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John Livingston

Medicaid in Idaho is a Mess

How big a mess? No one really knows, because those running the bureaucracy—and those supposed to cover it in the press—have shown remarkably little curiosity about what is happening inside our state government. The LUMA accounting system, for example, has been associated with serious implementation problems, including duplicated payments and delays in reconciling transactions across […]

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John Livingston

The Seed We Choose to Grow

My Quaker grandmother told me a story early in my life about “The Seed of Hate.” The theme is deeply biblical, but it appears in other religious traditions and cultures as well. For Christians, the story centers on the idea that hatred begins as a small seed in the heart and, if allowed to grow, […]

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John Livingston

In God’s Image

In a recent Wall Street Journal review, University of Virginia sociology professor Scott Galloway’s book Notes of Being a Man confronts a crisis that has become impossible to ignore. He writes that his female students—bright, capable, and ambitious—express growing concern about the state of young men. They describe brothers living in parents’ basements, boyfriends addicted to online pornography, and […]

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Opinions / Op-eds

Op-Ed: School choice is good for Idaho families

Next month, thousands of families across Idaho will apply for the Parental Choice Tax Credit. Students in non-public schools will be eligible for up to $5,000 in reimbursements—whether for tuition, tutoring, materials, or other educational costs. Unfortunately, the program could be derailed before it even begins. A coalition of public school districts, the teachers’ union, […]

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Bob's Words of Wisdom

What is the Cost of Illegal Immigration?

As we hear the cry from many Americans about how unaffordable America is, we need to ask ourselves how this came about. Well, I would suggest that opening our borders and allowing 10 or 15 million illegal aliens to migrate and scatter to every congressional district in the country has caused a serious strain on […]

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Opinions / Op-eds

Labrador Letter: Our Office Celebrates Another Strong Year of Service

Dear Friends, Last month, our entire office gathered at the Idaho State Capitol for our annual Office Wide Meeting. Every November, we bring everyone together to look back on the year’s work and recognize the people who made it happen. My Chief of Staff Phil Skinner kicked things off with updates from every division on […]

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Opinions / Op-eds

Trump Zero Income Tax Plan

By now, you must have heard of President Trump’s Zero Income Tax Plan. Even among conservative media, doubt was verbalized. Can that be done? Is it constitutional? Isn’t it too bold, too aggressive, too “king,” too “tyrannical”? Or does he have the moral authority to do such a thing? Constitution Background I want to concentrate […]

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Opinions / Op-eds

Economy of Status

We live in a time of stark political dichotomy where a person’s interpretation of facts depends on their political affiliations. People will see some action of President Trump as MAGA or fascist, depending on their political party and their news sources. Scott Adams has referred to this phenomenon as “Two movies playing on one screen” […]

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Opinions / Op-eds

Labrador Honors Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Detectives for 100th Combined ICAC Arrest in East Idaho

IDAHO FALLS, ID —  Attorney General Raúl Labrador recognized Detective Jared Mendenhall of the Idaho Falls Police Department and Detective Korey Payne of the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office for reaching 100 combined arrests through the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. The milestone represents years of investigations protecting vulnerable children from online predators across […]

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Opinions / Op-eds

Fulcher Introduces Healthcare Bill, Offering Greater Flexibility and Affordability

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Congressman Russ Fulcher (Idaho-01) issued the following statement after introducing the Removing Insurance Gaps for Health Treatment (RIGHT) Act of 2025. “Idahoans deserve affordable and flexible healthcare plans that meet their needs,” said Congressman Fulcher. “Current short-term limited-duration insurance (STLDI) plans only allow for coverage up to a total of four months. Four […]

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Opinions / Op-eds

Understanding America’s Debt

Over the years, the federal government has put America into what is called a debt based economy. The essence of this type of economy is that it is a self perpetuating debt cycle that continues to exponentially increase the debt as seen in the persistent rising of the national debt, now at $38 trillion. This […]

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John Livingston

The Season for Giving

Sharing and Giving: The Moral Weight of Ownership There is a subtle but profound difference between sharing and giving. Modern ears often treat the words as interchangeable, but they represent opposing moral postures toward the world. G. K. Chesterton once described this difference vividly: sharing is a collectivist act, a gesture without full participation of the heart, while […]

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