Stop the Federal Governments Power Grab

Everyone should play by the same rules. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ Dear Friend of Liberty, Everyone should play by the same rules. That’s the basic idea of fairness that most Americans understand. When it suits them, the federal government loves to hold people accountable to its rules, but the feds hate it when they’re forced to obey state law. Now, we’re seeing this play out in front of our very eyes in the case of water rights. And it should concern every single American citizen. That’s why I’m emailing you today. [Should the rule of law apply to all, even the Federal Government?]( For decades, it has been well-settled and unambiguous law that stockwater rights on National Forest lands are subject to state law—not a federal whim. These rights are traditionally held by ranchers who are grazing on forest lands and need a place to water their stock, like cattle or sheep. In Idaho, the law requires that anyone who has such rights put them to “beneficial use” by watering their own livestock. But now, the US government is trying to seize control of stockwater rights away from the state by declaring its law unconstitutional. If the federal government is successful in this effort, it would significantly threaten the livelihood of Idaho’s ranchers. But it’s even worse than that. This case could very well go beyond the borders of Idaho because if the federal government wins, it could repeat this same action in states across the American West. That not only presents a significant danger to the ability of western states to govern themselves, but it would set a dangerous precedent that would allow the federal government to reach even further into the lives of private citizens like you. Mountain States Legal Foundation is not taking this lightly. After the US government filed a lawsuit against Idaho back in June, our legal team sprung into action to intervene on behalf of ranchers Paul Nettleton, Tim Lowry, and Don Pickett—along with the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation. Now, I’m asking you to support their critical fight by signing our petition today. We must show the federal government that we are serious. That’s why your voice is needed to tell these bureaucrats that they cannot get away with disobeying state laws and infringing on the rights of American citizens. As Samuel Adams once said, “It does not take a majority to prevail… but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires for freedom in the minds of men.” Please light the brushfires of freedom—and tell the federal government that enough is enough—by signing the petition right now using this secure link: [( Thank you, For Liberty! Cristen Wohlgemuth President & CEO Mountain States Legal Foundation Patriot Values Defense PO Box 461 Fort Collins, CO 80522 [unsubscribe]( | [manage data preferences](