Every two years, the Idaho Republican Party asks primary candidates to sign the Integrity in Affiliation Form. This simply asks if candidates have read and support the Idaho State Constitution and the Idaho Republican Platform.

Sounds simple, but nothing is ever simple in today’s media and political environment.

Some, apparently troubled with the notion of supporting the Constitution and the Platform, call this a purity test or a tribunal. It’s nothing of the sort. This is an opportunity to share with the voters your position on the foundational documents of our party.

Voters deserve to know if a candidate supports the Constitution and the Platform, and if not, why? Maybe you don’t agree on everything. Maybe you disagree with Article I, Section 2, Point I of the Platform that calls for the repeal of the 16th Amendment to the Constitution. Maybe you think income taxes are great, in which case you can sign the form with the caveat that you disagree with that particular plank.

Maybe you don’t think something in the Platform goes far enough. That’s fine, just say so.

What is the Idaho Republican Platform, anyway? Was it handed down from Heaven, signed by Abraham Lincoln himself? Of course not. The Platform represents the political positions of the Republican grassroots. Every two years, delegates gather in a beautiful Idaho city to debate new planks for the platform. Changes or additions are first debated in the Platform Committee and then ratified by the Convention as a whole.

This tradition goes back to the beginning, when the first Republican National Convention was held in Philadelphia, PA. Those delegates created a platform that promoted the same ideals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that their (and our) ancestors had fought and died for. It called on Congress to ban slavery, calling it a relic of barbarism.

Today, the Idaho GOP Platform upholds the same timeless tenets of freedom and liberty. It calls for fiscal responsibility, low taxes, sound currency, state sovereignty, citizen involvement in government, and an absolute right for parents to choose how to educate their own children. It stands in support of agriculture, water, natural resources, and energy production, as well as the Idaho National Laboratory.

The Idaho GOP Platform recognizes the sanctity of the family, the innocence of children, and the right to life from conception. It supports the absolute right of self defense as enshrined in the 2nd Amendment to the US Constitution.

Our Platform is a statement of who we are and what we believe as Republicans. We have asked all candidates in the Republican primary to submit the Integrity in Affiliation Form, which we will publish soon. Voters will know who supports Republican values.