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John Livingston

Disclose, Declare, Recuse — Play By The Rules

It seems to me as a non-lawyer that two very important issues are misunderstood by citizens but also by our elected and appointed officials in government. The open meeting laws and requirements for disclosure prior to discussing business between several members of a committee or council even though the meeting was spontaneous and not about […]

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John Livingston

Modern Day Lafayettes

I would like to offer a “tip of the hat” to my friends at The Idaho Freedom Foundation. In an article published two days ago, the authors Fred Birnbaum, Ronald Nate PhD., and Niklas Kleinworth outline in a policy paper entitled MEDCAID IN IDAHO: A POLICY PRIMER the predicate, the unfulfilled promise, the financial house […]

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Opinions / Op-eds

Education Freedom

The new Education Freedom Bill, which has garnered a fair amount of support and opposition, has passed the Senate Education Committee with a do pass recommendation. S1038 would essentially create an Education Savings Account (ESA) of roughly $6,000 per child, giving the parent more options in choosing an educational setting for their child, K-12th grade. […]

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Bob's Words of Wisdom

Stop the Idaho Launch Program

Don’t let corporate welfare steal your tax dollars Many times, I have been asked “Why don’t you take the lead in this movement or that movement”? Well, the reason is simple it is because I have “Already been there and Done that.” I have been an activist most of my adult life fighting for different […]

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Opinions / Op-eds

Education Union Bosses Need to Get Out of the Way of Universal School Choice

“Big Education” Union Bosses and their minions are hard at work spreading fear and false information about Senate Bill 1038, Freedom in Education Savings Accounts. Powerful education unions cling to their monopoly control of education and seem more interested in indoctrinating your children with their leftist ideology than teaching them. They fear that with the […]

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Opinions / Op-eds

Editorial from Sen. Chris Trakel, Idaho Freedom Caucus Member

As a state senator and a representative of the Caldwell community, I am appalled by the recent events surrounding the Caldwell School Board’s policy regarding transgender students. The shutdown of the school board meeting during testimony on this issue is a blatant disregard for the voices of concerned citizens and a violation of their right […]

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Opinions / Op-eds

The Idaho Freedom Caucus

Bringing the battle for Freedom to the State “I’ve got my right and my left mixed up,” Tom Arkoosh remarked in his closing statement in the Attorney General’s debate. Although he was referring to hand gestures he had made as a part of his statement (see clip below), no better words than his own could […]

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John Livingston

Medicaid is the Ticking Economic Time Bomb

In light of the Idaho Republican House of Representatives “kicking the can down the road” regarding our State’s ever-increasing Medicaid budget and recognizing that when the Federal match for the expansion program will most likely drop from 90/10 to 80/20 and the regular Medicaid match will drop even more when the Republicans in Washington regain […]

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Opinions / Op-eds

Suggestions for the Idaho Legislature

Greetings Idaho State legislators: cc: Governor Little and Lt. Governor Bedke: Some items to consider: TAXES: The Idaho Tax Commission is canceling the Circuit Breaker Program for many seniors on fixed incomes because the inflated property values has disqualified them. A friend with a home that has been paid for years lost her Circuit Breaker […]

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John Livingston

Capitulation

There seems to be little appetite amongst the rank and file in either the Idaho House of Representatives or The Idaho Senate to address the real “Elephant in The Room” that will eventually—sooner rather than later I believe, come to have a real negative impact on Idaho families, businesses, farmers, and ranchers. CORRUPTION in government […]

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John Livingston

The Smell of Money

My wife and I passed the Capitol on State Street yesterday on our way up to Table rock to look at the Elk herd wintering on the Boise front. There was little going on at the Capitol inside or outside four days before Inauguration Day. We didn’t see any Elk, but we did see a […]

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Bob's Words of Wisdom

Mike Moyle Idaho’s new House Speaker “A Proverbial Fence Sitter”

While I have a lot of respect for Idaho’s new House Speaker Mike Moyle, there are better qualified members of the House who could have filled that position. All you need to do is see how he has organized the House committees to make sure he has complete control of what bills get passed and […]

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