Policy

In a Stunning Turn of Predictability, the Ford Idaho Center Goes to the College of Western Idaho

By Rachel Hazelip, M.A.P.P.

December 9, 2025

Like Bill Murray waking up to “I Got You Babe,” the Nampa City Council found itself re-living the Ford Idaho Center (FIC) vote last Monday, courtesy of an alleged open-meeting violation. The Council voted 3-3 (Bills, Jangula, and Reynolds voting yes; Griffin, Haverfield, and Rodriguez voting no) on the conveyance, and, shocker, the Tie-Breaker-in-Chief (Mayor […]

TAGS: Bill Murray, Canyon County, College of Western Idaho, conveyance vote, CWI, FIC, Ford Idaho Center, government transparency, Groundhog Day, Idaho Center sale, Idaho local government, local government controversy, Mayor Debbie Kling, Nampa City Council, Nampa politics, Nampa property tax increase, open meeting violation, public assets, public outcry, Randy Haverfield, self-cure resolution, Twin Falls Prosecuting Attorney, Victor Rodriguez

Week in Review: The Invasion of Idaho

By Samuel T. Lair

December 7, 2025

The United States of America is in a crisis. For nearly five decades our nation has been under invasion from hordes of foreign nationals who have introduced crime, suppressed domestic wages, driven up the cost of living, overwhelmed our public services, and undermined our culture. Our Founding Fathers warned against the threat mass immigration posed […]

TAGS: 2025 legislative session, Alexander Hamilton, conservative think tank, cost of living, domestic wages, election integrity, Founding Fathers, harboring illegal aliens, HB 335, HB 382, HB 94, House Bill 335, House Bill 382, House Bill 94, Idaho Freedom Foundation, Idaho immigration, Idaho legislature, Idaho politics, Idaho public schools, Illegal Immigration, immigration crisis, immigration enforcement, national sovereignty, Plyler v. Doe, voter fraud

Sanctuary Schools: Illegal Immigration’s Toll on Public Education

By Samuel T. Lair

December 6, 2025

In October 2025, a law enforcement operation at a horse track in Wilder, Idaho, turned into the state’s largest immigration raid, resulting in the arrest of 105 suspected adult illegal aliens. Subsequently, the day following the raid, nearly 20% of students in the Wilder School District were reported absent. This incident reveals how mass immigration […]

TAGS: charter schools, citizen privilege, Dredd Scott, education spending, education tuition, Equal Protection Clause, FAIR estimates, Fourteenth Amendment, House Bill 382, Idaho Freedom Foundation, Idaho immigration, Idaho immigration raid, Idaho legislature, illegal alien education, immigration burden, immigration law, K-12 education, legal precedent, Plyler challenge, Plyler v. Doe, public school funding, Rep. Dale Hawkins, Rep. Steve Tanner, School choice Idaho, social compact, states' rights, Supreme Court decision, Terrace v. Thompson, Wilder Idaho

Illegal Immigration and Elections: Only Idaho Votes in Idaho

By Ronald M. Nate, Ph.D.

December 5, 2025

And now for some good news on the immigration issue in Idaho. Our laws and our constitutional amendment prohibiting anyone but U.S. citizens from voting in Idaho elections seem to be working. Recall, in 2024, House Joint Resolution 5 (carried by Rep. Kevin Andrus), referred to as "Idaho's only citizens vote measure," passed the Legislature and […]

TAGS: citizen voting rights, constitutional amendment, election security, HJR 5, House Bill 94, Idaho election integrity, Idaho Legislature 2026, non-citizen voting, SAVE system, Secretary of State, voter fraud penalties, voter rolls audit

Idaho's Costly Burden from the Border

By Brett Farruggia

December 4, 2025

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare recently released data showing that outlays for emergency medical services for illegal aliens totaled over $19 million in Fiscal Year 2025, all paid for by Idaho taxpayers. This is just a small portion of the overall medical costs incurred by the state of Idaho, let alone the cost […]

TAGS: $19 million, $302 million, Center for Immigration Studies, cheap labor, emergency medical services, FAIR study, Federation for American Immigration Reform, House Bill 135, housing costs, Idaho economy, Idaho Freedom Foundation, Idaho immigration cost, Idaho taxpayer, illegal immigration burden, immigration, Milton Friedman, net fiscal drain, state budget, wage suppression, welfare state

Should We Be Concerned About Idaho Elections?

By Rachel Hazelip, M.A.P.P.

December 1, 2025

Idaho elections look sketchy. The November 4th election seemed to be the gift that kept on giving, and now that it's finally over, we’re officially at the point of questioning whether “free and secure elections” actually means anything at all. Not only did we watch the unfolding of events that looked strikingly like political targeting […]

TAGS: election fraud, election integrity, election mismanagement, election recount, Elmore County, Idaho elections, Idaho Freedom Foundation, Idaho government transparency, Idaho politics, Idaho statute, IFF, Jerome County, local government issues, May 2025 election, November 4th election, political targeting, school levy, Secretary of State, supplemental levy, uncounted ballots, Valley School District, Voter Intimidation

Week in Review: Make Idaho Sovereign Again

By Rachel Hazelip, M.A.P.P.

November 30, 2025

State sovereignty is a fundamental principle of Americanism and it should be reclaimed by our executive and legislative branches. The 10th Amendment made this principle unmistakable: powers not explicitly delegated to the federal government were reserved for the states and the people. The Founding Fathers instituted a federal system in which state sovereignty serves as […]

TAGS: constitutional law, decentralization, Defend the Guard Act, federal funding, federalism, Idaho, Idaho Freedom Foundation, Idaho National Guard, IFF, James Madison, land control, legislative power, Mountain Home Air Force Base, National Guard, public land, Qatar, QEAF, state sovereignty, states' rights, Tenth Amendment

Idaho Lands in Idaho Hands

By Rachel Hazelip, M.A.P.P.

November 29, 2025

Is Idaho your “adopted” state? If so, why did you move here? Most people list Idaho’s relatively conservative culture, smaller population, and access to public lands among their answers. Idaho is a state renowned for its vast landscapes, rugged mountains, abundant natural resources, and accessible outdoor recreation; however, we have one of the highest percentages […]

TAGS: BLM, Craters of the Moon, federal land ownership, federalism, Founding Fathers, housing development, Idaho public lands, Idaho resources, IFF land control, land management, land sales, land transfer, public land concentration, recreational land, state control, state sovereignty, U.S. Forest Service, Utah Sen. Mike Lee

Guarding the Guard: Federal vs. State Power

By Rachel Hazelip, M.A.P.P.

November 26, 2025

The operative word in Idaho National Guard is Idaho. In a time of geopolitical uncertainty and unpredictable decision-making at the federal level, Idaho has a responsibility to ensure its Guard remains under Idaho’s leadership — guided by the priorities of its people rather than the ever-shifting impulses of Washington D.C. Do you know the last […]

TAGS: 2026 legislation, Article I Section 8 Clause 11, congressional war powers, constitutional authority, declare war, Defend the Guard Act, federal overreach, Global War on Terror, Idaho Freedom Foundation, Idaho National Guard, Idaho politics, IFF, limited federal power, military deployment, National Guard deployment, political advocacy, state sovereignty, states' rights, Tenth Amendment, US foreign policy

Idaho's Federal Funding Comes With Strings Attached

By Brett Farruggia

November 25, 2025

Federal dollars allocated to the state can often feel like free money, but there is no such thing as a free lunch. Something cannot come from nothing. In Fiscal Year 2025 — the last year with available data — the federal government accounted for 37.2% of the state’s total budget. This adds up to over […]

TAGS: ARPA funds, Budget mismanagement, COVID-19 relief funds, Federal funding Idaho, Federal funds depletion, Federal reliance, Federal tax dollars, Fiscal sustainability, General Fund obligations, Government spending Idaho, Idaho budget, Idaho conservative policy, Idaho Freedom Foundation, Idaho State budget deficit, Idaho state code, IFF agenda, State autonomy, State government leverage, Strings attached funding

Idaho Freedom Foundation to Hold Budget Press Conference

By Idaho Freedom Foundation staff

November 24, 2025

BOISE, ID – (November 24, 2025) – The Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF) today announced it will host a press conference to present a comprehensive Conservative Budget Plan designed to bring unprecedented efficiency and accountability to the Idaho state government. Idaho's state leadership has failed to control spending and manage the budget, leading the state toward […]

TAGS: bureaucratic waste, conservative budget plan, fiscal deficit, fiscal discipline, government spending, Idaho budget, Idaho Freedom Foundation, Idaho Legislature 2026, Idaho politics, IFF, Medicaid expansion repeal, Property Tax Elimination, reckless spending, Ron Nate, tax cuts

Week in Review: Stopping Idaho's Spending Spree

By Brett Farruggia

November 22, 2025

The Idaho state budget is out of control, and it is the Idaho Freedom Foundation’s duty to the citizens of this state to fight big government spending wherever and whenever possible. Even after accounting for the governor’s three percent holdback, agencies have still requested $14.5 billion for government operations in fiscal year 2027. This is […]

TAGS: fiscal deficit, FY2027 budget request, government spending, Idaho budget, Idaho legislature, IFF spending plan, Medicaid expansion repeal, pre-COVID spending, property tax reduction, tax burden relief, taxpayer relief, unconstitutional programs, wasteful spending cuts

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Policy

In a Stunning Turn of Predictability, the Ford Idaho Center Goes to the College of Western Idaho

Week in Review: The Invasion of Idaho

Sanctuary Schools: Illegal Immigration’s Toll on Public Education

Illegal Immigration and Elections: Only Idaho Votes in Idaho

Idaho's Costly Burden from the Border

Should We Be Concerned About Idaho Elections?

Week in Review: Make Idaho Sovereign Again

Idaho Lands in Idaho Hands

Guarding the Guard: Federal vs. State Power

Idaho's Federal Funding Comes With Strings Attached

Idaho Freedom Foundation to Hold Budget Press Conference

Week in Review: Stopping Idaho's Spending Spree

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