Opinion by Dorothy Moon, Chairwoman Idaho GOP
Bodily autonomy is perhaps the most fundamental natural right we have. Without control over what goes into our own bodies, “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” become impossible. The Idaho Legislature has passed a bill guaranteeing that right to every citizen, and it now awaits Governor Brad Little’s signature.
Senate Bill 1023, the Medical Freedom Act, builds upon the Coronavirus Pause Act, prohibiting businesses from discriminating based on whether someone has undergone any form of medical intervention. That includes any “procedure, treatment, device, drug injection, medication, or action taken to diagnose, prevent, or cure a disease or alter the health or biological function of a person.”
We all remember the Panic of 2020, when we were told we had to mask up and even take experimental injections just to participate in society. In 2023, the Legislature passed the Coronavirus Stop Act to protect Idahoans’ bodily autonomy, and Governor Little signed it into law. However, Sen. Dan Foreman recognized that unless stronger protections were put in place, we could be forced to go through it all over again the next time a pandemic is declared.
The Medical Freedom Act ensures that never happens again. It guarantees, once and for all, that the bodily autonomy of Idahoans will be respected and protected.
Idaho’s own Dr. Ryan Cole testified in support of SB 1023 and has urged Governor Little to sign it. As many of you know, Dr. Cole gained national attention during the COVID lockdowns for his fierce defense of our God-given right to control our own bodies. As a board-certified epidemiologist, he raised important questions about the safety of experimental vaccines and the potential effectiveness of alternative treatments like hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin. More importantly, he challenged the government’s authority to exert such sweeping, totalitarian control over “We the People.”
In 2020 and 2021, it felt like the whole world had gone mad. Many of us feared for the future of freedom in America. But this is 2025, and much has changed since those dark days. The American people sent Donald Trump back to the White House with a mandate to set things right. He, in turn, appointed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead Health & Human Services. Like Dr. Cole, RFK Jr. has long been skeptical of Big Pharma’s rhetoric and the government overreach that enabled it.
Signing SB 1023 into law will align Idaho with the priorities of President Trump and Secretary Kennedy to make America healthy again while safeguarding our most essential rights. I urge you to contact Governor Little at 208-334-2100 and ask him to sign this critical bill into law.
