Categories
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] […]

Categories
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, […]

Categories
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. […]

Categories
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 […]

Categories
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 […]

Categories
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. […]

Categories
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. […]

Categories
Opinions

Little Big Tent

“Don’t be distracted by criticism. Remember—the only taste of success some people have is when they take a bite out of you.” Zig Ziglar Critics of the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee (KCRCC) claim that efforts to vet candidates, make recommendations, and uphold the principles in the Republican Party Platform are destructive to the party […]

Categories
Opinions

Op-Ed: Republican Leadership Keeps Idaho Prosperous and Free

Open the newspaper or turn on the evening news and you’ll see members of the other party complaining about what Idaho’s Republican majority is doing. They insist that if they were in charge—rather than Republicans holding a supermajority in the Legislature—things would be different. But it’s worth taking the time to evaluate ideology by its […]

Categories
Opinions

Labrador Letter: Task Force to Restore American Airspace Sovereignty

Dear Friends, Across the country, corrections officers are watching drones fly over prison facilities carrying drugs, weapons, and cell phones directly to inmates. They can see it happening. Under current federal law, they often cannot legally stop it. In March, I joined 20 other attorneys general in a letter to Dr. Sebastian Gorka, Senior Director […]

Categories
John Livingston

“This is my opinion”

When experts speak, they seldom preface their assertions with the words, “This is my opinion.” In every sphere of life, experts disagree—scientists, lawyers, theologians, generals, and even Popes. Yet we often treat their statements as if they were final, unquestionable truths. In my own life there have been three places where adding the phrase “in […]

Categories
John Livingston

The Beatitudes and Confronting Evil

I write in response to a recent e-mail that asks me to reflect on the Beatitudes and the command to love our neighbor and even our enemy, and to address a frequent misunderstanding: that Christian charity requires passivity in the face of evil. Loving our neighbor and our enemy, rightly understood, often requires confronting evil […]

Gem State Patriot News