Categories
Podcast

Idaho’s Legislative Session comes to an End

Some Victories and some Loses A Conversation with IFF President Ron Nate & Tea Party Bob Podcast Notes by Bob Neugebauer Conservative Victories and Economic Principles: A Turning Point for Idaho The 2025 Idaho legislative session concluded with a significant victory for medical freedom in our state. After months of political maneuvering and resistance, Senate […]

Categories
Podcast

Beware of the end of our Legislative Session

Idaho’s rights and wallets are Under Attack A Conversation with IFF President Ron Nate & Tea Party Bob Podcast Notes by Bob Neugebauer The Last-Minute Legislative Onslaught As Idaho’s legislative session races toward adjournment, a troubling pattern has emerged that should concern every citizen who values freedom and fiscal responsibility. The final weeks of our […]

Categories
Podcast

Beyond the Budget

How Idaho’s Legislature Prioritizes Growth Over Tax Relief A Conversation with IFF President Ron Nate & Tea Party Bob Podcast Notes by Bob Neugebauer The Idaho legislative session has entered its March sprint to the finish line with a troubling pattern that should concern every taxpayer in the state. My recent conversation with Idaho Freedom […]

Categories
Podcast

The Legislature’s “DOGE” Proposal: A Facade of Government Efficiency

A Conversation with IFF President Ron Nate & Tea Party Bob Podcast Notes by Bob Neugebauer The term “Doge” has become a political buzzword since President Trump announced the Department of Government Efficiency with Elon Musk at the helm. Now Idaho politicians are attempting to capitalize on the concept’s popularity, but their proposal fundamentally misunderstands […]

Categories
Podcast

A Closer Look at Failed Priorities and Wasteful Spending in Idaho

A Conversation with IFF President Ron Nate & Tea Party Bob Podcast Notes by Bob Neugebauer The Idaho legislative session is approaching its conclusion, and the results are profoundly disappointing for fiscal conservatives. My recent conversation with Idaho Freedom Foundation President Ron Nate exposed how legislative leadership is deliberately blocking critical reforms while pushing wasteful […]

Categories
Podcast

 School Choice in Idaho – Free Speech & Budget Concerns

Freedom Foundation President Ronald Nate offers his Opinion Podcast Notes by Bob Neugebauer In a landmark development for Idaho education policy, Governor Brad Little signed into law the state’s first significant school choice legislation last week, marking what many conservatives are calling a historic achievement for education freedom in the Gem State. Meanwhile, controversy continues […]

Categories
Podcast

Contrasting Agendas in the Idaho Legislature

A Conversation with IFF President Ron Nate & Tea Party Bob Podcast Notes by Bob Neugebauer In a recent episode of my Idaho Pulse podcast, I spoke with Idaho Freedom Foundation President Ron Nate about a range of legislative proposals and spending bills currently under debate in the Idaho State Capitol. Throughout our conversation, we […]

Categories
Opinions / Op-eds

The Pay Raise Fire Hose is Wide Open

Republished, with permission, from the Idaho Freedom Foundation Late last week, after several failed attempts, the Legislature’s Joint Finance Appropriation Committee (JFAC) set the state employee pay raise. Rather than a strict percentage, the pay raise, known as the Change in Employee Compensation (CEC), provides a $1.05 to $1.55 per hour increase range for most […]

Categories
Podcast

Conservative Coalition Pushes Back on Government Growth

A Conversation with Ron Nate & Tea Party Bob Podcast Notes by Bob Neugebauer Fiscal Reforms Face Federal Constraints Idaho legislators are advancing ambitious fiscal reforms amid growing concerns about federal dependency and ballooning state expenses, with particular focus on Medicaid expansion costs and tax relief measures totaling over $400 million. However, the state’s ability […]

Categories
Podcast

The Case for Economic Freedom vs Federal Dependency & The Economic Realities of Tariffs

A Conversation with Ron Nate & Tea Party Bob Podcast Notes by Bob Neugebauer Idaho’s Government Growth and Economic Freedom: A Critical Analysis The rapid expansion of Idaho’s state government, coupled with increasing federal dependency, raises serious concerns about the trajectory of what many consider a conservative stronghold. An examination of budget figures and agency […]

Categories
John Livingston

If Not Now, When?

From 1789 until the rise of the progressive movement under Woodrow Wilson, Congress adhered to James Madison’s view that the Federal spending power was limited to executing the Constitution’s enumerated powers. From pre-Civil War days bills appropriating aid to education, income support for citizens—except veterans, and grants supporting the poor were rejected by Federal Lawmakers. […]

Categories
Opinions / Op-eds

Paying More for Less

Idaho legislators are on the verge of becoming the highest-paid part-time lawmakers in the country. If the Compensation Committee approves the 43% pay increase and legislators do nothing to stop it, it will be clear that priorities in the Statehouse need realigning—toward the true needs of Idahoans, not higher pay for lawmakers. Leadership’s proposal (read […]

Gem State Patriot News