For the second time in as many months, Gov. Butch Otter’s administration has stacked the deck against a Boise company by subsidizing a competing business. Otter’s Department of Labor announced Tuesday it will give up to $1.2 million to Paylocity to train its workforce. Paylocity, which announced its Idaho expansion last November, is an online […]

My 15-year-old son, Julian, on his way Thursday to a school event in Reno, sent this unexpected text message, “Why is there no tax on food at this gas station just across the border into Nevada?” Long-time readers will know the answer to this and the reason for my son’s confusion. Idaho is one of […]

Because of the Legislature’s failure to act this year, political favors and gifts for elected officials remain acceptable, even customary. It’s still perfectly legal to ply Idaho politicians with lavish gifts. You are only limited by your imagination to give and possibly get. And why not be imaginative, especially when you’re hoping to ingratiate yourself […]

Some in Idaho want to give cities and counties the authority to enact their own minimum wage ordinances. These same people argue that conservatives who oppose this “local control” concept are hypocrites. After all, aren’t conservatives in favor of local control? I must point out that proponents of limited government argue for policies that promote […]

By Clint Siegner Oregon Gov. Kate Brown sat in her office January 20th and drafted a letter to the U.S. Attorney General and the Director of the FBI. She wrote, negotiations with the “radicals”occupying the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge have failed and insisted on a “swift resolution to this matter.” Harney County Judge Steve Grasty made […]

When I first wrote about Black Friday sales, it was truly Black Friday, in the singular sense. Since that time, the shopping extravaganza has morphed into a multi-day binge of deals. Interestingly, the shopkeepers who offer some of the best deals are criminals. Yes, criminals -- because many of the prices-so-low-your-head-will-explode sales are illegal in […]

When I first wrote about Black Friday sales, it was truly Black Friday, in the singular sense. Since that time, the shopping extravaganza has morphed into a multi-day binge of deals. Interestingly, the shopkeepers who offer some of the best deals are criminals. Yes, criminals -- because many of the prices-so-low-your-head-will-explode sales are illegal in […]

Voters in McCall were wise on Tuesday to reject a minimum wage increase. But the fight on this issue isn’t over yet. Advocates for this absurd policy are likely to keep pressing local governments—or their voters—to say yes. Eventually, there will be some kind of piecemeal win, unless lawmakers put a stop to the madness. […]

By Dr. John Livingston | for Idaho Freedom Foundation Some mistakenly paint conservatives and limited government types as heartless for arguing against allowing government to mandate wages. That notion couldn’t be further from the truth. We know dating back to 1931 when the first federal minimum wage laws were enacted that those hurt most by […]

In representative government, Americans transfer their voices to elected officials, giving public figures the power to question, criticize and explain. During Monday’s special session, Sen. Patti Anne Lodge, R-Huston, attempted to silence the voices of about 90,000 Idahoans. Lodge chaired the joint committee meeting where the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare presented a new […]

Eating humble pie is never easy. I’m an expert on the subject lately. There are a few others who need to take blame for poor ideas that manipulate the market and lead to unintended consequences and economic devastation. Let us start with Idaho Democrats. Take the Idaho Statesman’s recent revelation that airline carrier United will […]

The community organizing tactics made famous by President Barack Obama have landed in Idaho, as activists in at least two cities fight for higher local minimum wage laws. In his run to the presidency, Obama shined a light on community organizing, an aggressive political move the left deploys to push for more programs and government […]