Dear Friends, Few topics in the news today are getting more attention than the cancer of human trafficking in our communities. Rightfully so – this is a crime that perpetuates untold misery across all lines of age, geography, ethnicity, and economic status. At the very heart of it all lies the root of so many […]
Our Joint Finance Appropriations Committee (JFAC) voted early in the 2024 legislative session to split our state agency budgets. This meant the House and Senate would vote on the maintenance segment of the state budget, and then have debate on the line items or new requests (including governor’s requests) to determine wants and needs. This […]
In 2021, the National School Board Association (NSBA) wrote a letter to the president asking that “the classification of these heinous actions (by parents at school board meetings) could be the equivalent to a form of domestic terrorism and hate crimes” and be “reviewed by the U.S. Departments of Justice”, later apologizing for that letter. […]
This week, communities throughout the nation celebrated the enormous potential of school choice. Now, more than ever, students and families hunger for alternatives to the public school system. With a plethora of educational options available today, our government should champion and empower families to discover the best fit for their children, rather than confining them […]
All one has to do to see the devastation that has been brought by drug use and its impact on the potential of human capital is to go to Pioneer Square in Seattle or go two blocks from Temple Square in Salt Lake City or go to Portland or any of our major cities. The […]
Earlier this week, a lot of people testified that children should be exposed to obscene and pornographic materials. Well, they didn’t exactly say it that way, but it was all the same. By testifying against House Bill 384, they were taking a stand against attempts to keep obviously harmful material out of the hands of […]
During the COVID years, the State of Idaho accepted $22.9 billion of federal money, including billions of dollars of Federal American Rescue Plan money. The legislature outright admitted in the bill that “ARPA funds are borrowed from our grandchildren.” Idaho is now channeling these funds into substantial new government programs while offering very little tax […]
Like many of you, I watched Governor Brad Little’s State of the State address this afternoon hoping to hear him promote smaller government and fiscal responsibility, values that conservative Republicans hold dear. I regret to say that I was left mostly disappointed. Governor Little began his speech with how Idaho has become one of the […]
Before I begin my discussion about the ever-increasing concentration of power into government bureaucracies at all levels, let me say that I have tremendous admiration and respect for people who put themselves and their families on the line to run for public office, and if elected serve, many times sitting at endless meetings and briefings […]
I’m sure most Idahoans will be curious to see just our legislators have in store for us in 2024. Maybe some tax cuts? Don’t count on it. One thing is for sure since it is an election year, we actually might see some kowtowing to the voters who elected our NOT-so-conservative Senate and Somewhat conservative […]
The most powerful lobbying agency in Idaho is unknown to most Idaho voters. This organization wields enormous power and influence over every state elected official. How do we know this? None of them will openly criticize, or even talk about it. In 1974 the Idaho State Chamber of Commerce and the Associated Industries of Idaho […]
This was a headline from a recently released report on legislative voting from the Institute for Legislative Analysis. While I’m not fond of the term RINO there are other descriptions that come to mind like imposter, cheat, and liar. I recall a time not to long ago when I sat in a central committee meeting […]