In 2024, our Legislature passed a law that said a minor couldn't see a doctor without a parent's written permission — end of discussion. No real exceptions. So, when a 15-year-old girl is sexually assaulted by a family member, she needs permission from that same household to get a rape kit. It took two more years, and a bill that died once in between, before lawmakers finally improved it — carving out emergencies, crime victims and basic first aid. Two years. That's how long it took Boise to notice the danger it had created for kids.

And that's just one bill. The list is long. And it's diverse.

Property taxes? Ignored.

Bike and pedestrian safety on our roads? Overridden.

What words can be used on college campuses? Regulated.

Local zoning authority? Stripped.

What flag flies over a government building? Restricted.

Whether a private employer can set its own health policies? Overridden.

Which books your child can read? Restricted.

Child-care safety ratios? Overridden.

A school board's judgment about a “welcome” sign in a classroom? Overridden.

Who a hospital or clinic can hire? Dictated.

Medicaid for the vulnerable? Restricted.

A doctor's medical judgment about a mother's health? Overridden.

Eleven different bills. Twelve different topics. One ignored. One thread running through every single one: District 6 and 7 legislators decided they know better than you do.

Every one of those decisions was made for you. On Nov. 3, you decide.

Vickie Fadness, Lewiston