Idahoans protected our public lands, but the fight is not over | Opinion

As Idaho Democratic legislators, we would like to express our deep appreciation to Idahoans and Americans across the country who stood up, spoke out and made it clear: our public lands are not for sale.

Idahoans just showed what happens when we come together and raise our voices. We stood up to protect public lands, and we won. This victory belongs to the hunters, anglers, ranchers, veterans, small business owners, and everyday working families who made their voices heard.

But let’s not forget: this fight never should have happened in the first place. It took weeks of pressure for our Republican politicians to come out publicly against proposals that would have opened the door to selling off our shared lands. Idahoans deserved swift and unequivocal opposition to these dangerous land transfer proposals from the start. Instead, too many of our elected leaders stayed silent for too long. Our own governor hasn’t even offered a public statement on this issue.

Some of the loudest voices were not those of our politicians; they were yours. The public response was overwhelming, and it worked – for now – because in the past, there have been Republicans in our own state who have advocated for the privatization of public lands, our legacy for our children. We cannot afford to be complacent; we must continue to fight for our public lands and so much more.

The Trump budget bill recently passed the U.S. Senate, and while it no longer contains the provisions on public land selloffs, it also contains painful cuts to Medicaid, where tens of millions of Americans would lose health care, including vulnerable children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Whether it’s giving away tax dollars for private and religious schools, cutting health care, ignoring the housing crisis, or privatizing public lands, once again, we see a pattern: giveaways for billionaires and corporations on the backs of working families who are told to tighten their belts so the rich can get richer.

Idaho is in deep trouble following the last legislative session, when Republican politicians manipulated revenue projections to pave the way for an irresponsible and reckless $453 million tax cut, which has now left the state in a deficit position. The governor is now preparing the state to implement holdbacks. So, instead of repairing our crumbling schools, supporting rural hospitals, addressing the housing crisis and paying our wildfire bills, many services that people depend on will be cut even further.

We must stay vigilant. If this process has taught us anything, it is that when everyday Idahoans show up, politicians may listen when the pressure is high enough, and our job is to ensure that pressure never lets up.

This is not just about land. It is about who this country works for. And we must continue to ask: Is it working for all of us, or just the wealthy few?

So, let’s keep showing up. Our lands, our health, our neighbors, and our future are worth protecting. And we urge our elected leaders in Idaho to learn from this moment and do what’s best for the people, not special interests. In the future, we need courage and clarity up front, not only after public pressure reaches a boiling point.