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We are asking for your help!

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 […]

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Bob's Words of Wisdom

Con Men Pushing for an Article 5 Convention of States?

Recently, there has been lots of talk about calling for an Article V convention, as Idaho has not yet signed on, and the pro-convention players are on the prowl to get our legislators to sign on to this instrument of change. What does Article V of the constitution say: The Congress, whenever two thirds of […]

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Podcast

Article 5 Convention Risks and Idaho Legislative Budget Wars

Bob Neugebauer and Ron Nate examine the Article 5 convention resolution that passed House State Affairs Committee 9-4, with chief sponsor John Schertz leading the charge to make Idaho the 29th state calling for a constitutional convention. Nate systematically dismantles three fatal flaws: conventions cannot be restricted to balanced budget amendments despite assurances, Idaho would […]

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Opinions / Op-eds

Here We Go Again

In 2024, the Convention of States (COS) was actively urging Idaho to pass resolutions advancing its agenda to call for a Constitutional Convention for amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Rep. Tanner, and others, supported a resolution for term limits, Sen. Ricks and Vander Woude supported a balanced budget resolution, while Sen. Lakey, and others, supported […]

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Opinions / Op-eds

Crash Party

“The lady doth protest too much, methinks.” Shakespeare I had a laugh out loud moment when I heard who the North Idaho RINOs (NIR) invited to speak at THEIR event later this month. It’s both funny and disturbing if you know the backstory. The Kootenai County Republican Central Committee (KCRCC) is the official Republican Party […]

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Opinions / Op-eds

Labrador Letter: Idaho Supreme Court Upholds School Choice

Dear Friends, Yesterday, the Idaho Supreme Court unanimously rejected a constitutional challenge to HB93, Idaho’s School Choice Tax Credit, allowing families who have already applied to move forward with the program. My office successfully defended the law, with my Solicitor General, Michael Zarian, arguing the case before the Court last month. This decision confirms that […]

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Opinions / Op-eds

AG Labrador Warns Idaho Families About Jail Bond Scams

BOISE, ID — Attorney General Raúl Labrador is warning Idaho families about scammers impersonating law enforcement and court officials to steal money from relatives of incarcerated individuals. Bail bond agents and court officials across Idaho report that scammers are using publicly available jail rosters to identify targets, then contacting family members with false claims that immediate […]

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John Livingston

The Freedom to Care for Ourselves

Title: Sixteen Years After Obamacare: How Command‑and‑Control Medicine Failed—and How Free Markets Can Still Save American Health Care On March 23, 2010, the Affordable Care Act—better known as Obamacare—became law. Its architects promised a new era of accessible, affordable, and high-quality health care for every American. Sixteen years later, the verdict is in: those promises were […]

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John Livingston

Grace and Corruption

As I sit in my “home away from home” on Whidbey Island, I’ve been following the legislative sessions in both Idaho and Washington State. The contrast between the two has been striking. I find myself impressed by how consistently conservative the few Republicans in the Washington Legislature remain, while so many Republicans in the Idaho […]

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Opinions / Op-eds

Op-Ed: Lincoln Day is an Idaho Tradition

On March 4, 1861, Abraham Lincoln took the oath of office to become the first Republican president in American history. Two years later, in the midst of a terrible civil war, he signed an act creating the Idaho Territory. From the very beginning, Lincoln, Idaho, and the Republican Party have been linked. That shared history […]

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Bob's Words of Wisdom

Are Smartphones Dangerous?

As someone who grew up in the 40s and 50s, the idea that I could have a piece of equipment the size of a small note pad in my pocket that allowed me to instantaneously communicate with someone on the other side of the world was pure science fiction. The best we had was a […]

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Podcast

Idaho’s Budget Crisis: Spending and Tax Policy Debate

Bob Neugebauer and IFF President Ron Nate dissect Idaho’s self-inflicted budget crisis stemming from 60% spending increases over six years. Nate reveals the Idaho Freedom Foundation’s $1.9 billion in proposed cuts, including repealing Medicaid expansion and Idaho Launch. The discussion exposes how the governor’s acceptance of federal healthcare funding and workforce training programs benefits corporate […]

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Opinions / Op-eds

Reviewing HB 517

HB 517 was introduced to the legislature by Rep. Scott on January 22, 2026. The purpose of this legislation is to remove Idaho from the Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER). PNWER, “a nonpartisan public-private partnership” and non-profit organization, was established by IC Title 67 Chapter 78 in 1991, based on the idea that there was an emerging […]

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