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Policy

Citizens' Committee Provides 22% Pay Raise to Legislators by Picking a Number from Thin Air

By Fred Birnbaum
November 11, 2024
When members of the Citizens’ Committee on Legislative Compensation got down to brass tacks, it took them just 17 minutes of discussion and votes to decide on a pay raise for legislators and legislative leaders. The decision, which seemed to come from nowhere, means the largest pay raise in several decades.  The committee met early […]

Don’t Overthink or Overpay Idaho’s Citizen-Legislature

By Ronald M. Nate, Ph.D.
November 9, 2024
You can’t cut government by growing government, and you can’t save taxpayer money by spending more money on government employees. And yet that’s what some politicians want to impose on Idaho. They have taken their eyes off the ball.  What Idaho truly needs now is budget restraint, grocery tax repeal, school choice, immigration reform, and […]

Group of Incoming Lawmakers, Led by Zito and Zuiderveld, Announce Plan to Kill Politician Pay Hike

By Idaho Freedom Foundation staff
November 8, 2024
A group of incoming legislators announced Friday they plan to kill a pay hike for lawmakers approved by the Citizens’ Committee on Legislative Compensation earlier this week.  The group, led by Sen. Glenneda Zuiderveld of Twin Falls and Sen.-elect Christy Zito, said they will advance a resolution to reject the proposed pay hike on the […]

Idaho Freedom Foundation, Idaho Freedom Action Joint Statement on the Failure of Proposition 1

By Idaho Freedom Foundation staff
November 6, 2024
On Wednesday, in light of Idaho's election results, Idaho Freedom Foundation and Idaho Freedom Action President Ronald M. Nate released the following statement: “The people of Idaho have spoken: Proposition 1, the attempt by out-of-state leftists to rig our elections, has failed.  This initiative was initially placed on our ballot by organizations who deceived Idahoans […]
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Dishonest Prop 1 Backers Have Not Made Compelling Case

By Idaho Freedom Foundation staff
November 4, 2024
After the backers of Proposition 1 secured the initiative’s spot on the ballot earlier this year, the game changed. It became, at that moment, their job to sell a wholesale redrawing of Idaho’s tried-and-true election processes to hundreds of thousands of voters.  They have largely failed to do so, even after raising millions of dollars […]
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Florida’s Much-Needed Reform of Gen Ed

By Scott Yenor
November 1, 2024
State legislatures have power over what should be accomplished in general education at state colleges and universities. Texas dictates that no person can receive an undergraduate degree without taking six credits in American history or government. Florida has an even more robust set of requirements, as I describe below, where they cull courses that are […]
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As Refugees Roll into Idaho, So Do the Handouts

By Niklas Kleinworth
October 30, 2024
What’s worse than creating a nanny state for Americans? Extending this nanny state to the world on the taxpayer’s dime. Idaho received more than $1.7 million in grant funding this fiscal year for refugee programs and services — some even more generous than those offered to citizens. Not only is this bad policy, but it […]

A Reasonable Path Forward on Idaho Lawmaker Pay

By Fred Birnbaum
October 28, 2024
Last week, top legislative leaders presented a plan to increase legislators’ pay by up to 43%. This increase would give Idaho the highest-paid part-time Legislature in America. Also last week, several legislators circulated a survey to their colleagues asking about the pay for legislators and the amount of staff serving the Legislature. The timing was […]

Alaska: the Canary in the Coal Mine for Ranked Choice Voting

By Phil Izon
October 25, 2024
In Alaska’s 2022 elections, the introduction of ranked choice voting (RCV) and jungle primaries led to dramatic changes, including increased election costs, reduced voter turnout, and significant shifts in political dynamics. The total cost of the election exceeded $11 million, representing a 328% increase compared to the elections from 2010 to 2020. Much of this […]

Homeschooling is a Cornerstone of Educational Freedom

By Samuel T. Lair
October 21, 2024
Next year marks the 100th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision Pierce v. Society of Sisters, which affirmed that a parent’s discretion over the education of their children is not a privilege bestowed by the state but an unalienable right. In the memorable words of Justice McReynolds: “The child is not the mere creature […]
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Mike Simpson, Scott Bedke Come Out Against Prop 1

By Idaho Freedom Foundation staff
October 18, 2024
The final members of Idaho’s leadership on both federal and state levels have announced their opposition to Proposition 1, which will be on Idahoans’ ballots in November. Congressman Mike Simpson, who represents Idaho’s 2nd Congressional District, confirmed with Idaho Dispatch that he opposes the proposition that, if passed, would implement jungle primaries and ranked choice […]
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Ranked Choice Voting – Deceptions and Lies

By Ronald M. Nate, Ph.D.
October 17, 2024
Ranked choice voting (RCV), also known as Proposition 1 on our ballots in November, is a dangerous, confusing, and troublesome gambit. If you have any doubts about the integrity of the election process in Idaho, switching to RCV would likely make things worse.  Here are just a few of the bizarre realities of RCV. Maine […]
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