Most readers of the Gem State Patriot aren’t avid sports fans, and few will lose sleep over the fact that multimillion-dollar athletes owe income taxes in every state and city where they play. But here’s the hidden story: professional sports teams spend staggering sums on accountants and compliance staff just to navigate the tangle of […]
My father often told me, “Tend to business and keep your eye on the ball.” I heard those words as a child and again as a young man, and I’ve come to understand how much wisdom they still carry. We live in a time when noise has replaced focus, and political theater has replaced governing. […]
When Governor Butch Otter asked me to serve on the Idaho Health Insurance Exchange board, I agreed on one non‑negotiable condition: that an independent outside auditor be hired and funded to document, in detail, how taxpayer dollars flowed through that new organization. That requirement was adopted, written into the exchange’s governance, and ultimately led to […]
Nearly two decades ago, I stood with millions of American taxpayers in demanding an end to bailouts, crony capitalism, and endless government spending. The Tea Party movement was a wake-up call to the political class that the working people of America were fed up. How simple it seems looking back. If you had told me […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
“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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]