitions from a resource-based economy to a service-based economy.

“We are now looking at a transition to a more technical and high-skill employment base which will rely more upon ‘gig’ workers that are contracted rather than working directly for a major company,” Amador said. “This shift has real consequences to our social, economic, educational, and political future, both locally and statewide.”

Amador said the event offered something unique in today’s partisan political environment.

“It was refreshing to take part in the Future Summit where we were discussing how to find solutions to issues that will affect future generations of Idahoans and Americans,” he said. Amador said he and Erpelding attended with the intent to organize a Future Caucus here in Idaho “in the next year or so.”

To learn more, go to: millennialaction.org