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Poll: Did Gov. Little do the right thing by vetoing two emergency powers bills?

The Idaho Legislature passed two bills dealing with emergency powers, SB 1136 and HB 135. Both were designed to protect the rights of Idahoans during declarations of emergency, including gun rights, the right to peacefully assemble, and the right to free exercise of religion. Both bills passed both chambers of the Legislature by significant majorities. […]

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Congressman Simpson Should Put Idaho First and Do No Harm

The expression “first do no harm” is a popular phrase often attributed to the Hippocratic oath taken by doctors. The idea is that it may be better to do nothing rather than intervening and causing more harm than good. The Hippocratic oath taken by dentists includes a similar promise to do no intentional harm to […]

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Poll: Should we breach the dams on the Lower Snake River?

Recently, Congressman Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) proposed spending more than $33 billion to breach four dams on the Lower Snake River. This is the first time a sitting senior elected official has ever asked the region to consider breaching dams that are still functioning.

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The CEI Bait and switch

In May 2017, Bonneville County voters approved a new taxing district to finance turning Eastern Idaho Technical College (EITC) into a community college. The proponents of the new College of Eastern Idaho (CEI) relied heavily on a Community College Study Panel Report (CCSPR) to advance their arguments in favor of creating CEI, whose President Rick […]

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No such thing as ‘budget surplus’ for some Democrats

Democrat Pat Tucker recently wrote she cannot agree with me that a grocery sales tax elimination would benefit all Idahoans. Interestingly, House Democrats are currently working to repeal the grocery sales tax. These Democrats know providing a 6% tax break on food helps low-income earners the most because these folks spend a larger share of […]

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Pat ain’t happy unless she’s redistributing wealth

Recently, Pat Tucker, the chairwoman of the Bonneville County Democratic Central Committee, published an “open letter to Bryan Smith” expressing her contempt about my misplaced priorities for spending Idaho’s $630 million budget surplus. If there ever were an opportunity to contrast the differences between a tax and spend wealth redistribution Democrat like Pat Tucker, who […]

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Lawmakers can provide massive tax relief in 2021

As we now cast our eyes to the soon-to-convene 2021 legislative session, we behold a marvelous and perhaps generational opportunity for lawmakers to boldly provide sweeping tax relief for Idaho families and small businesses. But will they? Idaho is loaded with cash. Consider that officials believe the state will end its fiscal year with a […]

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Free government health care for able-bodied adults already busting budgets

You’ve been had, Idaho. Bamboozled. Fooled. Hoodwinked. And your kids, my kids and our grandkids are going to pay the price for this massive deception. But there’s still a faint glimmer of hope if Idaho lawmakers take decisive action during the 2021 legislative session. I’m talking about Medicaid expansion, the government program that gives free […]

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Travis Oler is still a Democrat

Travis Oler recently wrote an article in the Post Register attacking Parrish Miller who freelances as an index analyst evaluating and scoring Idaho legislative bills every year for the Idaho Freedom Foundation. In the same article, Travis oozes disdain for the Idaho Freedom Foundation, Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin and Rep. Julianne Young, his Republican Party […]