By Idaho GOP Chairwoman Dorothy Moon
Do you remember where you were when President Trump declared “15 Days to Slow the Spread”? Do you remember what you were doing when Governor Little issued his “Stay at Home Order”? Do you remember what life was like in 2020?
Too many people have forgotten. They’ve forgotten how government closed churches but kept liquor stores open. They’ve forgotten the mom-and-pop shops that were destroyed through no fault of their own, but the dictates of government bureaucrats.
They’ve forgotten the men and women in Moscow who were arrested for singing hymns outside without masks. They’ve forgotten the Meridian mom who was arrested for taking her children to the park.
I understand why so many want to forget the insanity of that terrible year. Propaganda and fear sowed division and distrust among the American people. Neighbor turned against neighbor, calling the police if you had too many guests or dared step outside without a mask. Families were forced to say goodbye to loved ones through windows.
Politicians and bureaucrats would rather you forget. They want you to forget that they enjoyed fancy dinners while your business was shuttered, that they went on expensive vacations while you were ordered to stay home. They want you to forget their rank hypocrisy.
But we must not forget.
This week, a joint bipartisan committee led by Senator Dan Foreman and Representative Barbara Ehardt reviewed how our government responded to Covid-19. It concluded that officials not only broke the law but violated our constitutional rights by closing churches and businesses. The committee also found that the Executive Branch improperly bypassed the Legislature in allocating federal funds.
I was in the Legislature at the time. I remember my frustration watching our government trampling on the people’s rights, while we had no authority to call ourselves back into session to stop it.
Watching the hearing, I was disappointed to see Democrats on the committee repeatedly making excuses for this overreach. They claimed we didn’t know how bad Covid might be. They argued the state had a compelling interest in shutting down businesses and forcing people to stay home. They worried that legislation protecting individual rights might prevent the government from safeguarding public health in the future.
That’s a load of bunk. The entire point of our constitutional protections is to prevent government from infringing on God-given rights. If officials can make exceptions in an “emergency,” then there is nothing to stop them from inventing new emergencies to justify their hunger for power and control.
Idaho has made great strides in restoring freedom since the dark days of 2020. Republican legislators passed laws protecting medical freedom, prohibiting mask mandates, and limiting the powers of health districts. But we still have work to do. We cannot forget what happened. In the 2026 session, let’s ensure that no government official can ever again strip away our rights like they did five years ago.
About Dorothy Moon
Dorothy Moon was elected to serve as the chairwoman of the Idaho Republican Party in July of 2022, and reelected in 2024. Moon served three terms in the Idaho Legislature as State Representative for District 8. Moon’s career in public service has focused on the advancement of individual liberties and reducing the size and scope of government.
