The following is an email I sent out to Idaho Second Amendment Alliance supporters regarding a proposal to dramatically reduce pro-Second Amendment stances from the Idaho GOP platform:

The Idaho Republican Party is about to vote tomorrow at the summer convention on a proposal that would gut the party’s pro‑Second Amendment platform. Not trim it. Not tweak it. Gut it.

Brian Almon of the Gem State Chronicle is pushing a rewrite he did that would strip out the backbone of Idaho’s 2A protections under the excuse of “simplifying” the platform.

In a time when RINOs are actively trying to infiltrate and dilute the Republican Party, the last thing we should be doing is handing them a platform so vague they can hide behind it. Specifics are what hold weak Republicans accountable.

That’s exactly why some candidates refuse to take the “integrity in affiliation” pledge, because the current platform actually forces them to stand for something.

Under Almon’s rewrite, the Idaho GOP’s entire position on gun rights would be reduced to this single paragraph:

“We believe in all the rights guaranteed by the Constitution with equal fervor – e.g., freedom of speech and assembly, the right to be secure in one’s houses, papers, and effects, and the right of the individual to keep and bear arms. These rights come from God and must be guaranteed and not be infringed.”

That’s it. That’s the whole thing. A generic, watered‑down statement that could have been written by any politician trying to dodge responsibility.

Compare that to what the platform currently defends:

• Protection against harassment of those in Idaho’s firearm industry, a major part of the state’s economy.
• Recognition that the post‑1986 ban on civilian‑owned machine guns is unconstitutional.
• Recognition of the importance of pro‑2A organizations.
• Opposition to any U.S. agreements or treaties that undermine the Second Amendment.

And that’s only part of it. The truth is, we need more specifics, not fewer.

The Second Amendment itself is short and clear, and yet we’ve watched thousands of infringements pile up across the country. If the Founders’ own words weren’t “simple” enough to stop the left, what makes anyone think a vague paragraph in the Idaho GOP platform will?

This proposal doesn’t strengthen Idaho. It weakens us. It hands the left and the RINOs exactly what they want: a platform they can ignore, twist, or hide behind.

Idaho is not going to become the next left‑wing state by accident. It will happen because Republicans let their guard down. This proposal is exactly that kind of mistake.

We shouldn’t be making the left’s job easier.
We should be making it impossible.

The platform committee already accepted the proposal. It now goes to the floor for a vote from all delegates.

We will know tomorrow what Idaho’s Republican Party members decide to do.

Sincerely,

Greg Pruett
Idaho Second Amendment Alliance