OPINION: The chickens and the eggs

This week, a legislative committee held a hearing on a bill that would have allowed more Idaho families to raise backyard chickens. While the bill ultimately failed to advance to the floor, it was yet another example of how Idaho families are responding as inflation continues driving grocery prices through the roof.

Here in Idaho, egg prices have soared, recently topping $6 a dozen for the cheapest options. Grocery stores across the Gem State post signs blaming an egg shortage and bird flu. But we know the real story: the Biden administration ordered the mass culling of over 100 million chickens, ostensibly to curb the spread of bird flu. That’s like using a sledgehammer to kill a flea.

Thankfully, the Trump administration has taken steps to bring those prices back down. But this is a stark reminder that we can’t take anything for granted. The supply chains that bring food to our tables are fragile, and time and again, government interference makes bad situations worse.

In Idaho, we don’t wait around for Washington DC to solve our problems. We are a self-reliant people, and when egg prices skyrocket, our first instinct is to find our own solutions, like raising backyard chickens. That’s what Idahoans do when the going gets tough: we take care of ourselves.

One thing we don’t do is look to the government for all the answers. We still believe in Ronald Reagan’s maxim that government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem. Remember, bird flu didn’t kill 100 million chickens and send egg prices soaring; the federal government did!

This week also marked National Agriculture Day. Here in Idaho, we understand the vital role agriculture plays in our lives. We celebrate the Idahoans who work the farms, pastures, and dairies that sustain us. We honor the family farmers who carry on a proud tradition of hard work, providing the food and materials that make modern life possible.

Our traditions of agriculture, family farming, and self-sufficiency are central to the faith, family and freedom that Idaho Republicans cherish. The Idaho way isn’t government control, it’s getting the government of the way so individuals and the private sector can thrive. That is how we do it in Idaho, and that is how we keep Idaho great.

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Dorothy Moon is the IDGOP chairwoman.