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 process—one that expands government power over life and death decisions, and another that finally delivers tax relief that 87% of Idahoans demand but their legislature refuses to provide.
Constitutional Framework Under Attack
Idaho’s Constitution provides a clear pathway for citizen action when the legislature fails to act. Article 3, Section 1 reserves to the people “the power to propose laws and enact the same at the polls, independent of the legislature.” The founders understood that sometimes elected officials would ignore the will of their constituents, creating a safety valve for democratic action.
However, the initiative process itself has become contentious. The current threshold requires signatures from 6% of registered voters across at least 18 of Idaho’s 35 legislative districts—approximately 71,000 signatures. While this creates a meaningful hurdle, it’s not insurmountable for issues with genuine grassroots support.
The concern isn’t the process itself, but how simple majorities can impose their will on constitutional minorities. Florida’s recent experience illustrates this danger perfectly. Despite 57% support, an abortion rights amendment failed because Florida wisely requires a 60% supermajority for constitutional changes. Idaho should consider similar protections against the tyranny of the majority.
The Grocery Tax: A Moral Imperative
While abortion activists collect signatures to enshrine killing in Idaho law, a Payette resident named Howard Reinerson has launched a genuinely grassroots effort to eliminate Idaho’s grocery tax. This isn’t outside agitation—it’s homegrown Idaho frustration with legislative inaction.
The current system is fundamentally immoral and demonstrably clunky. Government collects taxes on food—a basic necessity for survival—then forces citizens to beg for credits back through complicated tax forms. Those who don’t owe income taxes must file special forms just to recover money the state never should have taken.
Only four states fully tax groceries, and Idaho’s continued participation in this regressive taxation reveals how disconnected our legislative leadership has become. When 87% of Idahoans support elimination according to Rasmussen polling, yet Speaker Mike Moyle refuses to allow votes, the initiative process becomes the people’s only recourse.
This tax hits hardest on those least able to afford it—working families, seniors on fixed incomes, and anyone struggling economically. Taxing food represents government demanding payment for the privilege of staying alive. No civilized society should tolerate such a system.
Arizona’s School Choice Revolution
While Idaho debates limited school choice measures, Arizona demonstrates what happens when states embrace true educational freedom. Universal school choice has triggered enrollment drops of up to 25% in some public school districts, with parents voting with their feet for better educational options.
The response from public education bureaucrats reveals everything about their priorities. When forced to close schools due to declining enrollment, administrators talk about “grieving” and “family” while completely ignoring why parents are fleeing their institutions. They support systems, not students.
Idaho’s educational performance provides ample justification for such exodus. Despite consuming roughly 40% of the state budget, Idaho ranks 47th nationally in school performance. This represents the most perverse incentive system imaginable—when performance declines, bureaucrats demand more money rather than accepting accountability.
Classical education schools emerging across Idaho offer a stark contrast. These institutions emphasize order, respect, patriotism, and academic excellence. Students walk quietly through halls, raise hands before speaking, wear uniforms, and demonstrate genuine pride in their education. They’ve created environments where learning flourishes because discipline and respect create the foundation for academic achievement.
Constitutional Property Tax Solutions
Idaho sits on a $1.2 billion rainy day fund while property owners face crushing tax burdens that effectively make government the true owner of all real estate. The Idaho Freedom Foundation has outlined a practical path to eliminate property taxes within six to seven years without raising other taxes or making severe spending cuts.
The solution involves dedicating natural growth in tax collections to property tax reduction. As Idaho’s economy grows, that growth systematically buy down property tax obligations until they disappear entirely. This approach respects constitutional spending limits while providing genuine relief to families and businesses.
The current rainy-day fund actually violates Idaho’s constitutional balanced budget provision. The constitution requires that annual spending cannot exceed annual collections—not that government maintain balanced books. Storing money across years for later spending directly contradicts this principle.
More importantly, rainy day funds prevent necessary government trimming during economic downturns. When families struggle, government should share that pain through reduced spending, not insulate itself through saved surpluses extracted from taxpayers.
A Vision for Limited Government
The goal isn’t just tax relief or educational choice—it’s restoring the proper relationship between citizens and government. In 1914 England, citizens could “pass through life and hardly notice the existence of the State beyond the Post office and the policeman.” They paid less than 8% of national income in taxes, traveled freely without papers, exchanged currency without restrictions, and lived largely unburdened by government interference.
That vision seems radical today only because we’ve accepted the gradual expansion of state power into every aspect of life. Yet America’s prosperity over 250 years resulted precisely from systems that respected freedom and rewarded individual initiative. Free markets combined with Christian values created unprecedented prosperity, and those principles remain as valid today as in 1776.
The private sector has evolved far beyond what government can provide. Federal Express, UPS, and Amazon have largely replaced postal services. Private security often exceeds police protection. Educational alternatives are multiplying rapidly. In most areas, government has become an expensive, inefficient impediment to progress rather than a facilitator of it.
The Path Forward
Idaho’s ballot initiatives represent more than policy disputes—they’re battles for the soul of self-governance. Citizens can choose expansion of government power over life and death, or they can demand return of their own tax dollars. They can accept educational mediocrity, or they can embrace competition that drives excellence.
The legislature has failed to act on clear public demands. Speaker Moyle blocks grocery tax elimination despite overwhelming support. Governor Otter’s illegal veto of previous efforts demonstrated executive branch hostility to tax relief. When representative government fails to represent, direct democracy becomes the people’s recourse.
Every Idahoan who believes in limited government, individual responsibility, and constitutional principles should sign the grocery tax repeal petition. Every parent frustrated with public education should explore school choice options. Every property owner should demand systematic tax elimination rather than cosmetic adjustments.
The vision of 1914 England—citizens barely noticing government except when they choose to—remains achievable in Idaho. It requires only the political will to restore constitutional limits, eliminate unnecessary taxes, and trust free people to manage their own lives better than distant bureaucrats ever could.
