Will initiatives in Idaho target our gun rights?

For years radical progressives on the West Coast have been using ballot initiatives as a weapon to destroy freedom and liberty. Oregon and Washington have taken dramatic turns to the left in recent years due in large part to ballot liberal initiatives being used to bypass state legislatures.

In California, despite a super-majority Democrat legislature, ballot initiatives are still being used in large numbers. Progressives have quickly figured out that they can skip over our representative government by instituting mob-rule through the ballot initiative process.

One of our freedoms these radical-leftists love to attack with ballot initiatives is gun rights. Washington state in particular has seen a rather rapid erosion of gun rights due to successful ballot initiative infringements. Nevada, Oregon, and California have all had attacks on the Second Amendment from the ballot initiative process.

Is Idaho next?

There are some important things for Idahoans to understand about the initiative process and why an attack on gun rights in Idaho from radical leftists may be successful.

First, though signatures must be gathered from about half of our legislative districts, the votes during the election can come only from liberal urban areas. As the Boise and other liberal meccas continue to grow bluer and bluer, so will the ability of radical-leftists to pass initiatives, including those eviscerating our gun rights, while completely ignoring the voices of traditional Idaho conservatives.

Second, the state legislature is unlikely to reverse liberal ballot initiatives that attack our rights because they will claim it was the “will of the people.” In reality, that “will” is primarily coming from liberal urban areas of the state which are not representative of the state as a whole.

Idahoans must decide whether to eliminate ballot initiatives, make them more restrictive, or give up and allow the radical leftists to conquer our state.

More liberal initiatives are already on their way, including a forced minimum-wage increase on our small businesses. How long before they turn their sights on your gun rights?

Time is running out for Idahoans to decide what kind of future we will have. Do we want to look like California, Oregon, or Washington? Or will we fight to preserve our way of life?

The decision is yours.

Gregg Pruett is president of the Idaho Second Amendment Alliance.