Author: Dr. Ronald Nate

Op-Ed: Can Districts Take ‘No’ for an Answer?
January 31, 2020 No Responses

Op-Ed: Can Districts Take ‘No’ for an Answer?

By Ronald Nate, Ph.D. and Lindsey Zea Idaho laws put clear limits on local governments’ taxing, spending, and regulating ability. As sure as water runs downhill though, local governments push for more money and more control. Here’s an example. Let’s...
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No Eater Left Behind
April 10, 2019 No Responses

No Eater Left Behind

What if we bought groceries the same way we “buy” public education? Each community would have a local grocery district and families would be assigned their local grocery “stores.” Many would mistakenly think the food is free because there would...
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Will an ‘Add The Words’ Law truly create equality?
January 23, 2019 No Responses

Will an ‘Add The Words’ Law truly create equality?

Last week activist groups flooded the Idaho Capitol to argue for adding “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to the Civil Rights section of Idaho law. The recurring campaign to “add the words” ebbs and flows. It resurf...
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RON NATE: The 2018 Idaho Legislative Session Wraps Up
April 4, 2018 No Responses

RON NATE: The 2018 Idaho Legislative Session Wraps Up

The legislative session has officially concluded for 2018. This year there were 1,600 pieces of drafted legislation, 950 bills introduced in committee, and 607 total bills printed and considered. That’s a lot of legislating going on. If you’re like...
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Rep. Ron Nate: Time for Tax Cuts
February 1, 2017 No Responses

Rep. Ron Nate: Time for Tax Cuts

Since 2011, Idaho tax revenue has increased by an average of 5.4% per year. This is strong growth in state revenues following the so-called “great recession.” Now, put this number beside the growth in state spending over the same period....
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Boise Bullying and the Voice of the People
January 19, 2017 No Responses

Boise Bullying and the Voice of the People

Idaho is a conservative state, but the policies coming out of the State Legislature are not conservative. (See the adoption of Common Core in 2010, the Obamacare exchange in 2014, the huge gas tax and hybrid fee increase in 2015,...
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Sink or Sovereign
November 21, 2016 No Responses

Sink or Sovereign

The federal government is on an unsustainable course, it is sinking, but we don’t have to sink with it. Right now, the national debt is approaching $19.75 trillion (U.S. Treasury). With current GDP in the U.S. at $18.45 trillion (U.S....
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2016 Legislative Session – Up and Running
February 15, 2016 No Responses

2016 Legislative Session – Up and Running

The first three weeks of the 2016 legislative session are in the books. As usual, it is a very busy time. Week one began with the Legislative Session being officially opened and the Governor delivering his State of the State...
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