Who Really Wrote Heather Scott’s Contentious Resolution?
Exposing a far-right organization's draft resolution Rep. Scott passed off as her own.
When Idaho legislators recently passed HJM1, a resolution condemning the Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage, it was presented as a homegrown defense of Idaho’s values. In reality, this resolution didn’t originate in Idaho at all. Its roots trace back to MassResistance, a Massachusetts-based group known for its extreme anti-LGBTQ+ agenda. Representative Heather Scott presented the resolution as her idea, but MassResistance openly boasts on its website about being the force behind resolutions like HJM1. It’s a classic case of a bill mill at work, where out-of-state groups craft legislation and hand it to lawmakers to push as their own.
This tactic raises a simple question: Why is Idaho letting outsiders like MassResistance steer our legislative priorities?
MassResistance doesn’t just hold controversial views—it thrives on them. The group is infamous for spreading baseless claims linking homosexuality to pedophilia and bestiality, calling LGBTQ+ people “dangerous to kids,” and publishing junk science to support their bigoted worldview. Their leader has even said that the LGBTQ+ community is “pushing perversion on our kids.” This group’s endgame appears to criminalize homosexuality and apply the death penalty to those who are born with same-sex attraction.
Yet here we are, with Idaho legislators endorsing the work of a group whose rhetoric is designed to divide, offend, and ostracize.
HJM1 does nothing to address Idahoans’ real needs. It’s a symbolic gesture designed to create conflict and put lawmakers on record as demonstrating that they see members of the LGBTQ+ as not worthy of individual freedom.
Worse, it’s written in a way that paints LGBTQ+ Idahoans as sinners and outsiders rather than as the neighbors and community members they are. Rep. Hostetler even used bible verses in the House debate to push his religious views to remove individual freedoms and liberties from Idahoans they see as inferior. Yet, many Republicans went along with this as they were too scared to stand up to the abusive tactics of the far-right, and others nodded along in agreement.
Rep. Scott and her allies appear to have intentionally omitted the fact that MassResistance helped create this resolution. If they had known this critical detail, many Republican legislators would have voted against it.
This isn’t an isolated issue. MassResistance has been trying to worm its way into Idaho politics for years, finding allies in far-right circles. Maria Nate, director of the State Freedom Caucus Network and wife of Idaho Freedom Foundation President Ron Nate, has openly supported the group. She even marched in a Fourth of July parade with signs advertising MassResistance. These alliances make it clear that out-of-state groups are coordinating with paid Idaho operatives to push their agendas here. This same group helped spearhead the divisive library bills run through the legislature last year.
Nate, Scott, and their far-right allies are selling out Idaho to out-of-state interests and getting away with it because they know legislators are not paying attention.
HJM1 may seem harmless to some senators—after all, it’s non-binding and doesn’t carry the force of law. But that’s precisely why it’s so insidious. It’s not meant to solve problems or improve lives. It’s meant to create division, to put lawmakers in a position where they’re either forced to endorse it or risk being targeted by smear campaigns from far-right operatives like the Idaho Freedom Foundation. It’s manufactured outrage, shipped in from the blue state of Massachusetts and disguised as an Idaho priority.
Idahoans don’t want this. We’re tired of being dragged into national culture wars by cringe groups who try to gaslight voters into thinking they are backed by real Idaho grassroots groups (from out of state).
We believe in individual liberty, local control, and respect for others’ freedom to live. We know that government works best when it focuses on real solutions, not symbolic gestures designed to stoke resentment and alienate our neighbors.
As HJM1 heads to the Senate, Idaho lawmakers have a choice to make. They can stand up for what their constituents actually value—fairness, freedom, and focusing on the issues that matter—or they can let out-of-state cringe groups like MassResistance and their Idaho allies dictate the agenda.
Do we want to be known as a state that codifies Christian Nationalism in legislation? Do we want to see our legislators reduced to pawns in a national culture war? Or do we want to reaffirm Idaho’s reputation as a place where common sense, respect, and individual liberty matter?
Integrity is an Idaho value, and our Senators need to show that they are not afraid to reject dishonest pressure from those whose special interests are not aligned with Idaho's.
About the Author
Gregory Graf is the creator of Political Potatoes and a lifelong conservative Republican. His articles often criticize the hypocrisy committed by far-right grifters who’ve taken control of the GOP. Graf is the CEO of Snake River Strategies, a communications and political consulting firm based in Eagle, Idaho. He and his family moved to Idaho Falls from Utah in 2013 and reside in Star.
Disclaimer
The following is intended to convey an opinion on newsworthy events of public concern regarding public figures and/or public officials in exercising their official duties. No implications or inferences—beyond those explicitly stated in the preceding— are intended to be conveyed or endorsed by the Author. Wherever available, hyperlinks have been provided to allow readers to directly access any underlying assertions of fact upon which this opinion is based.
Thank you Gregory for informing Idahoans of these types of issues. Let’s hope our local media pick up on this and ensure it reaches all corners of our State.
Do some of the Senators really not know the bill originated out of state from a bill-mill organization? If that's the case, they shouldn't be serving in the legislature.