Well done, Leslie. The unfortunate reality of this bill
And most likely similar bills in other states is the exclusion of CMS facilities. This is where Congress needs to be compelled to follow the Idaho model.
Indeed - but I can’t fix that as the US Supreme Court upheld this misguided power. I want to make Idaho the freest state in the nation but no legislator will vote against SCOTUS for now.
I understand. There are two things Congress needs to do: prevent administrative agencies from imposing medical mandates and severing CMS from accreditation organizations.
Health powers are state powers so this must happen at the state level - and I'm glad of that as I'd rather have states protect our rights than one behemoth of a federal government which is accountable to none of us.
Interestingly there is an existing statute from 2010 called the Idaho Health Freedom Act declaring Idaho has the constitutional power to defend individual rights regarding health care, and their legislature can overrule the federal government here.
This is for occupational hazards. There is no way to get a bill passed that violate OSHA requirements and would prohibit businesses from providing and requiring employees who work in an area with much dust or the like from wearing masks or at a company like Micron from wearing whatever suits and respirators they need to work in a clean room. People who work in those kinds of environments go into those jobs knowing the requirements but the general public and any working for a business that is not regulated by OSHA would not be covered so no one could be denied entry into or employment by an entertainment venue, school, business, state entity, etc. where there was no occupational need.
I have spoken out relentlessly against vaccine mandates at any level. I still don't believe anyone should be subjected to medical interventions the likes of which we have seen with covid and with children from birth through their school years. Playing Devil's advocate though, is it ethical to allow someone who has for example an infection at the level of Ebola enter public spaces? Maybe the answer is that someone that sick would be incapable of entering society. Is it a crime for a HIV infected person to lie and say they are negative to their partner, and for the partner to discover the lie by virtue of becoming infected themselves? These are some nuances I think we need to consider. Not to say that forcing anything is okay, but we do need some guard rails, I just don't know what those would look like.
This is as elegantly worded as the Bill of Rights. I wish you good luck in getting this bill passed. By my calculations you have the best chance in Idaho as anywhere. 🙏🙏🙏
Things look very promising! The bill passed out of committee and is having some clarifications made to it - then it will go to the senate floor for a full vote.
excellent review of the law and ethics. I cannot imagine even the most jaded failing to vote YES.
Thank you for representing all Americans, Leslie.
Great job.
Now, I have a question. This presentation pretty much "begs" the question: So, what about abortion?
I have recently had conversations on substack with another about this and came out, changing my previous position, FOR a woman having the right to make the hard choice to have an abortion without the state, Planned Parenthood, or any entity forcing her to choose one way or the other. THIS is a hard thing for Pro-life people(me) to say and commit to. I have some arguments why and you utilize many in your presentation, in fact. The opposing view just could not conceive of allowing a woman to "murder" her child. My general viewpoint was based on the concept of free will which "man" has and how it allows one to learn from mistakes, regardless of how terrible they are.
I am hoping you could wade in here and, based on your arguments above, throw some light on this . . . thanks for your time!
Abortion is not forced on anyone in the state of Idaho, nor in any state, to my knowledge. This is about prohibiting state actors, businesses, entertainment venues, schools, etc. from refusing service, access, or employment based on one's private and deeply personal medical choices.
It is an expansion of the existing “Coronavirus Stop Act” act passed in 2023, which only prevented discrimination on the basis of “coronavirus vaccination” status.
Some commentary on the original from the Idaho Freedom Foundation:
“except in very limited circumstances involving federally funded entities” — how big is this loophole? Would it allow the likes of Biden’s federal employee and contractor vaccination requirements?
No, it specifically relates to entities which received Medicare and Medicaid funding. I wish we could make this universal but the US Supreme Court ruled in 2022 that hospitals, etc. that receive Medicare and Medicaid funding may require Covid shots. So at this point, there is nothing we can do. And this is a start to protect everyone else from medical coercion.
Well done, Leslie. The unfortunate reality of this bill
And most likely similar bills in other states is the exclusion of CMS facilities. This is where Congress needs to be compelled to follow the Idaho model.
Indeed - but I can’t fix that as the US Supreme Court upheld this misguided power. I want to make Idaho the freest state in the nation but no legislator will vote against SCOTUS for now.
I understand. There are two things Congress needs to do: prevent administrative agencies from imposing medical mandates and severing CMS from accreditation organizations.
Health powers are state powers so this must happen at the state level - and I'm glad of that as I'd rather have states protect our rights than one behemoth of a federal government which is accountable to none of us.
Wait till you read the next edition of Larry's Letters in just a few hours.
Interestingly there is an existing statute from 2010 called the Idaho Health Freedom Act declaring Idaho has the constitutional power to defend individual rights regarding health care, and their legislature can overrule the federal government here.
https://legislature.idaho.gov/statutesrules/idstat/title39/t39ch90/sect39-9003/
Now this was about “Obamacare” ACA’s health insurance requirement but I think the same argument applies with respect to vaccination requirements.
Will take a look. Thx.
One would hope so.
Sadly, the provisions of the 2025 bill are riddled with “unless required by federal law”
https://legislature.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/sessioninfo/2025/legislation/S1023.pdf
These are holdovers from the 2023 “coronavirus vaccine” specific “Coronavirus Stop Act” which the present bill amends; commentary here:
https://idahofreedom.org/senate-bill-1130-coronavirus-stop-act/
This is for occupational hazards. There is no way to get a bill passed that violate OSHA requirements and would prohibit businesses from providing and requiring employees who work in an area with much dust or the like from wearing masks or at a company like Micron from wearing whatever suits and respirators they need to work in a clean room. People who work in those kinds of environments go into those jobs knowing the requirements but the general public and any working for a business that is not regulated by OSHA would not be covered so no one could be denied entry into or employment by an entertainment venue, school, business, state entity, etc. where there was no occupational need.
I have spoken out relentlessly against vaccine mandates at any level. I still don't believe anyone should be subjected to medical interventions the likes of which we have seen with covid and with children from birth through their school years. Playing Devil's advocate though, is it ethical to allow someone who has for example an infection at the level of Ebola enter public spaces? Maybe the answer is that someone that sick would be incapable of entering society. Is it a crime for a HIV infected person to lie and say they are negative to their partner, and for the partner to discover the lie by virtue of becoming infected themselves? These are some nuances I think we need to consider. Not to say that forcing anything is okay, but we do need some guard rails, I just don't know what those would look like.
Neither of those scenarios would require another human being to undergo an unwanted medical intervention so do not relate to this bill.
Yes
Awesome work!
This is as elegantly worded as the Bill of Rights. I wish you good luck in getting this bill passed. By my calculations you have the best chance in Idaho as anywhere. 🙏🙏🙏
Things look very promising! The bill passed out of committee and is having some clarifications made to it - then it will go to the senate floor for a full vote.
Thank you!!!!
excellent review of the law and ethics. I cannot imagine even the most jaded failing to vote YES.
Thank you for representing all Americans, Leslie.
Great job.
Now, I have a question. This presentation pretty much "begs" the question: So, what about abortion?
I have recently had conversations on substack with another about this and came out, changing my previous position, FOR a woman having the right to make the hard choice to have an abortion without the state, Planned Parenthood, or any entity forcing her to choose one way or the other. THIS is a hard thing for Pro-life people(me) to say and commit to. I have some arguments why and you utilize many in your presentation, in fact. The opposing view just could not conceive of allowing a woman to "murder" her child. My general viewpoint was based on the concept of free will which "man" has and how it allows one to learn from mistakes, regardless of how terrible they are.
I am hoping you could wade in here and, based on your arguments above, throw some light on this . . . thanks for your time!
Abortion is not forced on anyone in the state of Idaho, nor in any state, to my knowledge. This is about prohibiting state actors, businesses, entertainment venues, schools, etc. from refusing service, access, or employment based on one's private and deeply personal medical choices.
Freedom Flyers donation money!!!! Return it to the donors now! Forensic accountants are very good at their jobs!!!!
Official documents relating to his bill including full text, linked here:
https://legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/2025/legislation/S1023/
It is an expansion of the existing “Coronavirus Stop Act” act passed in 2023, which only prevented discrimination on the basis of “coronavirus vaccination” status.
Some commentary on the original from the Idaho Freedom Foundation:
https://idahofreedom.org/senate-bill-1130-coronavirus-stop-act/
And on this revision:
https://idahofreedom.org/senate-bill-1023-medical-freedom/
“except in very limited circumstances involving federally funded entities” — how big is this loophole? Would it allow the likes of Biden’s federal employee and contractor vaccination requirements?
No, it specifically relates to entities which received Medicare and Medicaid funding. I wish we could make this universal but the US Supreme Court ruled in 2022 that hospitals, etc. that receive Medicare and Medicaid funding may require Covid shots. So at this point, there is nothing we can do. And this is a start to protect everyone else from medical coercion.