Idaho is a Conservative State

The Idaho Freedom Caucus Plans on Keeping it That Way

The Idaho Freedom Caucus’s vision for freedom and state sovereignty has been in development for a long time. During the 2017 legislative session, the Idaho Freedom Caucus was formally launched by two freshman representatives, Mike Kingsley and Bryan Zollinger. At least 24 interested legislators attended their first official meeting. Modeled after the Congressional Freedom Caucus, Idaho’s most conservative legislators began organizing and talking about how they could amplify their work to protect liberty in the Gem State.

In 2022, the Idaho Freedom Caucus (IFC) became aware of a network organization connecting and organizing state freedom caucuses across the country. They were focused on helping to fight federal overreach and pushing back against those who prioritize consolidating political power over representing constituents. Initially it appeared both groups were aligned with the similar mission of protecting state sovereignty and fighting corruption. As a result, the Idaho Caucus decided to voluntarily and publicly affiliate with this organization, known as the State Freedom Caucus Network (SFCN), based in Washington D.C. We looked forward to connecting with other like-minded legislators throughout the country; sharing ideas, learning new strategies, becoming better equipped to pass good legislation. 

As part of the affiliation, the SFCN offered to hire a D.C. funded State Lobbyist for Idaho (Maria Nate) to assist our members with coordination both during and after legislative sessions. We anticipated that they would take the time to understand the Idaho political dynamics and to actively and routinely consult with experienced legislators who had been in the freedom fight for a long time. Unfortunately, after the 2024 session, it became very clear that the SFCN leadership was less interested in actually helping our state achieve long standing conservative wins, but rather to incorporate Idaho under their Washington D.C. command and control structure. The majority of IFC members lost trust in the state director, as the appointed individual was more aligned with the SFCN than Caucus members, making the ongoing situation untenable.  

Why is this important?

Our liberty legislators, like most Idahoans, love their independence. Like you, we all have taken an active interest in what’s happening in the 2024 federal elections to see what type of country the future will hold for us. Regardless of the election results, conservative Idaho legislators know we need to be prepared to strengthen Idaho against unconstitutional threats and overreach, and that we’ll have to be ready to form partnerships with other like-minded states to lay a strong conservative foundation for securing individual state sovereignties and freedoms. The SFCN appears to know this too and understands that, should a post-Trump political movement unfold after the November elections, a power vacuum is likely to occur for conservative organizations.  We initially appreciated SFCN’s apparent willingness to facilitate coordination with other conservative legislators and offer suggested strategies. However, over the past six months, leaders of the SFCN have attempted to treat our members as subjects rather than colleagues. Our Caucus members drew the line when the SFCN demanded to direct the internal affairs of our Caucus within our state.

The turning point came in a two-minute Zoom meeting last spring. Disagreements in Caucus strategy were to be the topic. Our full Caucus joined and assumed that we would be able to work out these disagreements in good faith. To our surprise, the SFCN’s president muted all of the Idaho Freedom Caucus legislators’ microphones and read a prepared statement in which he demanded that the Idaho Caucus be dissolved and that it be re-formed on the conditions that it alter its self-governing structure, rewrite its bylaws, and adhere to a rigid D.C.-driven agenda. Caucus members were told that they would have to re-apply to be in their own caucus with new applications and interviews. The Zoom call ended without any dialogue; this was a unilateral attempt by D.C. to control the Idaho organization in violation of the clear rules laid out in the Caucus’ mutually agreed upon bylaws.

The hubris exhibited by the SFCN during the call was shocking. This blatant attempt to exercise a coup on our group and dictate the operations of the Idaho Freedom Caucus from D.C. was met with our firm resistance. When none of us re-applied, they started to individually lobby some of us and even worked to recruit some of the Primary Election Legislative winners for their new soon-to-be called “Reset” caucus.

The members of the Idaho Freedom Caucus are elected by Idaho’s voters in their districts, and that is ultimately who we serve. We do not work for Idaho’s House or Senate leadership, nor do we do work for the governor, and we certainly do not work for a D.C.-based lobby group. We can’t be true to the ideas and principles of self-promoting state sovereignty if we ourselves are controlled by a D.C. lobby organization. Like our forefathers 250 years ago, we will not cower to outside contrary influences thousands of miles away.

The members of the Idaho Freedom Caucus are proud to be the most conservative legislators in Idaho as well as some of the most conservative legislators in the nation. We will put our voting record up against anyone in the country, including members of the other state freedom caucuses. 

Why the SFCN decided to single out and attack our Caucus can only be answered by them.  If the SFCN thinks that Idaho fits into their top-down dictatorial approach, they are sorely mistaken because true innovation and representation only comes through a bottom-up grassroots movement. Causing strife and division with the most conservative state affiliate in the nation and alienating us from other state caucuses will prove to be bad practice, bad policy and bad strategy. The timing, when Idaho conservative legislator numbers are nearly a solid majority in the House and Senate, is especially discouraging

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Regardless of their lack of cooperation, we will not be deterred in our mission and goals. The Idaho Freedom Caucus will follow its own path, in the same way it has done for the past seven years. We have a vision for Idaho and are heading into a session full of incredible potential for conservative victories. The Caucus and our colleagues are ready to deliver. Our plan is to continue to work with all Idaho lawmakers on conservative legislation, and we look forward to continuing to work together with freedom-oriented state legislators throughout the nation and other conservative organizations. However, these working relationships must be a collaboration between equals, not top-down command and control from out-of-state organizations.  

The Idaho Freedom Caucus remains steadfast in its Idaho First agenda that includes protecting freedoms, strengthening traditional family values and limiting government growth while fostering free-market innovation and state independence -– all true Idaho values that we hold dear and pledge our sacred honor to champion for you, the citizens we represent and serve.