MY TURN: Idahoans deserve representative government

The people who craft the laws that impact our lives should represent more than just 24% of Idaho voters.

That's the percentage of people who participated in the primary elections. And in Conservative Idaho, the Republican who comes out on top for any given office in the primaries gets a rubber stamp straight to elected office in almost all places in the state.

Ahead of the Legislature convening, we have to ask: are the interests of the majority of Idahoans being fairly represented?

Important and controversial issues such as abortion and school vouchers should be decided by all Idahoans — not just the 24% of voters who participated in the 2024 primary election.

Our current election dynamic in Idaho discourages moderate Republicans from running, as defying increasingly conservative central committees — such as Kootenai County's, led by Brent Regan — often results in losing the primary. Examples of this include moderate Republican Reps. Paul Amador and Jim Addis who lost their races in favor of the more extreme candidates that appealed to the Republican Central Committee.

Political parties in power, whether Republican or Democrat, naturally resist efforts to dilute their control. Proposition 1, which sought to create opportunities for candidates independent of Republican Central Committees, failed to pass. We know this issue impacts both parties because a similar proposal also failed in Colorado, where Democrats dominate.

In Idaho, legislators passing laws on contentious issues like abortion and school vouchers tend to reflect the views of the loudest extremists, despite the state being home to a majority of reasonable, moderate citizens who prioritize community well-being over ideology. These moderate voices — be they Independents, Democrats or moderate Republicans — are not represented by Idaho legislators. In our current system, the people making our laws are beholden to groups like the Idaho Freedom Foundation.

The merits of Idaho's restrictive abortion law and the proposed school voucher plan, which would divert public funds to private schools and homeschoolers, are not the focus of this letter. However, these issues deserve robust debate in the Legislature. More importantly, they should be put to a public vote to ensure true democracy and reflect the will of all Idahoans — not just a small percentage of primary voters.

When I ran for the Legislature last year, I suggested to a supporter of Idaho's current abortion law that it should be decided by referendum. Her response was revealing: "We know how that would turn out."

While no one can predict the outcome, a public vote would at least reflect the views of all Idahoans. Although a number of states have changed their restrictive abortion law, elections in states like Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota have shown that restrictive abortion laws can remain intact after public votes. The process matters.

This raises a question: Do Idaho legislators truly respect the will of the people? Consider Medicaid expansion, which passed by a significant majority in a referendum after the Legislature repeatedly blocked it. Despite clear public support, a faction of conservative legislators has continued to try to overturn this decision. Do we truly live in a state where people's voices are heard? If so, why would legislators try to take away vital medical care from the poor, including the working poor, after voters made their wishes clear? And what is the morality in taking away medical care from poor people?

It's time for Idaho's Legislature to embrace democracy and trust the people to decide on the issues that shape their lives. The question remains: Are our legislators serving all Idahoans, or just the interests of conservative central committees and powerful lobbying groups?

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Tom Hearn is a Kootenai County resident.