Gov. Little/GOP Lawmakers: Stop Caving to the Far-Left

Gov. Brad Little has called for a special legislative session to take place in September.

Little and the legislature have already garnered enough co-sponsors to pass a bill that increases education spending by $400 million, along with mediocre tax breaks that still don’t go far enough.

During the press conference, Little denied that the Prop 1 education initiative from Reclaim Idaho had anything to do with the proposed education spending in the proposal or the special session.

The truth is that Little caved to Reclaim Idaho, and without the far-left group pushing Prop 1, there wouldn’t be a legislative session. Idaho has had surpluses on numerous occasions, and calling a special session to do a budget bill is not normal.

Setting aside the debate about the merits of both Prop 1 and Little’s bill, the bigger concern is the capitulation to a far-left group by the moderate-wing of the Idaho GOP.

Little and the moderates in the GOP don’t understand that caving to Reclaim Idaho is a one-way street. If Idaho ever turns “blue,” don’t expect the same type of treatment from liberal legislators.

When Democrats take over a state, they put the progressive agenda on warp speed; they don’t look back to see what the Republican Party is doing.

Democrats in California, Oregon, and Washington don’t care what their state GOP lawmakers are doing. They don’t care because they are also one-party states.

In Idaho, Democrats often complain about Idaho being a one-party state. But, of course, if the shoe were on the other foot, they would be more than happy to be that party who makes the rules and rules the roost.

Why then is the moderate-wing of the Idaho GOP giving in to the demands of the far-left in Idaho?

The Constitution Party of Idaho opposes Prop 1 and sees no reason to capitulate to any of the far-left extremists making their voices loud in Idaho right now. Instead, Idaho’s lawmakers should be pushing the most conservative agenda in the nation.

GOP lawmakers should stop caving to the left and corporate interests. They should stand firm with conservatives in Idaho who are demanding a more conservative agenda. This is no time to give the liberals a foothold in the state.

If the GOP does not stand up to the far-left in Idaho, we’ll end up like every other “red” state which has fallen to the liberals, and we’ll lose this beautiful state for good.

Greg Pruett is the State Vice Chair for the Constitution Party of Idaho.