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Opinions

Dear Neighbor — A message from Brent Regan

The Gem State Patriot is providing this information as a public service in the interest of nonpartisan voter education, and the opinions in this article are the opinions of the Kootenai County Republican Party. First, I would like to thank you for your support these last 10 years. It has been an honor to serve […]

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Opinions

Op-Ed: It’s Time for Republicans to Step Up

It’s time to recognize what time it is. In 2024, President Trump fell 5% short in Virginia, a state that elected a Republican governor just a few years ago. This week, following the lead of Virginia’s new radical left-wing governor, the state narrowly voted to redraw its congressional districts—turning a map that favored Democrats 6–5 […]

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Opinions

Labrador Letter: Legislative Session Wrap Up

Dear Friends, A few weeks ago, the 2026 legislative session wrapped up, and I want to share some of what my office accomplished alongside the Legislature. My role as Attorney General is not to make policy. That belongs to your elected representatives. But when legislators have questions about their legislation, how it might affect my […]

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Opinions

Stack & Pack Housing

Many years ago, following the initiation of Agenda 21 in 1992, many warned of its various threats, one being that it promoted the concept of “stack & pack” housing. This type of housing need was based on the idea that it would protect the planet through less land use which could then be protected from […]

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Opinions

Idaho Lobbyists and What Citizens Should Know

As of 2025, there were approximately 700 registered paid lobbyists in Idaho, consisting of 392 in-state and 300 out-of-state individuals representing more than 650 corporations, businesses, and special interest groups. The Idaho legislative session lasts about three months each year and in the final weeks of every session, there tends to be an unfortunate rush […]

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John Livingston

Not Just a Birthday Party but a Renewal

As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of our country’s founding, let us not forget how deeply our Founders believed in the guiding hand of Divine Providence. In the Declaration of Independence, they staked their project on a theological claim, insisting that “we hold these truths to be self‑evident, that all men are created equal, [that] […]

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John Livingston

Out-of-State Life Support

A natural way to think about politics is not as a pyramid, but as a web. Instead of starting with “the state” and working downward, imagine a landscape of “nodes” or pockets of civic energy that grow from the inside out—bottom‑up rather than top‑down. These nodes are the precincts, churches, voluntary associations, local media outlets, […]

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Opinions

Fulcher on Announcement of Secure Rural Schools Payments, Helped Facilitate House Vote

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 20, 2026CONTACT: Christianne.Allen@mail.house.gov WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Congressman Russ Fulcher (Idaho-01) released the following statement after the U.S. Forest Service announced it will issue $248 million in Secure Rural Schools (SRS) payments for 2025 and $182 million in retroactive payments for 2024. These funds go to eligible states and counties with untaxed National Forest System lands. […]

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Bob's Words

Trump, the Pope and the Parallels with the Crusades

There is a phrase from the Bible, specifically John 8:7, where Jesus tells those ready to stone a woman caught in adultery that the one without sin should throw the first stone. I was baptized both Lutheran and Catholic and have studied both religions and their histories. With all due respect, Pope Leo seems to […]

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Podcast

PODCAST: Idaho Freedom Index 2026: Legislative Scores and Big Spenders

Bob Neugebauer welcomes Ron Nate, president of the Idaho Freedom Foundation, to break down the newly released 2026 Idaho Freedom Index — the annual scorecard rating every legislator and the governor based on how they actually voted, not what they promised. With the legislature adjourned, the full session’s votes have been compiled against 430 rated […]

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Opinions

Get Your Copy of the Idaho Freedom Index!

Letter From the President of the Idaho Freedom Foundation, Ronald Nate IdahoFreedom/org/26index Welcome to the 2026 Idaho Freedom Index! In its 14th year, the Idaho Freedom Index remains the most comprehensive and powerful indicator of how our legislators’ votes reflect the principles of restoring liberty, protecting rights, limiting government, reducing taxes, and honoring the Constitution. […]

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Opinions

Blackfoot, We Have A Problem – Part 3

Blackfoot, We Have A Problem, Part 1 and 2, explored how local officials violated both state and local codes to push forward a proposed development that current residents oppose, and how Idaho courts have previously upheld that a city can go unpunished for code violations if a citizen is supposedly not harmed by those violations. […]

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