I’m working on a new article about everyone’s favorite subject—taxes—but had to take some time off to do some maintenance on the family van. I picked up a new rolling lift jack from Walmart and it made changing the oil go twice as fast. I should have bought one years ago.
I’ll have my new article out for you tomorrow. In the meantime, check out these guest op-eds that have been published in the past few days:
Brent Regan is the chairman of the Kootenai County GOP, chairman of the board of the Idaho Freedom Foundation, and a mad scientist inventor. He also has a way with words. Check out his essay on the sophistry of some of our mutual critics here in Idaho:
Winners analyze, losers criticize. Critics may claim that they have a noble mission to bring “transparency” and “accountability” when the fact is these people are losers, often cowering and afraid behind anonymous screen names. They lose elections, they lose power, and they lose respect. They are upset they are not in charge and since you can’t argue with success they attack successful conservatives with sophistry fueled by lies.
I’ve been reposting Congressman Mike Simpson’s weekly newsletter. Obviously he’s not conservatives’ favorite elected official, but it’s important to see which priorities he is talking about. This week, he explained that reforming the H-2A visa process to ensure greater availability of foreign laborers is not amnesty. Do you agree?
Let me be clear: making meaningful reforms to the H-2A visa program and establishing a strong, legal immigration workforce for agricultural producers is not an amnesty deal. Our country needs a stable labor force to protect our food supply and ensure farmers can continue to do their jobs. The full op-ed is available here.
Attorney General Raúl Labrador is a regular voice on this platform. This week I was able to repost his op-ed in Fox News regarding the controversy over those signs that teachers have been placing in their public school classrooms:
Across America, educators have transformed learning spaces into venues for DEI messaging disguised as inclusion. Idaho responded with legislation prohibiting political displays in public school classrooms — a law that passed overwhelmingly. The fundamental question is: Do parents or schools control children’s moral education? Idaho chose parents.
I’ve been signed up for Senator Mike Crapo’s email list for a long time, and I finally received something. Check out his piece extolling the One Big Beautiful Bill:
The landmark One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), which became law on July 4, fulfills President Trump and Congress’s promises to the American people. It makes permanent the successful 2017 Trump tax cuts and delivers additional tax relief to hardworking Idahoans while investing in our border, modernizing our military and restoring American energy dominance.
Finally, I published a trio of voices today. First up, Brian Parsons is a Republican officer and volunteer from Bannock County who has serious concerns about a provision in last year’s Medicaid reform bill:
A few months ago, I published an article on the bait and switch that is HB345. Having now surveyed the damage, I am working on authoring an amendment to HB345 that will restore a crucial program that was quite possibly eliminated erroneously. The Healthy Connections Primary Care Case Management program is a Medicaid program that was established in 1993 to reduce over-utilization and costs in Primary Care by placing the onus on primary care to keep patients healthy and out of the hospital. Idaho House Bill 345 will place this responsibility on a Managed Care Organization such as United Healthcare or SelectHealth, but Idaho Medicaid doesn’t expect this transition to happen until 2029.
Branden Durst is a former state senator who ran for state superintendent in 2022. He is always churning out ideas for how to reform public education, and this week he looked at the landscape of religious freedom in the public school system following the Supreme Court’s recent deadlock:
The recent 4-4 split in Oklahoma v. Drummond did not alter or answer the fundamental constitutional question surrounding the constitutionality of prohibiting religious charter schools. What it undeniably has revealed, however, is which side of history various groups and individuals intend to stand on—whether they champion religious freedom and parental authority or seek to suppress them. This non-decision leaves the door wide open, affirming that attempts to exclude religious expression from publicly available educational programs will face continued, intense scrutiny, as they unequivocally should.
Finally, if you’ve attended political events in the Treasure Valley you’ve surely seen Devin Miller on site, recording video for posterity. He submitted a fiery op-ed that examines the role of Generation Z in the current political situation as well as the future:
At the end of the day, Gen Z wants to keep the same freedoms and opportunities of our grandparents. We want to have loving, fulfilling relationships that aren’t constrained to AI. We want to live in harmony. We want to have big families, make plenty of money, have our voices heard, and live with the fruits of our labor. If there’s any reason why Gen Z would be inspired to flock to right-wing gladiators like President Donald Trump, it’s to preserve our prospects of a better and freer tomorrow.
Do you have ideas you want to share with your fellow Idahoans? The Gem State Chronicle is happy to provide a platform for a wide range of political viewpoints as part of the great conversation. You can even write in and tell me I’m completely off base on something—all I ask is that you don’t submit anything legally problematic. If you just have a short paragraph or two to share, send it in and I’ll publish it on Wednesdays as a letter to the editor.
Send your thoughts to [email protected].
I’ll be back tomorrow with a new article. In the meantime, enjoy reading these elected officials and engaged Idahoans.
Gem State Chronicle is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
About Brian Almon
Brian Almon is the Editor of the Gem State Chronicle. He also serves as Chairman of the District 14 Republican Party and is a trustee of the Eagle Public Library Board. He lives with his wife and five children in Eagle.
