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 […]
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 […]
Bob Neugebauer and IFF President Ron Nate dissect Idaho’s self-inflicted budget crisis stemming from 60% spending increases over six years. Nate reveals the Idaho Freedom Foundation’s $1.9 billion in proposed cuts, including repealing Medicaid expansion and Idaho Launch. The discussion exposes how the governor’s acceptance of federal healthcare funding and workforce training programs benefits corporate […]
HB 517 was introduced to the legislature by Rep. Scott on January 22, 2026. The purpose of this legislation is to remove Idaho from the Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER). PNWER, “a nonpartisan public-private partnership” and non-profit organization, was established by IC Title 67 Chapter 78 in 1991, based on the idea that there was an emerging […]
Ongoing Fraud Investigations and Local Concerns Allegations of billions of dollars in fraud continue to surface in states such as Minnesota, with investigations now beginning in Maine and Ohio. These developments suggest that further abuse in misusing U.S. taxpayer money is likely to be uncovered. It would be naive to assume that Idaho is immune […]
Re: Request to Pause IDHW Childcare Appropriations Rep. Josh Tanner and I sent a letter to IDHW on New Year’s Eve. We’re demanding they halt new childcare grant payments until they get their house in order. >>You can read about that here But there’s still a tad bit of confusion about what this letter is […]
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 […]
Reprinted with permission of the Idaho Freedom Foundation It’s no exaggeration to say that Idaho taxpayers spend millions of dollars every single day on wasteful and sometimes unconstitutional state-run programs. The Idaho Freedom Foundation’s (IFF) goal is to find and eliminate as many of these programs as possible. To this end, the IFF has submitted recommendations on […]
A Conversation with IFF President Ron Nate & Tea Party Bob Podcast Notes by Bob Neugebauer How Idaho’s Fiscal Discipline Collapsed: Idaho policymakers face an uncomfortable question: how does a state transform a $496 million surplus into deficit projections within a single budget cycle? The answer reveals fundamental weaknesses in fiscal oversight and political incentives […]
A Conversation with IFF President Ron Nate & Tea Party Bob Podcast Notes by Bob Neugebauer The Idaho Freedom Foundation has answered the legislature’s challenge with a comprehensive plan to cut $2.146 billion from state government—enough savings to eliminate property taxes entirely without raising a single additional tax. The proposal represents the most detailed government […]
A Conversation with IFF President Ron Nate & Tea Party Bob Podcast Notes by Bob Neugebauer Idaho’s Ballot Initiative Wars: When the Legislature Fails, Citizens Must Act The battle lines are drawn for Idaho’s 2026 ballot initiatives, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. Two competing visions for Idaho’s future are emerging through the constitutional initiative […]
A Conversation with IFF President Ron Nate & Tea Party Bob Podcast Notes by Bob Neugebauer Bottom Line: Idaho’s $141 million budget “shortfall” represents excellent news for taxpayers, with collections 4.5% above last year and a $278 million surplus remaining, exposing how government officials view taxpayer money as their property rather than citizens’ earnings. Idaho […]