Judiciary must hold President Trump accountable for constitutional violations | Opinion
Constitution
We stand on the precipice of a constitutional crisis exhibited by President Trump’s attempted freeze of federal funding. Congress alone regulates governmental spending. Article I, Section 8, Clause 1 of the United States Constitution. He wisely walked it back, which does not mean that he won’t try again.
Democracy involves a constant battle between freedom of the individual versus power of the government. We must fiercely protect our form of democracy.
Loss of freedom does not occur with a single act. It is a continuing erosion one step at a time. This is exactly why President Trump’s actions must be carefully evaluated and, if acts outside the power granted to his office by the Constitution, then the judiciary must hold him accountable.
The Constitution created three separate, equal branches of government. A strong and independent judiciary must evaluate each challenged executive order and determine whether or not the challenged executive order exceeds the constitutional powers granted to the president. A separate and independent judiciary must protect our constitutionally granted freedoms and ensure that the other two branches of government operate within the boundaries prescribed by the Constitution. The limitations apply to presidents regardless of party affiliation.
Lawrence G. Sirhall, Boise
Legislature
The latest bill from Bruce Skaug to give the governor veto power over voter initiatives is absurd, but it’s more of the same unfortunately. It’s nothing more than a poorly veiled power grab to ensure they (the far right) stay in power. They’ve also recently introduced a bill that would ban government mask mandates. In this one, the supporting testimony was “my body, my choice.”
The sponsor admitted he didn’t consult the medical community at all, but said “it’s a moral issue.” But in the same breath, these same politicians approved a near-total abortion ban. What happened to “my body, my choice”?
Then these same radical politicians want to funnel taxpayer dollars to individuals to help them pay tuition for (likely) Christian private schools. First, even if it’s disguised as a tax credit, our tax dollars should not support another family sending their kid to a private school, especially when Idaho ranks dead last in per pupil spending as it is. Second, because the likely scenario is a “Christian” private school, I believe that will only serve to create the next generation of radical far-right adults, thus preserving this status quo indefinitely.
Brian Hollingsworth, Caldwell
Outdated laws
Yea, the Idaho Senate has decided to get rid of outdated laws. Let’s get rid of useless laws that do no good, laws that only punish Idaho citizens and don’t improve anyone’s life. Our abortion and marijuana laws put us way behind other states, reducing our freedoms and imposing hardship on a large portion of our population. Let’s give the citizens of Idaho the same rights and freedoms that most citizens of this country enjoy.
It is clear that a referendum to reduce restrictions on abortion and marijuana would pass easily, but our ultra-conservative legislature wants to keep citizens from having these freedoms. The legislature knows that a majority of Idahoans want these freedoms, that’s why they are trying to make it impossible to pass a referendum, taking more freedoms away from us in the process. Let’s move forward and give our citizens the freedoms that other Americans have enjoyed for years.
Allen L Wenger, Boise
Egg prices
It is good to see that President Trump’s efforts to reduce egg prices are working well. Watching a news program on TV I noticed that eggs are $3.98 (Canadian or $3.03 US) per dozen in our 51st state. Now we just need to hold on until the prices “sink” into the rest of the states.
Robert Vian Sr., Boise
Congress
Open letter to our U.S. representatives: Hello…Are you there? The extent to which Congress has essentially been silent in response to the pardon/commutation of sentences of those convicted — in court — of crimes of violence on January 6th is the antithesis of law and order. Approval of the appointment of individuals who clearly do not possess the qualifications necessary for Cabinet positions calls into question the value of that entire approval exercise. And, the lack of response from members of the House and Senate as the president seeks to nullify the constitutional power of the Congress through executive orders is shocking.
I understand the political necessity for you to support the party line. At what point does that effort run counter to your responsibility to effectively serve the people who elected you to represent their interests as a member of the United States Congress, with powers and responsibilities separate from the president? If the executive branch continues to usurp the power vested in the House and Senate, do these legislative bodies serve any purpose at all? We are all relying on you to honor the role you were elected to fulfill. In this moment, nothing is more important.
Valerie Ruxton, Eagle
Initiatives
Idaho has a long-standing tradition of voter initiatives. There is no more direct way for Idaho voters to have their voices heard and their desires fulfilled than through the voter initiative process. That process is currently at risk from three pieces of proposed legislation that could disempower voters and lead to the most restrictive initiative process in the country.
HB 2 raises the threshold for initiative passage from a simple majority to 60%. HB 85 grants gubernatorial veto power to any initiative that doesn’t receive 66.7% of the vote. SJR 101 expands the petition signature distribution from 18 to all 35 districts, making it nearly impossible for any initiative to qualify for the ballot.
Idahoans are proudly independent and cherish the fundamental freedom of self-determination. Please join me in ensuring our voter initiative process remains protected and secure by urging your representatives to vote “no” on these bills, which would undermine our basic freedom as Idaho citizens to determine our destiny.
Virginia Perez, Boise