It is February of 2015, and I’m preparing to watch the Seattle Seahawks face the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. I currently work for the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs, and have just welcomed a new baby girl, my first child.
It is February of 2026, and I’m preparing to watch the Seattle Seahawks face the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. I currently work for myself in the world of Idaho politics, and my wife and I are looking ahead to our sixth child.
Time certainly flies, and while many things have changed, some things remain the same. Hopefully the outcome of today’s game is different than it was eleven years ago.
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The past week at the Chronicle…
On Monday, I looked at legislation aimed to prevent situations like the one targeting Jack Phillips in which LGBTQ+ activists can make life miserable for small business owners using non-discrimination ordinances.
On Tuesday, I asked why proponents of an Article V Convention say they’re trying to threaten Congress into taking action on priorities such as a balanced budget and term limits.
On Wednesday, I checked in on two bills dealing with E-Verify in Idaho.
On Thursday, I recapped a hearing on the Blaine Amendment—a piece of our Constitution that’s already been ruled as violating the Free Exercise Clause of the federal Constitution.
On Friday, health and nutrition columnist Savanna DeHay discussed hair care, something I am not very familiar with at all.
On Saturday, I looked at the state of the 2026 Republican primaries, and posted an interview with Secretary of State Phil McGrane.
This week, I published op-eds and newsletters from Sen. Jim Risch, Idaho GOP Chairwoman Dorothy Moon, Attorney General Raúl Labrador, Secretary McGrane, and Congressman Mike Simpson.
Whether we agree or disagree with our elected officials and influential political figures, I think it’s important to hear what they have to say. The Gem State Chronicle is a resource for as much information as possible to help you be more effective and engaged.
If you would like Gem State Chronicle to publish your work, please submit it to [email protected]. We are pleased to provide an outlet for a wide variety of figures in the world of Idaho politics to share their own messages.
In other news…
Did you catch my chat with the Secretary of State? It’s pretty short—I hope to schedule another conversation to ask some more questions about the state of elections in Idaho.
Are you catching Idaho Signal, a production of Citizens Alliance of Idaho? Watch Matt Edwards, along with me and a variety of guests, break down the action in the Legislature as it happens every weekday at 11:30am MT. Here’s a clip where we discuss what happened in JFAC on Friday morning:
Idaho Freedom Foundation hosted Maxford Nelsen of the Freedom Foundation (no relation) to discuss his organization’s fight against the radical teacher’s unions, and what it means for Idaho:
Rufo and Lomez continue to deliver the smartest content on the internet. In their most recent episode, they broke down the Epstein files, looking beyond the headlines and the hysteria to ask what they really mean:
Speaking of the Epstein files, John Doyle examined them as well and explained what they mean, and what they don’t:
Over at American Moment, Nick Solheim and Nathan Pinkoski discuss a fifty year old French novel that seemingly predicted the challenge facing western civilization today with regard to mass migration:
Back to Rufo and Lomez, who discussed how the left uses street protests to further its goal of American regime change. Keep all this in mind as you watch the various protests in Idaho this year:
Upcoming events…
It’s Lincoln Day season. Check out the master list at the Idaho GOP website so you can find one near you. I had a great time at the Gem County Lincoln Day Dinner last night, hearing from Idaho’s own Alex Adams and conversing with many great people. Idaho County also had their dinner last night.
But Lincoln Day season is just getting started. Owyhee, Jerome, Blaine, Goodling, Lincoln, Twin Falls, Bear Lake, Caribou, Elmore, Franklin, and Kootenai Counties are hosting Lincoln Days this month as well, with many more in March and April. Buy your tickets soon!
The Syringa Speaker Series is hosting Liz Wheeler, Chloe Cole, and Joe Concha on Saturday, February 28 for its 2026 gala. Check it out here. I’m working with Syringa to promote this event so do me a favor and buy a ticket or ten.
Thank you all for your support as I continue to bring you news and analysis that empowers you to make positive change in Idaho. Make sure to subscribe, follow me on Twitter, and follow the Chronicle on Facebook, Twitter, Telegram, YouTube, and Rumble. Have a great week!
Feature image created with Microsoft Copilot.
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.
