WEDNESDAY ROUNDUP: Session Week 2

We’re halfway though week 2 of the 2024 legislative session and the machine is primed and running. Bills are being introduced and printed at a fast pace, but I’ve been keeping up with the most interesting and impactful ones over at Session Snapshot. Bookmark that page and share it with your friends to stay updated on upcoming legislation. From that page you can read short descriptions of each bill, follow a link to the Legislature webpage, and see its current status. You can see when it will be heard in committee or debated on the floor, so you’ll know when it’s time to testify or contact your legislators.

There are other great websites that track legislation such as Bill Tracker and Idaho Session, but I think Session Snapshot fills a niche by selecting only the most important bills and laying out on one page a summary and status. If there’s a bill you think I should be tracking, let me know!

In other news, I sat down with Matthew Todd of the Ranch Podcast last month to talk writing, political polarization, and what to expect from the 2024 legislative session. Watch the whole thing here:

Every post on Substack is copied at Gem State Chronicle (save for bonus notes for paid subscribers) but not every post at the Chronicle appears on Substack. I don’t want to spam you with more than one post per day, but sometimes interesting things happen that deserve some coverage. For example, when the young Boise School Board trustee Shiva attempted to disrupt a Ron DeSantis campaign event in Iowa, I decided to write a short article explaining his background and how he ended up working for a radical environmental group. Yesterday I sat in on a discussion led by House Resources & Conservation Committee chairman Ron Mendive about natural asset companies, and that deserved an article as well.

Check them out, bookmark the Chronicle, and stay abreast of the most important issues in Idaho!

Auron MacIntyre, one of my favorite commentators, recorded a short video last Friday looking at the state of American politics. We on the right like to claim we’re a representative constitutional republic, but in reality (remember is vs ought!) we’re something between a democracy, oligarchy, and global empire. What does that mean for us going forward?

For more on-the-ground coverage of the 2024 legislative session I recommend you subscribe to Citizens Alliance of Idaho’s new video program Idaho Signal. Matt Edwards goes live every day at 11:30pm MST and interviews lawmakers, activists, and conservative journalists to get their takes on what is going on. It’s well worth your time, whether you can catch it live or watch the replay later.

Another interesting program to watch is AssembleX Idaho, which hosts Twitter Spaces every Wednesday evening at 7pm with local political figures. A Twitter Space is like a virtual town hall where you can listen to conversations and even ask to join if you have a question or comment. I will be on tonight’s show, so make sure you sign up for Twitter and tune in!

I hope you have a great Wednesday. I’ll see you around!