There’s been a narrative being spread on X (formerly twitter) that all lobbyists are “whores.”
And even though I wouldn’t use a term like that to describe lobbyists, it’s easy to agree that they aren’t to be trusted. Say the word “lobbyist” in Idaho, and most folks instinctively recoil — and with good reason. The image that comes to mind is a smooth-talking insider working the halls of the Capitol, cutting deals on behalf of corporations that most Idahoans wouldn’t trust to mow their lawn. And more often than not, that’s exactly what they are.
Here is the definition according to the state of Idaho:
Anyone attempting through contacts with, or causing others to make contact with, members of the legislature or legislative committees or an executive official, to influence the approval, modification or rejection of any legislation by the legislature of the state of Idaho or any committee thereof or by the governor or to develop or maintain relationships with, promote goodwill with, or entertain members of the legislature or executive officials.
We’re not just talking about Big Pharma and Big Medicine. We’re talking about Bayer — the multinational conglomerate behind Roundup, a weed killer now at the center of thousands of lawsuits for its alleged cancer risks. We’re talking about the lobbyists who flood state legislatures, including Idaho’s, to make sure those products stay on shelves, limit their liability, and public health takes a back seat to quarterly profits.
These lobbyists don’t represent Idaho values. They represent corporations with billion-dollar balance sheets and a long track record of harming the public to protect their margins. They’re not just protecting products — they’re protecting monopolies, shielding themselves from lawsuits, and influencing lawmakers to do the same.
Big Pharma’s lobbying machine is no different. These are the people pushing for mandatory injections, protecting emergency-use authorizations, and ensuring that even questioning their products can get you blacklisted. Big Medicine joins the parade by pushing regulations that crush independent practitioners and steer patients into hospital systems that charge more and deliver less.
This is the face of corporate lobbying in Idaho — and it’s alive and well.
But not all lobbyists are the enemy. To say so is just being dishonest.
There’s another side to this story. There are the paid and the unpaid advocates, grassroots fighters, and liberty-minded organizations that show up every session to defend the Constitution, your personal rights, and Idaho’s sovereignty. They’re not backed by Bayer or Pfizer. They don’t host steak dinners for lawmakers. What they do is show up — year after year — to stop the next overreach before it becomes law.
They fight for medical freedom. They defend your right to keep and bear arms. They fight to bring us Constitutional Carry. They protect parental rights, the rights of the unborn, school choice, and fight back against unelected bureaucracies trying to micromanage your life from a desk in Boise.
And the difference is this: liberty lobbyists aren’t trying to get something. They’re trying to stop something. They don’t want carveouts or corporate welfare. They want the government to get out of your home, your health care, and your wallet.
Here’s the truth: if we don’t have liberty lobbyists fighting on our behalf, tyranny will take over any chance it gets. Idaho is still a free state — but only if we keep it that way. And that means understanding the difference between those lobbying to protect your liberty and those lobbying to control it.
So next time you hear the word “lobbyist,” don’t just sneer. Ask who they represent. Ask who’s paying them. And ask whether their mission is to expand your freedom — or to lease it back to you at a monthly cost.
Idaho doesn’t belong to Bayer. Or Pfizer. Or the hospital lobby. It belongs to the people — and it’s going to stay that way if the people decide to fight for it.
Thankfully we have many fighters on our side who lobby for the people and our liberty. Here are just a few of them…
- Matt Edwards – Citizen’s Alliance of Idaho
- Greg Pruett – Idaho Second Amendment Alliance
- Maria Nate – State Freedom Caucus Network
- Fred Birnbaum – Idaho Freedom Foundation
- Samuel Lair – Idaho Freedom Foundation
- Blaine Conzatti – Idaho Family Policy Center
- Edward Clark – Idaho Family Policy Center
- Grace Howat – Idaho Family Policy Center