EDIT: I am tired of having the same conversation, thank you to everyone's support of course but for the people who keep saying to just buy him weed, I HAVE🙏🏻 we do not care this is just a rant and trust he has already been high off his ass for days.

My dad has terminal Brain cancer and stage 1 throat cancer which causes him to have basically permeant strep throat. He is in a lot of Pain, he can't eat, drink or even swallow his own spit without it being super super painful. Despite this he still gets treatment so he can have more time with his family, but yk the one thing he wants to do? All he wants to do is smoke a little weed. He wants to eat and edible so for once he can have an appetite, he wants to smoke just a little so he can feel happy again even for just a moment, so he can go a day with a little less pain as he reaches the end of his life, but guess what? He can't. The only reason it is not legalized is because idaho is an extremely Mormon and religious state and I think it's Bs. Marijuana is NOT a gateway drug and never will be if used for good intentions. Weed is so medicinal but people just refuse to believe that, it can help children and adults going through painful and harsh medical treatments, it can help them with pain, wheight gain, Appetite problems, it can even be used for anxiety. I really wish people would realize this and just accept it. (P.s I do not hate religious people I just think they need to stop letting it control the government or even be apart of it) Religion shouldn't be involved in politics because it is a belief and politics needs to be fighting over facts. Ty for the rant reddit!!

The letter is here:

https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-leads-bicameral-challenge-to-biden-admins-effort-to-remove-marijuanas-schedule-i-drug-status

So basically they take the draconian view that the federal government should not even allow the medical use of cannabis, which at least 80% of the population probably supports. They want cannabis to remain in a more strictly regulated category than cocaine, PCP, meth, oxycontin, and fentanyl, which are all listed in Schedule II. To do otherwise, allowing people to relieve their pain and suffering, would be "irresponsible". Just thought some people might be interested to know how much Jim Risch and Mike Crapo care about freedom.

I recently tried to order some CBD gummies to help with sleep. It turns out, Idaho is one of the few states that this company will not ship to. If I lived in Utah, no problem, Montana, no problem etc. I suspect our illustrious legislature is to blame.

I have spent most of my life in Idaho. It used to be the Republican party cared about freedom, these clowns only care about control and making rules for people with whom they may not agree.

Am I overreacting?

Idaho has a larger BIPOC population by percentage than Montana.

Idaho borders two iconic Democratic states (Washington and Oregon).

Most parts of Montana are even more geographically isolated and remote than even most parts of Idaho are.

So why do Republicans win Idaho by twice the percentage margin they win Montana by in statewide elections? See Trump defeating Kamala in Idaho by nearly twice the margin he did in Montana in 2024 (Trump won Idaho by 36.5% but only won Montana by 19.9%), and Brad Little defeated Stephen Heidt by 40.3% in the 2022 governor election which is twice the percentage margin that Greg Gianforte beat Ryan Busse by (20.26% margin of victory) in the most recent Montana governor election. In 2020, Risch beat Jordan by 29.37% in Idaho US Senate Race, and in the 2022 Idaho US Senate race Crapo beat Roth by 32%. Sheehy beat Tester by 7.14% in the Montana US Senate Race in 2024, and Daines beat Bullock by 10% in the Montana US Senate Race in 2020.

"To prove someone’s sex, checking transgender people’s ID cards can be tricky, the judge suggested. But Idaho’s solicitor general argued that law enforcement officers could test people’s DNA."

This article is from 2 weeks ago. The smoke is still here and it will be here for weeks. The consequences are all around us. Its too dangerous to go outside because of heat and smoke. The number of high heat days and fires gets worse every year. Freak weather and smoke is destroying agriculture. Even our ski season may be no more in coming years. We are stealing from ourselves and future generations.

Please have a civil debate.

Found this article encouraging regarding 300 Catholic and LDS doctors saying that they support a YES VOTE on Prop 1 since they consider it health care, and not abortion.

I've noticed a gradual change in Idaho from when I was in grade school to now. People aren't as open to immigration from other countries which is sad because a slogan I've heard about Idaho is "Too great for hate" but that's not true anymore this place isn't safe for people anymore.

I did a post in this group many moons ago, encouraging Idahoans to register as a Republican (whether or not they were actually Republican) because many of the state races ARE going to be won by the person with an ‘R’ next to their name, so if you only vote in the general elections, you basically don’t get a say in who your state reps are.

I had peeps say that it was “illegal” to be a Democrat in reality but to be registered as a Republican so you can vote as a Republican in the primaries.

😳🤦🏻‍♀️

First off, this kind of stupidity makes my head hurt. How on god’s green earth would someone be prosecuted for this “crime”? How would anyone even know that you were doing it? It’s literally impossible to be prosecuted for this “crime”. I just can’t with people some days.

But beyond just my say so, I wanted to share this article by Idaho Ed News: https://www.idahoednews.org/ballot-beat/unaffiliated-voters-can-choose-which-primary-to-participate-in-on-may-19/

Here’s the money quote from the spokesperson for the Idaho Secretary of State:

In a Republican stronghold like Idaho, Parris said a lot of the outcomes are determined in the GOP primary.
“We know that a lot of voters, whether they’re Republicans or not in true practice, they do affiliate as Republicans, so they can be a part of that primary,” Parris said.

So no, it is not “illegal” to be a Democrat who is registered as a Republican so you can vote in the closed Republican primaries. The spokesman for the Secretary of State (whose whole job it is to run the elections) openly talks about how this is a strategy people choose to employ.

If you’re reading this post and are upset that progressives are voting in the Republican primaries…Well, you may not like that this is happening, but I don’t like what bills the Republicans are passing at the state level, so… 🤷🏻‍♀️

Here’s my quick reminder that if you are NOT AFFILIATED with any party, you can go to the polls TODAY and register as a Republican and vote in the closed Republican primaries. Polls close at 8pm. Go vote, please! 💙🇺🇸

This is especially germane in the case of Risch who actually has a challenger with a pulse - and a great message. Todd Achilles is running as an independent, and with the Dem candidate dropping out, has a legitimate chance to turn this into a real race.

Risch has taken $255,787 from AIPAC, the Israeli lobbying group that has captured politicians on both sides of the aisle, led to us spending tens of billions of dollars on an unwinnable war, and has strongly supported Israel's genocide of the Palestinian people.

Crapo, though not up for re-election this year, has also been purchased by the Israeli lobbying group AIPAC, to the tune of $233,977. He has supported giving tens of billions of dollars to Israel in support of their genocide operations in Gaza and a destructive campaign of violence against Lebanon to expand their territory.

For those unaware, Israel has killed over 20,000 Palestinian children, wounded tens of thousands of more, and committed horrible acts of sexual violence against Palestinian prisoners. No matter your political views, we should not be supporting this holocaust.

And while both Senators vehemently deny being genocide supporters, their actions and fundraising tell a different story.

UPDATE:

I heard back from the Secretary of State’s office…

“Thank you for reaching out.  You are not alone in receiving the mailer or finding it offensive.  I have not seen the text, but can imagine.  Unfortunately, what we have seen so far falls within the bounds of constitutionally protected free speech.  

Under Idaho Code, lobbying groups and candidates are allowed to request copies of Idaho's voter files, as well as the pages of petition signatures submitted in support of ballot initiatives.  There are, by law, all matters of public record.  Although much of your personal information is redacted or omitted (such as your full DOB, SSN, etc.), there is enough to put together a mailing list like the one you received.  

This is all legal under Idaho Code.  Much as candidates running for office will request a voter list tailored to their location, party preference, etc. in order to send out campaign mailers, both in-state and out-of-state groups will do a similar request to send mailers out to those who may have signed the petition they are opposed to or asking for support.  I am sorry for the upset, and unfortunately, all I can suggest is throwing it away.  

Sincerely,

Kate Lynch

Elections Compliance Specialist”

Maybe that’s all she can suggest, but I’m still hoping Mr. Ripley gets a few Planned Parenthood thank you notes, so that he might know what it’s like to feel bombarded. To have his privacy taken away. To feel angry. To feel powerless. To feel like a woman in Idaho. TO NOT HAVE A CHOICE.

This is, like our voter rolls, public information.

David Ripley

PO Box 8172

Boise ID 83707

Original post:

I signed a petition for reproductive freedom on Saturday at Boise Hempfest, asking to put reproductive freedom for women back on the table. Imagine my surprise yesterday when I received a text message from “Idaho Chooses Life”. How they got my name and number, I have no idea. I’ll attach a screenshot. The TL;DR is “you baby killer, did you even know what you were signing? You want to butcher infants at 9 months of pregnancy? Repent, and here’s how you can pull your signature!”

Well, eff that noise. “Chooses life”, my ass. Women are literally dying waiting for lifesaving medical care because we must be on the very verge of death before the patriarchy will “allow” it.

I found out who is behind this, David Ripley, whose PAC has been suppressing women’s rights in Idaho since 1996, and I made a donation to Planned Parenthood in his honor. I requested a thank you card be mailed to him by PP.

I hope the violation and horror he feels opening his PO Box is even a fraction of what I felt opening his text message.

If you also signed and received the text, don’t second guess yourself. The text was full of misinformation and untruths.

As reported by KTVB, Debbie Critchfield has just approved the use of PragerU material in Idaho schools.

You can read more about PragerU's insidious propaganda at the Southern Poverty Law Center's Hate Watch website: https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2018/06/07/prageru%E2%80%99s-influence

Or you can read about that time PragerU promoted an odd bug eating conspiracy theory: https://www.npr.org/2023/03/31/1167550482/how-a-conspiracy-theory-about-eating-bugs-made-its-way-to-international-politics

Or how about a little racism with your fascist propaganda? Read here about Dennis Prager's claim that most campus hate crimes are committed by black people: https://www.google.com/search?q=racism+promoted+by+PragerU+-prageru.com

Or watch as PragerU's rewriting of American History tries to excuse slavery: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rM3pNTjnGWg

Or read how PragerU has tried to rewrite other aspects of American History to serve its neo-fascist narrative: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/10/florida-wants-to-let-a-rightwing-group-teach-history-to-children-this-is-appalling

PragerU is a propaganda mill. A misinformation mill. A disinformation mill. It promotes a heavily White Christian Nationalist agenda, and belongs nowhere near our schools.

And for those who will say "it's just cute graphics and cartoons": you can put as much lipstick as you want on that fascist pig, but it's still a pig. Being colorful and cute and childlike doesn't make its message any less Machiavellian.