Policy

Conservatives Are Correct to DOGE and Vote Down Enhancement Budgets

By Fred Birnbaum

March 20, 2025

Conservatives in the Idaho Legislature have a rare opportunity to flex their muscles and cut years of bloat out of government budgets. Many Idahoans love how the Trump administration employs a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and want to see the overspending stopped and reversed here at home, too. After a tense standoff last session, […]

TAGS: Budget, DOGE, Idaho, JFAC, tax

The Biggest Tax Cut in History! And More?

By Ronald M. Nate, Ph.D.

March 14, 2025

One way to say “freedom” is to cut taxes. And there they were — Speaker Moyle, Representative Monks, and Senator Anthon — all grouped around Governor Little as he signed (use a loudspeaker voice here) “the biggest tax cut in Idaho history!” The tax cut, House Bill 40, lowers Idaho’s income tax rate from 5.695% […]

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Public Sector Union Reform is Needed in Idaho

By Fred Birnbaum

March 12, 2025

Before starting with the Idaho Freedom Foundation in 2014, I had a long career in industry. A significant part of that time was as a factory manager. I worked in both union and non-union facilities, and I saw first-hand that there is a big difference between how unions operate in the private sector versus unions […]

TAGS: House Bill 340, House Bill 98, public union, teachers' union, Union

Three “Very Icky” Education Bills

By Ronald M. Nate, Ph.D.

March 11, 2025

The education establishment is hard at work in the legislative process this year. As usual, they want to preserve their already huge K-12 education budget of $3.3 billion. Also, as usual, they want to expand their enterprise and add new spending that will “feed the beast” for years and decades to come. Last week, we […]

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Accountability Means Something Different to Leftists

By Ronald M. Nate, Ph.D.

March 8, 2025

It was an amazing display two weeks ago in the Idaho Capitol. Simultaneously, two bills were being debated in the House and Senate. In the House was the Medicaid expansion reinforcement bill, House Bill 138. In the Senate was the school choice tax credit bill, House Bill 93. Hold on for the amazing part. Let’s […]

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This one's for you, Maurice

By Wayne Hoffman, IFF’s former President

March 3, 2025

The fight for school choice in Idaho started long ago with a legislator from Nampa My friend Maurice Clements, a Republican state representative from Nampa, had one major ambition for his time in the Legislature: loosen the government’s grip on education. In 1976, Maurice proposed legislation that said students who opt out of the public […]

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The Slippery Slope of Medical Mandates

By Dr. John Livingston

February 27, 2025

Recently, I listened to very compelling testimony before the Senate Health and Welfare Committee on Senate Bill 1036, which calls for a 10-year pause on vaccines or “any therapy” that uses messenger RNA (mRNA) technology. This technology is currently being used in two COVID vaccines. The bill is sponsored by Brandon Shippy, R-New Plymouth, and […]

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Pocatello Officials are Spending Millions With Limited Oversight: Whatever Happened to Transparency in Government?

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

February 20, 2025

Do you blindly trust the government to spend your hard-earned money, enact policy, and make decisions that deeply affect your and your family’s lives without oversight or accountability? Yeah, neither do we. Local governments often have little oversight from the state or citizens, which commonly leads to a slippery slope of neglecting procedures, hiding information, […]

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The Pay Raise Fire Hose is Wide Open

By Fred Birnbaum

February 14, 2025

Late last week, after several failed attempts, the Legislature’s Joint Finance Appropriation Committee (JFAC) set the state employee pay raise. Rather than a strict percentage, the pay raise, known as the Change in Employee Compensation (CEC), provides a $1.05 to $1.55 per hour increase range for most state employees, with $1.55 roughly equaling a 5% […]

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Idaho’s Proposed Social Studies Standards Embrace CRT

By Samuel T. Lair

February 11, 2025

The Idaho Legislature will soon decide whether to approve the newly revised K-12 social studies standards (Standards) developed by the State Department of Education (SDE) over the past year. Last session, the Legislature adopted Senate Concurrent Resolution 116, directing the SDE to create standards that emphasize the history of Western civilization, provide a factual history […]

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Of Course We Can Afford More Tax Cuts

By Fred Birnbaum

February 4, 2025

Three tax-cut bills — four, if you include an education tax credit bill — are before the Idaho Legislature. And yes, they are all affordable. A Little History Over the past five years, ongoing and one-time tax cuts have reduced the tax take by $4.6 billion, of which about $930 million is ongoing. However, it […]

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Is the Governor’s Office Funneling Taxpayer Dollars into an Anti-School Choice Nonprofit?

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

January 31, 2025

Conservatives who watched Governor Brad Little’s 2025 State of the State address on January 6 were underwhelmed by his “promises made, promises kept,” to say the least — particularly regarding school choice. A large section of his speech focused on education in Idaho, but he explained that his priority, “first and foremost [is] our public […]

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Policy

Conservatives Are Correct to DOGE and Vote Down Enhancement Budgets

The Biggest Tax Cut in History! And More?

Public Sector Union Reform is Needed in Idaho

Three “Very Icky” Education Bills

Accountability Means Something Different to Leftists

This one's for you, Maurice

The Slippery Slope of Medical Mandates

Pocatello Officials are Spending Millions With Limited Oversight: Whatever Happened to Transparency in Government?

The Pay Raise Fire Hose is Wide Open

Idaho’s Proposed Social Studies Standards Embrace CRT

Of Course We Can Afford More Tax Cuts

Is the Governor’s Office Funneling Taxpayer Dollars into an Anti-School Choice Nonprofit?

Latest Research

Idaho Freedom Index

Policy

Conservatives Are Correct to DOGE and Vote Down Enhancement Budgets

The Biggest Tax Cut in History! And More?

Public Sector Union Reform is Needed in Idaho

Three “Very Icky” Education Bills

Accountability Means Something Different to Leftists

This one's for you, Maurice

The Slippery Slope of Medical Mandates

Pocatello Officials are Spending Millions With Limited Oversight: Whatever Happened to Transparency in Government?

The Pay Raise Fire Hose is Wide Open

Idaho’s Proposed Social Studies Standards Embrace CRT

Of Course We Can Afford More Tax Cuts

Is the Governor’s Office Funneling Taxpayer Dollars into an Anti-School Choice Nonprofit?

Latest Research

Idaho Freedom Index

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