Progressives in this red state are taking matters into their own hands

No Images? Click here         In This Red State, Progressives Are Taking Matters Into Their Own Hands It’s a lonely feeling being a progressive in the deep red state of Idaho, but Amy Pratt is finally ready to channel her frustrations into taking action she believes can improve the lives of her fellow Gem State residents. In a state that’s been run by Republicans since the 1990s and that hasn’t gone for a Democratic presidential candidate since President Lyndon Johnson’s landslide win in 1964, Idahoans like Pratt are tired of feeling ignored ― and they’re banding together in living rooms and libraries and Facebook groups across the state. The activists are focusing on an issue they think can bring Idahoans together: skirting their GOP-led legislature to make Idaho the next state to adopt Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion. “My entire life, I’ve been watching the lack of care for people,” said Pratt, a 47-year-old bus driver. In her view, the state’s political leaders put money “in their own pockets for everything, and I have been waiting for a revolution, of a sort.” She spent the cold winter weekends knocking on doors in her conversative hometown of Idaho Falls trying to persuade her neighbors to play a small part in that revolution. Pratt is a volunteer for Reclaim Idaho, a tiny grassroots operation with a single paid employee and a mission to give Idahoans an opportunity to vote on a ballot initiative in November’s elections to expand Medicaid to working adults. READ MORE     WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING? The Iraq War built the modern Democratic Party. What now? The 2020 presidential elections are a chance for Democrats to move forward. READ MORE Federal judges won't block a fix to Pennsylvania's gerrymandered congressional map. The decision leaves in place a congressional map issued by the state Supreme Court in February intended to remedy gerrymandering in the commonwealth. READ MORE Trump loved hacks. But now they're hitting his people, and anyone could be next. The hackers are improving their strategies for stealing private emails to sway public actions. READ MORE    .     ICYMI Kris Kobach really, really did not want you to see this deposition. Read it here.    Tribes are coming together for the fight to bring back protections for Bears Ears National Monument. “Losing Bears Ears to a cloud of industrial smoke from extraction and mining does not keep that preservation of life for us,” said one Navajo woman.   Sex trafficking bills backed by some prominent Democrats could cause more harm than good. Pressure on websites to screen out ads could expose sex workers to more risks.    . Want more?  Cynthia Nixon Announces Run For New York Governor DC Lawmaker Blames Winter Storms On Jewish Bankers Who Control The Weather Cambridge Analytica Execs Bragged Of Using Fake News, Sex To Sway Elections     How will Trump’s administration impact you? Sign up for our email and find out. Did a friend send you this? Subscribe here. Like what you see? Share it. Want more? Here are two other newsletters you'll love: The Morning Email and Must Reads. ©2018 HuffPost | 770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003 You are receiving this email because you signed up for updates from HuffPost Feedback | Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe    . - - Preferences  |  Unsubscribe