IdahoFreedom

The proper role of government is fundamentally rooted in the protection of life, liberty, and property. This Lockean principle underpins western philosophy of government and shaped our founders’ vision for our Republic. But it doesn’t take much scrutiny to see that our government, both at the state and federal levels, has abandoned this limited view of their role in our lives. Case in point: the latest iteration of Idaho’s state budget. Countless programs receive millions of dollars sourced from your paychecks to support things they never should be doing in the first place. This is money you could be spending on your own family to make ends meet. On this week’s episode of Fiscal Fridays, we decided to list the top five most ridiculous spending items from the 2024 legislative session. Sources Intro: 00:00 1. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/locke-political/#:~:text=Locke%20used%20the%20claim%20that%20men%20are%20naturally,comfortable%20enjoyment%20of%20their%20lives%2C%20liberty%2C%20and%20property. 2. https://legislature.idaho.gov/lso/bpa/pubs/lbb/ Idaho Roadways: 01:02 3. https://idahofreedom.org/house-bill-770-idaho-transportation-department-supplementals-fy24-and-appropriations-fy25/ 4. https://idahofreedom.org/senate-bill-1189-transportation-department-appropriations-fy24-and-supplementals-fy23/ School Food Education: 01:45 5. https://idahofreedom.org/house-bill-762-state-department-of-education-appropriations-fy25/ 6. https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2021-03/Estimated_Budgetary_Effects_of_HR_1319_as_passed_0.pdf Open Source Research Funding: 02:27 7. https://legislature.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/sessioninfo/2024/standingcommittees/240304_sedu_0300PM-Minutes_Attachment_2.pdf 8. https://www.nic.edu/elearning/open-education-resources-/ 9. https://www.cato.org/testimony/most-college-cost-fixes-miss-root-problem 10. https://idahofreedom.org/senate-bill-1455-health-and-welfare-public-health-services-appropriations-fy25/ 11. https://youtu.be/HnjaJepIWvM?si=PgtR4tfIYZqLZ-8h Gov Approved Parenting: 03:47 10. https://idahofreedom.org/senate-bill-1455-health-and-welfare-public-health-services-appropriations-fy25/ 11. https://youtu.be/HnjaJepIWvM?si=PgtR4tfIYZqLZ-8h No Farming Funding: 04:33 12. https://swc.idaho.gov/home-2/what-we-do/conservation-programs-2/conservation-reserve-enhancement-program/ 13. https://www.fsa.usda.gov/Assets/USDA-FSA-Public/usdafiles/Conservation/PDF/2023/CRPMonthlyDecember2023WithPageNumbers.pdf Outro: 05:47 https://idahofreedom.org/24index/

The Freedom Index published by the Idaho Freedom Foundation is a handy tool to evaluate and distinguish good legislation from bad legislation. Of course, not everyone is cool with that.

How can you tell which candidates are living up to their professed principles and which are not? Pay attention to their actions and not the words or cowboy hats they're wearing.

Idahoans have been funding the Marxist cultural movement in Idaho’s colleges and universities, and the legislature has made virtually no progress toward curbing it. The legislature’s apathy toward the leftist takeover is particularly concerning for a red state. Several initiatives from Conservatives to curb the expansion of diversity, equity, and inclusion programming were killed this year. These include a policy bill to ban spending public funds on DEI and to fire DEI bureaucrats and moves in JFAC for a line item reduction to DEI spending. So, how did we get here, and what is next on the horizon for defending our state from a Marxist takeover? We will break this down on this week’s episode of Fiscal Fridays. Also, with the legislative session in the books be sure to request your FREE copy of the 2024 Freedom Index, by visiting https://idahofreedom.org/24index/. Sources Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Idaho Higher Education: https://idahofreedom.org/DEI/ Agency: https://legislature.idaho.gov/lso/bpa/budgetinformation/agency/?YEAR=2024&FA=2.Education&DEP=Education%2C+State+Board+of&DIV=College+and+Universities#hcode-tab-style2required-report House Bill 734: https://idahofreedom.org/house-bill-734-colleges-and-universities-appropriations-fy25/ HOUSE BILL 734: https://legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/2024/legislation/H0734/

The leftist policies from California, Oregon, and Washington are here in Idaho, and you have been funding them! Unelected bureaucrats in the executive branch are the ones advocating for these destructive programs. And the Department of Health and Welfare is the most egregious example of this push to the left. The good news, however, is there’s a concerted effort in the Legislature to rein-in this out of control agency. Several of their programs have been cut, limited, or repealed this year, preventing you from funding the demise of Idaho’s hallmark conservative values. Link to: The Rogue Bureaucracy https://youtu.be/HnjaJepIWvM?si=bY9QTiktY53cXme7

From public policy like age appropriate materials in public libraries to real versus imaginary money, the legislature is giving us an object lesson in what's sound and what's unsound.

From a $4.7 million fiscal "oopsie" to the unsubstantiated accusations of "hate" in N. Idaho, it's clear that accountability is sorely lacking.

Three years ago, Dr. Ryan Cole warned us about the dangers of mandatory vaccines. History has proven him right, and for that he has been persecuted. Dr. Cole returns to Capitol Clarity on March 21.

There is no greater freedom than that of your own health and bodily autonomy. Yet that fundamental freedom has been under increasing attack in recent years. From mask and vaccine mandates to invasive schemes for surveillance and controls, governments at all levels are trying to micromanage your lives. This week we welcome Leslie Manookian of the Health Freedom Defense Fund. This is the organization that defeated President Joe Biden’s mask mandates in court. She will explain how Idaho can become a model for health freedom in America. Greg Glaser is a lead attorney for Children’s Health Defense, which fought plans for a Smart City in Los Angeles. He will explain the coming surveillance state and how liberty-minded people can oppose it.

The power-seekers and opportunists agitating for Ranked Choice Voting and an Open Primary claim to be the adults in the room. What does that say about how they see us?

Turns out the the rumors we've heard about RINOs roaming freely through the Idaho Statehouse are true. And apparently it's happening in a number of other Red states as well.

The Idaho Dept. of Health and Welfare is out of control. They seem to ignore legislative intent with impunity, raking in millions of dollars from Idaho taxpayers and national grants, then redistribute those to left-wing causes. What's going on? Niklas breaks it down in another episode of Fiscal Fridays. Support IFF's mission of reigning in state government: https://secure.anedot.com/idaho-freedom-foundation-inc/homepage

The push to enact open primaries and ranked choice voting in Idaho sounds like a political version of an unfaithful spouse saying, "I think we should see other people."

Control over how money is created, spent, and distributed is at the crux of the Left’s legal and cultural takeover of the United States. With the free market circumventing this tyrannical control through the adoption of Bitcoin, Idaho lawmakers should consider legislative action to protect this innovation in financial freedom. Read the whole article here: https://idahofreedom.org/why-should-the-idaho-legislature-make-bitcoin-freedom-a-priority-in-2024/

Our governor likes to boast about his "investments" in public education and jobs training programs. But what does it mean when a government "invests" in something? After all, it's your money they're playing with! Support IFF's mission of keeping the government out of your wallet: https://idahofreedom.org/donations/donate-now/

Freedom rests on being able to reject what is false, excessive, bad and ugly. It requires adults who have a clear idea of what's true and proper.

From covid reporting to labeling everything "racist" or "disruptive," we must be willing to push back against the narrative ourselves. Because corporate media isn't going to do it.

The uproar over a boy with a Gadsden flag on his backpack and the recall of two school board members in North Idaho have a common thread. They both illustrate how committed left-wing ideologues are to having unfettered access to our kids' minds.

Somewhere beneath that benevolent façade of teaching "tolerance & inclusion" is a much darker agenda being forced on Idaho school children. This episode explores why the leftists are desperate to maintain their grip on Idaho's education system.

The Idaho Dept. of Health & Welfare is in legal hot water and the West Bonner County School District is about to become the scene of a leftist uprising. Why are the functionaries so restless right now? Tune in and find out.

A new audit released this week confirms that the Idaho Dept. of Health and Welfare has gone completely rogue, ignoring the express wishes of the Legislature and acting as if they are completely unaccountable to lawmakers or constituents. Link to the full audit: Link to the full audit: https://legislature.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/audit/audit-reports/Accountability/2022/Health%20Welfare%20Department.22.pdf Support IFF's mission of restoring accountability to government: https://idahofreedom.org/donations/donate-now/

Left-wing activists are on the warpath over the normies who balk at the idea of their children being indoctrinated with sexual-identity dogma in the classroom.

Niklas is back in the studio with another episode of Fiscal Fridays. Today he explains the basics of Medicaid, the new Managed Care proposal, and what we can do to control costs in Idaho. Click here to support IFF's mission of reducing government spending: https://idahofreedom.org/donations/donate-now/