Policy

IFF Spending Index: Unmasking Idaho's Overgrown Government

By Fred Birnbaum

July 29, 2025

Last week’s kickoff of the Idaho DOGE Task Force highlights the need to rein in Idaho’s spending growth. It’s a tall order. Since 2019, the Idaho Freedom Foundation’s Spending Index has been the only yardstick for measuring the impacts of individual agency appropriations bills. And necessarily, the votes on these bills by legislators provide the […]

TAGS: agency appropriations, budget analysis, budget process, conservative policy, Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE, DOGE Task Force, Elon Musk, enhancement budgets, fiscal conservatism, government growth, government inefficiency, government spending, Idaho budget, Idaho Freedom Foundation, Idaho legislators, Idaho politics, IFF Spending Index, JFAC, legislative accountability, legislative spending, maintenance budgets, public lands, spending cuts, state finance, taxpayer money, waste reduction

Idaho DOGE: Misses it by That Much

By Ronald M. Nate, Ph.D.

July 23, 2025

Ask any good conservative in Idaho politics, and they’ll tell you Idaho’s budgets and government growth are out of control. They’re right. Now, throw in the biggest buzzword in politics for the last six months (the start of President Trump’s return to power), “DOGE.” Of course, that’s shorthand for the Department of Government Efficiency (headed […]

TAGS: accountability, Argentina spending, budget cuts, conservative agenda, Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE, Elon Musk, fiscal responsibility, government efficiency, government waste, H14, H364, Idaho Code Cleanup Act, Idaho Freedom Foundation, Idaho legislature, Idaho politics, IFF, Javier Milei, Kelly Anthon, legislative analysis, legislative task force, Mike Moyle, political hypocrisy, public policy, special interests, spending index, state spending, taxpayer money, Trump administration, wasteful spending

The Answer is “Cowardice”

By Ronald M. Nate, Ph.D.

July 11, 2025

Want to know what happens in an Idaho Freedom Foundation team meeting? Here’s a glimpse. The question was asked, “If Argentina can cut its government and spending by 28% in one year, why can’t Idaho do that or more?” Without missing a beat, “The answer is ‘cowardice,’” rang out from one (unnamed) freedom fighter. And […]

TAGS: Argentina economy, budget cuts, conservative leadership, conservative values, constitutionalism, deregulation, economic prosperity, fiscal conservatism, for your article: Idaho politics, free market, freedom fighter, government accountability, government overreach, government reform, government waste, grassroots activism, Here's a list of SEO-friendly tags, Idaho Freedom Foundation, Idaho legislature, Idaho spending, IFF, Javier Milei, Limited Government, Milei effect, political courage, populist movement, separated by commas, state sovereignty, state spending, tax cuts, taxpayer money

The "Big Beautiful Bill": What It Means for Idaho

By Fred Birnbaum

July 4, 2025

Normally, we at the Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF) don’t weigh in on federal legislation that does not directly impact Idaho. However, any massive Congressional omnibus bill with tax and spending provisions is bound to impact Idahoans. We would like to bring to the attention of our readers a few key points for consideration. And perhaps […]

TAGS: Big Beautiful Bill, border security, budget deficit, Congressional omnibus, continuous appropriations, debt ceiling, federal debt, fiscal policy, fiscal year 2025, FY25, FY26, FY34, government spending, Idaho Freedom Foundation, Idaho impact, IFF, Medicaid reform, national debt, Rand Paul, Senator Collins, Senator Murkowski, Senator Tillis, Speaker McCarthy, tax cuts, tax reform, tax revenue, welfare programs

Idaho Government has a Spending Problem, not a Revenue Problem

By Fred Birnbaum

June 30, 2025

Could Idaho’s government run out of money? That might be a reasonable worry based on your first reading of a recent article highlighting how Idaho’s General Fund revenue was $141 million behind legislative projections for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25, ending June 30, 2025). We are told to be concerned because Idaho taxes won’t catch up. […]

TAGS: budget shortfall, conservative budgeting, continuous appropriations, fiscal policy, FY25 revenue, General Fund, government spending, hospital assessment, Idaho budget, Idaho economy, Idaho taxes, legislative projections, Medicaid, state finances, tax collections

State Sovereignty Requires Idaho Action Against Illegal Immigration

By Fred Birnbaum

June 16, 2025

As we survey the rioting, looting, burning of vehicles, assaults on local and federal law enforcement, waving of Mexican flags, and the burning of American flags in Los Angeles, we might breathe a sigh of relief. We don’t live there! But illegal immigration is not confined to any one state, and more importantly, Idaho must […]

TAGS: "No Kings" protests, American flags, anti-Biden, border security, conservative legislation, criminal aliens, criminal immigrants, demagnetize Idaho, E-Verify, freedom index, harboring illegals, House Bill 094, House Bill 135, House Bill 252, House Bill 335, House Bill 382, House Bill 83, ICE report, Idaho conservative, Idaho Freedom Foundation, Idaho politics, IFF, Illegal Immigration, immigration enforcement, legislative priorities, Los Angeles riots, mainstream media, Mexican flags, Property Rights, public safety, Spokane riots, state sovereignty, Tenth Amendment, voter verification

Radical Gender Theory: Pride Month, Woke Flags, and Gender Affirming “Care”

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

June 12, 2025

Happy Pride Month — not. Once again, it’s that time of year when business logos change to rainbow colors, shops and restaurants hang transgender flags in their windows, and celebrations of sexuality and “gender identity” sweep the nation. American society has been inundated with gay pride parades, drag queen shows, and LGBTQ+ protests for the […]

TAGS: Chloe Cole detransitioner, Conservative education reform, Culture war education, DEI in education, Gender affirming care minors, Homeschooling Idaho, Idaho Freedom Foundation, Idaho school board issues, Idaho Vulnerable Child Protection Act, Parental involvement education, Parental rights education, Pride Month controversy, Public school indoctrination, Radical gender ideology, Salmon Idaho schools, Salmon Jr/Sr High School, School choice Idaho, Transgender ideology schools, Woke flags classrooms, Woke ideology in schools

"Property Taxes are the Worst" — But Bonds and Levies are Fine?

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

June 9, 2025

Property tax is one of the most pressing policy issues in Idaho right now. Almost everyone agrees that property taxes are too high, and most conservatives see them as morally wrong altogether. This is not just a partisan issue either — lowering property taxes crosses party lines. Over the past several years, many homeowners have […]

TAGS: Conservative Viewpoint, End Property Taxes Idaho, Founding Fathers, High Property Taxes, Idaho Fiscal Policy, Idaho Freedom Foundation, Idaho Homeowners, Idaho Legislation, Idaho Property Tax, Idaho Tax Issues, Idaho taxes, Limited Government, Local Government Funding, Property Rights, Property Tax Bonds, Property Tax Levies, Property Tax Reform, Self-governance, Tax Burden Idaho, Taxpayer Action, Taxpayer Advocacy, Vote No on Bonds, Vote No on Levies, Voter Approved Taxes, Voter Turnout

How Idaho’s Lava Hot Springs Public Recreation Area Disappeared

By Fred Birnbaum

May 28, 2025

The Joint-Finance Appropriation Committee (JFAC) reviewed continuous appropriations during the recent Spring Interim Meeting. Continuous appropriations are funds that have no set appropriation and are off-budget and perpetually expended - unless some other action is taken by the Legislature. In practical terms, this means there is no annual appropriation and, historically, no review of these […]

TAGS: dedicated funds Idaho, government accountability Idaho, hidden government spending Idaho, Idaho budget analysis, Idaho continuous appropriations, Idaho fiscal oversight, Idaho fiscal year 2023, Idaho fiscal year 2024, Idaho Freedom Foundation research, Idaho government transparency, Idaho legislative review, Idaho off-budget spending, Idaho state spending, Idaho tax dollars, JFAC Idaho, Lava Hot Springs budget, legislative budget book, perpetual expenditures Idaho, public funds Idaho, SB1123, Senate Bill 1123 Idaho, state finance Idaho

Idaho, We Saved You Money! (Not)

By Ronald M. Nate, Ph.D.

May 23, 2025

The Idaho Legislature has adjourned, and lawmakers are returning to their districts, mostly with the exuberant message, “Guess what, Idaho? We saved you $292 million this year!” In response, you might ask, “Okay, but how much did you spend?” The jolting news for Idaho families is that the reported total government spending in Idaho is […]

TAGS: appropriations Idaho, budget increase Idaho, conservative values Idaho, fiscal responsibility Idaho, government accountability, government transparency Idaho, government waste Idaho, Governor's recommendations Idaho, hidden spending, Idaho budget, Idaho financial reporting, Idaho fiscal conservatism, Idaho government spending, Idaho legislative session 2025, Idaho legislators, Idaho politics, Idaho Public Television funding, Idaho state budget, Idaho taxes, Idaho taxpayer money, Lava Hot Springs budget, legislative savings Idaho, legislative session review, off-budget spending Idaho, spending increase, state budget analysis, unspent tax dollars

What’s Next for Universal School Choice

By Samuel T. Lair

May 15, 2025

Among the most important triumphs of the 2025 legislative session were the steps taken to advance educational freedom. After years of stubborn resistance from the education establishment, Idaho joined the ranks of conservative states with a meaningful school choice initiative thanks to the leadership of several key lawmakers. In response, the Idaho Education Association christened […]

TAGS: Ambrose School Meridian Idaho, Analyzing Idaho education legislation, Boise Idaho education, Conservative states school choice, Education funding Idaho, Education policy Idaho, Education reform Idaho, Educational outcomes Idaho, Empowering Parents Program Idaho, Free market education Idaho, Government accountability Idaho education, Government spending Idaho, H93 Idaho, Holding legislators accountable education, Homeschool regulations Idaho, Idaho conservative education, Idaho education establishment resistance, Idaho education freedom, Idaho education news, Idaho education subsidy, Idaho homeschool families, Idaho House Bill 93, Idaho Launch program, Idaho legislative session 2025, Idaho literacy intervention program, Idaho Parental Choice Tax Credit, Idaho parents school choice, Idaho private education funding, Idaho private school regulations, Idaho private school tax credit, Idaho school choice, Idaho school choice initiative, Idaho State Board of Education accreditation, Idaho Tax Commission education, Logos School Moscow Idaho, Meridian Idaho schools, Moscow Idaho schools, Parental rights education Idaho, Private school accreditation Idaho, Refundable tax credit Idaho, School choice advocacy Idaho, School choice funding, Universal school choice Idaho

Reining It In? Idaho's Budget Numbers Don't Tell the Whole Story

By Fred Birnbaum

April 24, 2025

If it hasn’t occurred to you yet that reining in government spending is probably the single most important policy objective (after sealing our borders from invasion) for conservatives, it should. We all experienced how the excessive spending under the Biden Administration ignited inflation and drove the federal debt over $36 trillion. Is it just a […]

TAGS: Budget, Idaho, Legislative Services Office, Legislature

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Policy

IFF Spending Index: Unmasking Idaho's Overgrown Government

Idaho DOGE: Misses it by That Much

The Answer is “Cowardice”

The "Big Beautiful Bill": What It Means for Idaho

Idaho Government has a Spending Problem, not a Revenue Problem

State Sovereignty Requires Idaho Action Against Illegal Immigration

Radical Gender Theory: Pride Month, Woke Flags, and Gender Affirming “Care”

"Property Taxes are the Worst" — But Bonds and Levies are Fine?

How Idaho’s Lava Hot Springs Public Recreation Area Disappeared

Idaho, We Saved You Money! (Not)

What’s Next for Universal School Choice

Reining It In? Idaho's Budget Numbers Don't Tell the Whole Story

Latest Research

Idaho Freedom Index

Policy

IFF Spending Index: Unmasking Idaho's Overgrown Government

Idaho DOGE: Misses it by That Much

The Answer is “Cowardice”

The "Big Beautiful Bill": What It Means for Idaho

Idaho Government has a Spending Problem, not a Revenue Problem

State Sovereignty Requires Idaho Action Against Illegal Immigration

Radical Gender Theory: Pride Month, Woke Flags, and Gender Affirming “Care”

"Property Taxes are the Worst" — But Bonds and Levies are Fine?

How Idaho’s Lava Hot Springs Public Recreation Area Disappeared

Idaho, We Saved You Money! (Not)

What’s Next for Universal School Choice

Reining It In? Idaho's Budget Numbers Don't Tell the Whole Story

Latest Research

Idaho Freedom Index

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