Dear Friends: We at the Gem State Patriot are a not-for-profit service for the people of Idaho. We have been serving Idahoans for nine years and we seldom, if ever, ask for donations. Unfortunately, like so many other conservative organizations, we suffer from time to time from a lack of recognition of the services we […]
For years I have been writing about why the Grocery Tax must be repealed because it hurts those Idahoans who are on the lowest rungs of the economic scale. Our staff has taken the time and effort to do the research on how this regressive tax came about and have turned it into a book […]
Bob Neugebauer welcomes Ron Nate, president of the Idaho Freedom Foundation, for a wide-ranging breakdown of the 2026 Idaho legislative session. Nate reveals that 884 bills have been prepared—the highest in five years—yet only nine have passed both the House and Senate, raising sharp questions about what lawmakers are actually accomplishing during a primary election […]
It would be interesting to determine just how many Americans are familiar with fusion centers. Created following the 9/11 attacks and as part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the intent was to improve “collaboration“ between the federal government with State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial (SLTT) law enforcement. More nauseating is that these fusion centers […]
“Accuse your enemy of what you are doing, as you are doing it, to create confusion.” Saul Alinsky ‘Rules for Radicals’ In a recent opinion piece, political operative and campaign consultant Becky Funk, who self identifies as a North Idaho “Republican,” makes the claim that political parties are public entities and not private organizations. I […]
Dear Friends, This week, we announced a historic agreement that ends decades of water rights litigation threatening families, farms, and businesses across north Idaho. Yesterday, Governor Brad Little and I joined Chairman Chief Allan, the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Council, and affected stakeholders to announce this agreement, which protects existing water users both on and off […]
BOISE, ID — Attorney General Raúl Labrador announced today that Idaho has reached a historic settlement agreement ending decades of water rights litigation that threatened existing water users across north Idaho. On Thursday, March 5, 2026, Attorney General Labrador and Governor Brad Little will join Chairman Chief Allan and the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Council and affected […]
Tax season is upon us—and this year brings more than deadlines, it is anticipated to deliver historic savings for Idahoans. It’s my honor to represent the First District of Idaho in the U.S. Congress. Here’s what you and your household need to know for this filing season. The Treasury is now projecting that family refunds will increase by an average of $1,000, and the average worker earning between […]
According to The Capital Sun, another conservation group has filed suit against the federal government, this time demanding that it finally designate “critical habitat” for the wolverine. The government, apparently, can’t begin to protect these rare northern carnivores until it first defines where they live. It’s a fair point—and one that might just apply to another vanishing […]
It seems to me that it’s far too easy to get caught up in news cycles and politics at every level. Being engaged and informed matters—it’s our civic duty—but these things are not the most important part of life. The story below captures my thoughts about setting priorities and remembering what really counts. When the final whistle […]
Why is the Idaho Republican Party so divided, even as it holds a supermajority in both chambers of the Legislature and the Governor’s office? That question was recently posed on Idaho Reports to former Governor Butch Otter and former Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General David Leroy—two of the most skilled retail politicians Idaho has ever produced. Along […]
Immigration is the defining issue of our time. For the better part of a century, America has struggled with illegal border crossings and visa overstays, with foreigners claiming refugee or asylum status, and with migrant workers we’re told are necessary for our economy to function. President Ronald Reagan believed he had struck a grand bargain […]
As I sat down at my desk this morning and turned on the TV, I was met with the headline on Fox News that America and Israel were at war with Iran. The country that has consistently threatened the United States and Israel for the past 47 years is now under attack by two of […]