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Our job as conservative citizens in preserving our constitutional form of government in the Magic Valley didn’t end with conservative victories on Election Day. Given the MAGA mandates both nationally and in Idaho, our work has just begun. Though we won big time, like with the defeat of Proposition 1, we have yet to begin the everyday work of draining the swamp right here in Idaho.
Draining the swamp in Idaho begins January 6th when the 2025 legislative session begins.
Let us never forget that our elected representatives work for us — We the People of Idaho. That means they will need to hear from you on issues all through the 2025 legislative session.
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To help you keep all Idaho politicians accountable, we will be launching MVLA 2025 War Room on day one.
In addition to the War Room, we will be providing invaluable links, like Gem State Daily Minute podcasts with Brian Almon of Gem State Chronicle, and Idaho Signal podcasts when they resume for the session. More links coming soon.
Legislative Priorities: What conservative Idaho citizens want from their legislators when the session begins January 6th.
According to a survey by Brian Almon of Gem State Chronicle, here’s what responders to his survey had to say.
- Nearly everyone said we need to reduce government spending. I take this as a given for conservative voters in Idaho. We’ll see if JFAC and the Legislature can actually do it this year.
- The top issue for respondents was migration, with most emphasizing that no public funds should be allocated to illegal aliens. Last year, Reps. Josh Tanner and Jordan Redman introduced a bill addressing this concern, but it failed to pass out of committee. I believe a similar bill would have a strong chance of success this year.
- The next issue was a category I called “traditional values”. This included banning drag shows on public property, strengthening last year’s library bill to restrict minors from accessing harmful materials, establishing a Traditional Families Month in June, and passing a resolution against the Supreme Court’s decision Obergefell v. Hodges which imposed homosexual marriage on the nation.
- After that came school choice. Most respondents simply called for school choice, which I interpret to mean a system where tax money follows the student rather than the school. This could be an education savings account, like the one proposed in 2023, or a tax credit, which failed to pass committee last year. Some respondents took the opposite position, claiming that school choice proposals could potentially harm homeschool families.
- Tax relief was next. Most respondents who mentioned this issue called for the elimination of sales taxes on groceries, followed by others who want to see property taxes eliminated or at least reformed. Many simply asked for lower taxes in general.
- Next was health freedom, with most people demanding no vaccine mandates, as well as no future lockdowns or mask mandates as well.
- Federalism was also a big issue. Several people called for Idaho to somehow take back federal lands within our state, with others calling for our government to take back various responsibilities that have been usurped by DC.
- Many people called for the elimination of the initiative process, which brought us Medicaid Expansion and attempted to change the way we vote. One person suggested not eliminating it, but significantly raising the threshold for ballot initiatives. Numerous people called for banning ranked choice voting, which was already done at the legislative level last year, but it could potentially be added to the Constitution to make it harder to overcome in the future.
- Along those lines, securing our elections was important to quite a few people as well. Cleaning voter roles was a popular suggestion.
- Several people suggested laws prohibiting weather modification, including so-called “chemtrails”.
- DEI was another consistent issue, with calls to eliminate it throughout taxpayer-supported institutions.
- Several people brought up gun rights, especially a law that would allow teachers to carry concealed firearms on school grounds. This bill passed the House last year but was not given a hearing in the Senate. I expect better in 2025.
- A few people brought up abortion, with most wanting to strengthen our laws but one suggesting we make clearer in the law that medical interventions to save the mother’s life are not illegal.
- Two respondents suggested making gold and silver legal tender in Idaho.
- There were also responses calling on the Legislature to keep drugs illegal, reform the judicial system, protect female spaces, impose term limits, and privatize liquor stores.
- In addition to these things, there were a few suggestions that I felt did not fit neatly into my categories and deserved direct attention:
- “Have our Grand Old Party put into legislation a bill to establish a “TOD” (Transfer On Death) law within the state so our beneficiaries are not subjected to the probate debacle system.”
- “Voting on judges: I’m all for it — but I only want 35 people voting on them. Let’s go to the system where the governor appoints and the senate confirms. The current system is stupid.”
- “Both houses of the legislature need their own legal counsel, so the bills can be written properly to accord with the existing corpus of law.”
- “Create a state co-op for homeowner’s insurance. Homeowner’s insurance is in crisis in Idaho. Something must be done about it ASAP. Many people in North Idaho can no longer obtain homeowner’s insurance because insurance companies won’t write policies in certain areas.”
- “Only Official Flags Flown on Public Grounds — Stop the pride flag from being displayed in classrooms and in city halls.” (I can share that there will be just such a bill this year!)
- “End daylight savings time.”
