BOISE, Idaho — Idahoans gathered at the Idaho State Capitol to protest various causes, including the state of democracy in America. The protest was part of the Idaho 50-50-1 movement — which has organized multiple protests at the statehouse this year.
"If you're silent, everybody assumes you're OK with what's going on— I'm not," says Dean Hagerman, a 39-year veteran and Idahoan.
He joined hundreds of Idahoans at the state capitol, making his voice heard on issues like cutting veterans support programs and signing the school choice bill into law — despite tens of thousands of Idahoans expressing opposition.
"My first election I voted in was 1972 between George McGovern and Richard Nixon, and there was a corrupt presidency going on then. They put in laws in place to try to keep [future corruption] from happening, laws that are currently being ignored," says Hagerman. "We're in a period of time when it really looks like our representatives don't care about how we feel about issues."
"It feels to me like the worst case scenario, where it's the end of our democracy as we've known it for the past few hundred years. It feels like a total transformation from the inside out for the benefit of very few billionaires," says Marisa Radha Weppner, a Boise resident.
"It's about time, there is a lot that Idahoans should be very upset about right now," says Idaho Representative Ilana Rubel (D).
Rubel says cuts at the state and federal level are already impacting Idahoans.
"What's happening at the state level, don't even get me started, that's what I'm dealing with in this building — [and it's] not pretty. We're seeing all these efforts to gut our public education system, gut our healthcare system, but at the federal level, it is shocking what is being done. These cuts are going to hit Idaho hard," added Rubel.
She says change is still possible.
"Don't just sit there and be worried; don't just sit there and doom scroll. Come out and do something about it. People are showing up, write to your members of Congress, get involved in the next election," says Rubel.
I reached out to the Idaho GOP to get their perspective on these issues, and they declined to meet me for an interview or share a statement.
"I'm scared as hell. I hope enough voices come out and speak about what's going on, let their feelings be known, that maybe we can get people to listen," added Hagerman.
