Policy

Our plan to combat the trans agenda following Judge Winmill’s idiotic ruling

By Wayne Hoffman, IFF’s former President

December 27, 2023

I’m afraid I have some disappointing, and yet unsurprising, news. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill has blocked House Bill 71 from taking effect Jan. 1. The bill would have protected children from irreversible puberty blocking medications and barbaric gender mutilation surgeries. Winmill issued his opinion Tuesday. Winmill, one of many leftist judges in Idaho, […]

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Medicaid should top Congresses and Idaho’s list of programs to tackle

By Fred Birnbaum

December 26, 2023

In every recent presidential election, candidates bring up reforming entitlement programs like Social Security. But we will let you in on a secret: Reforming Social Security is only partly about extending the solvency of this program; it is also about avoiding the tough questions regarding programs like Medicaid. This is doubly bad because it sends […]

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Shady news stories aside, Idaho’s supermajority for bond elections should remain in place

By Wayne Hoffman, IFF’s former President

December 19, 2023

We’ve all been witness to some really questionable “journalism” in Idaho of late, but the recent article by the Idaho Statesman/ProPublica is a whole other level when it comes to media bias. The article passes itself off as investigative reporting, but it’s not. It’s essentially a long editorial pandering for more money for Education, Inc. […]

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We choose love, kindness, and freedom of speech over the leftist media’s hateful thought police

By Wayne Hoffman, IFF’s former President

December 12, 2023

Over the last 15 years at the Idaho Freedom Foundation, I’ve made it a point to surround myself with people from all walks of life, all backgrounds, and indeed, religious beliefs. From our board of directors to our donors and moral supporters, we have Mormons, Baptists, Catholics, Muslims, and even atheists and agnostics. What unites […]

TAGS: Cancel Culture, Free Speech, Religion

Losing Streak – Idaho Education Freedom

By Ronald M. Nate, Ph.D.

December 7, 2023

Remember last year when education choice was the front-burner issue in the Idaho legislature? Remember when the education establishment was petrified about Idaho possibly creating a true school choice paradigm to help students and families find the best education without having to pay even more for tuition on top of their taxes? Remember when the […]

TAGS: Freedom, Government Schools, Idaho Education, School System

Department of Health and Welfare mistakenly double pays $32 million in benefits

By Niklas Kleinworth

December 1, 2023

According to internal communications within the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, the department mistakenly double-paid more than $32 million in welfare benefits and dropped other payments entirely during the month of November. The message notes these issues are part of the challenges many departments are facing with implementing the LUMA system, Idaho’s new integrated […]

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Task force fails to offer solutions for Medicaid as program costs projected to soar

By Niklas Kleinworth

December 1, 2023

The Medicaid Managed Care Task Force released its final report this week detailing how it plans to curb Idaho’s oversized spending on medical welfare. But it offered no solutions, paying no mind to controlling the rampant costs of the program. The task force merely offered to sustain the existing structure of Idaho’s Medicaid program. The […]

TAGS: Healthcare, JFAC, Medicaid, Medical Care

Idaho’s Legislature is more open than ever, but the public is still barred in one key area

By Wayne Hoffman, IFF’s former President

November 30, 2023

In March 1972, the Idaho House of Representatives was in the middle of debating the adoption of a new criminal law code when legislative leadership abruptly and unexpectedly put a halt to the discussion. The reason: one of the members, Rep. Wayne Loveless, a Pocatello Democrat, had phoned one of his local radio stations, holding […]

TAGS: Appropriations, JFAC, Legislature

Meet Alex, a kid lost in the cracks of Idaho’s sprawling medical welfare program

By Wayne Hoffman, IFF’s former President

November 28, 2023

Boise Democrat Lauren Necochea says this time of year reminds her of “the ways in which we care for one another.” And, she writes, “[O]ne of the best ways we do this as Idahoans is through Medicaid” which “provides necessary care for our children, pregnant Idahoans, seniors who need nursing home care, and both adults […]

TAGS: Medicaid

Director Jeppesen’s retirement from Health & Welfare should not end scrutiny of scandals

By Fred Birnbaum

November 21, 2023

Idaho Health and Welfare Director Dave Jeppesen’s recent retirement announcement followed the previous week’s Joint Finance and Appropriation Committee (JFAC) fall budget review. We can’t be sure that the two are connected, but there were two damaging reports tied to Health and Welfare under his leadership. IFF has covered one of the scandals related to […]

TAGS: Dave Jeppesen, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, IDHW, Jeppesen

Top 6 Reasons Why Idaho’s Lt. Governor Scott Bedke isn’t a conservative

By Wayne Hoffman, IFF’s former President

November 16, 2023

Legacy newspaper columnist Chuck Malloy offers up an interesting bit of historical fiction in his latest column on Idaho government and Idaho's lieutenant governor. Writes Malloy, "It wasn’t long ago when now — Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke was part of a House leadership team that was widely viewed as one of the most conservative in […]

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Judicial Council illegally (and once again) hides records regarding Supreme Court appointment

By Wayne Hoffman, IFF’s former President

November 14, 2023

Last legislative session, lawmakers frustrated with the process the Idaho Judicial Council deployed to fill judicial vacancies passed a law to change things up a bit. One of those reforms required the council, when it reports to the governor with names of candidates for the court, to “provide to the governor a report summarizing the […]

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Policy

Our plan to combat the trans agenda following Judge Winmill’s idiotic ruling

Medicaid should top Congresses and Idaho’s list of programs to tackle

Shady news stories aside, Idaho’s supermajority for bond elections should remain in place

We choose love, kindness, and freedom of speech over the leftist media’s hateful thought police

Losing Streak – Idaho Education Freedom

Department of Health and Welfare mistakenly double pays $32 million in benefits

Task force fails to offer solutions for Medicaid as program costs projected to soar

Idaho’s Legislature is more open than ever, but the public is still barred in one key area

Meet Alex, a kid lost in the cracks of Idaho’s sprawling medical welfare program

Director Jeppesen’s retirement from Health & Welfare should not end scrutiny of scandals

Top 6 Reasons Why Idaho’s Lt. Governor Scott Bedke isn’t a conservative

Judicial Council illegally (and once again) hides records regarding Supreme Court appointment

Latest Research

Idaho Freedom Index

Policy

Our plan to combat the trans agenda following Judge Winmill’s idiotic ruling

Medicaid should top Congresses and Idaho’s list of programs to tackle

Shady news stories aside, Idaho’s supermajority for bond elections should remain in place

We choose love, kindness, and freedom of speech over the leftist media’s hateful thought police

Losing Streak – Idaho Education Freedom

Department of Health and Welfare mistakenly double pays $32 million in benefits

Task force fails to offer solutions for Medicaid as program costs projected to soar

Idaho’s Legislature is more open than ever, but the public is still barred in one key area

Meet Alex, a kid lost in the cracks of Idaho’s sprawling medical welfare program

Director Jeppesen’s retirement from Health & Welfare should not end scrutiny of scandals

Top 6 Reasons Why Idaho’s Lt. Governor Scott Bedke isn’t a conservative

Judicial Council illegally (and once again) hides records regarding Supreme Court appointment

Latest Research

Idaho Freedom Index

Request your printed copies of the Idaho Freedom Index mailed to you!