What is Reclaim Idaho?
Idaho’s political establishment is out of touch with Idaho’s people. Survey after survey tells us that the vast majority of Idahoans value strong public schools, and yet Idaho is dead last of 50 states in funding for K-12 education. In 2018, 61% of Idahoans voted in favor of Medicaid Expansion. But for six years prior to the people’s vote, Idaho legislators refused to expand Medicaid even as hundreds of Idahoans died preventable deaths and thousands more fell deep into debt from unpaid medical bills.
Our lawmakers routinely pass tax cuts and other favors for the wealthy donors and special-interest groups who help get them elected. But when it comes to the bread-and-butter issues that affect all of us, the majority of our elected representatives are not doing right by the people of Idaho.
Reclaim Idaho’s mission is to build an Idaho where government works for all Idahoans and not just those with the most money and political influence. This means building an Idaho where all have access to affordable healthcare, protected public lands, and strong public schools.
Reclaim Idaho’s strategy is to win the change we seek through bottom-up, grassroots organizing in every Idaho community. We wage campaigns that focus not on political candidates or political parties but on issues that bring Idahoans together—issues like Medicaid Expansion and increased funding for K-12 education. One campaign at a time, we seek to grow a statewide movement of local leaders and volunteers with the power to demand change.
Reclaim Idaho’s theory of change focuses on the need to build the popular base of support for the change we seek. Our focus on base-building steers us away from extensive involvement in the campaigns of political candidates. If large numbers of Idahoans are not organized and united in support of issues like strong public schools and affordable healthcare, even the most hard-working candidates who advocate for these issues will lack a strong enough base on which to stand and will face nearly insurmountable odds.
Reclaim Idaho’s primary organizing tactic is the ballot initiative. The initiative is not our only organizing tactic. We also engage in grassroots advocacy efforts, such as fights against cuts to Medicaid and restrictions on initiative rights. Our grassroots advocacy campaigns organize local leaders and volunteers to contact their legislators, advocate at the capitol, and host local town-hall meetings. But the initiative is our primary tactic because it has the greatest potential for growing a statewide movement.
Successful ballot initiatives—like the one we spearheaded to expand Medicaid—can deliver real, large-scale improvement in people’s lives. Medicaid Expansion is currently saving rural hospitals from bankruptcy, bringing 500 million federal tax dollars back to Idaho each year, and providing healthcare coverage for over 100,000 Idahoans. By taking on consequential initiatives like Medicaid Expansion, we inspire Idahoans with the challenge to do big, life-changing things for their communities. In the course of accepting the challenge and working on an initiative, local leaders and volunteers build the confidence, skills, and relationships necessary to continue working for positive change long after the initiative is over.