Through collaborative processes, we can achieve workable solutions to some of the most challenging issues involving our natural resources that balance the clear need for ecological health, adhere to multiple-use principles and achieve economic vitality. Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) plays a …

Garbage has been a front-page issue recently and many people are concerned. As a former county commissioner, I would like to offer insight.

Idaho Governor Brad Little made headlines recently, announcing a $1 million push to fight the influx of illicit fentanyl in our state. While there’s much discussion in the political arena over the methods to combat drug trafficking, Optum Idaho remains committed to helping those in our commu…

Housing affordability is a critical issue in Idaho and all across the country. With higher interest rates set by the fed, higher mortgage rates follow, making it all the more challenging for Idahoans to buy homes.

The Idaho Department of Labor is committed to assisting local businesses in the successful recruiting and onboarding of talented and skilled veterans into your workforce. We recognize the extensive training, experience, and transferable skills gained through military service and also recogni…

When Congress debated the "American Rescue Plan" in early 2021, Democrats insisted this partisan, $1.9 trillion debt-financed spending spree would not fuel inflation and was needed for an economy already in quick recovery.

Congress recently passed, and the president signed into law, S. 2938, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. Although this law contained some needed solutions to address mental illness, threat identification and school safety, I voted against this bill because it will abridge the rights of la…

Former President Ronald Regan said, “Strength is the most persuasive argument we have to convince our adversaries to negotiate seriously and to cease bullying other nations.” One of the ways we show strength is by solidifying our alliances with other countries with similar world objectives. …

I have long fought efforts to politicize financial decisions. Sadly, this is something we continue to see at the federal level. For example, look at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The SEC’s primary focus should be shoring up the strength and stability of the U.S. capital …

The Biden Administration released two documents this month regarding the Lower Snake River Dams (LSRD). One is an analysis performed on behalf of the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) by E3 that explores cost and environmental impacts in maintaining grid reliability across multiple scena…

Even as Idahoans are reeling from pain at the pump, shock in the grocery aisles and continued erosion of their paychecks, Democrats continue to advocate for using partisan budget tools to raise taxes and increase spending.

A pending tax ballot measure in Idaho would create a new top marginal individual income tax rate of 10.925% on high earners, imposing the highest income tax rate between New York and California. But through a series of drafting errors, the initiative does so much more than that, as noted las…

The mendacious leftists at Reclaim Idaho, the group that gave us Obamacare expansion four years ago, appear to have collected enough signatures to put a massive tax increase on the November ballot. It will be known as Proposition 1.

Idahoans work very hard. Some work well beyond typical retirement age. Having the retirement savings necessary to enable Idahoans to choose whether to work, rather than needing to work, in senior years can better ensure a secure and enjoyable retirement. As Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate …

Unemployment fraud during the pandemic has been the greatest theft of taxpayer dollars in American history. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) estimates unemployment fraud has left taxpayers on the hook for $163 billion, or more, and only around $4 billion has been recovered. Compounding the…

A pending tax ballot measure in Idaho would create a new top marginal individual income tax rate of 10.925% on high earners, imposing the highest income tax rate between New York and California. But through a series of drafting errors, the initiative does so much more than that, as noted las…

Copper, a vital metal for electrification, is of key importance to an all-electric future. Solar and wind power, electric vehicles, and the infrastructure to transport renewable energy all rely on the red metal. Countries across the globe have set goals to cut greenhouse gas emissions to net…

Idahoans deserve to live without fearing for their life – whether at the supermarket, school or home. Incidents of gun violence around the country have rightly focused efforts to protect communities, especially our children. Effective and implementable solutions require addressing the drivin…

Google and Facebook have enormous economic and political power in society – especially over the news industry. Many ask if they have played a role in the misinformation that erodes our free press and plagues our democracy.

Taking the family camping did not use to be considered a luxury vacation. However, with the average cost of a gallon of gas hovering around $5 and much higher in many parts of our country, families may find these extras beyond family budgets. President Biden and Democrats argue oil companies…

There are many myths about how tenants can be legally evicted, which are surfacing this month as evictions rise to their highest levels this year. The eviction process is complex, and not knowing the rules around eviction can make a bad situation worse.

Respect for the sanctity of life is a defining value of civilized society. Since Roe v. Wade (1973), states throughout the United States have stood by as an increasingly calloused minority publicly advocates for, and even celebrates, a supposed ‘right’ to destroy innocent and defenseless hum…

Last year’s partisan, nearly $2 trillion American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) gave $350 billion to governments of states, localities, territories and tribes, but lacked any oversight mechanism to ensure the funds were properly used. As a Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, I am asking…

What makes Idaho the state we are proud to call home? To me, it’s our shared goal of making Idaho the best place to live, to work, and to raise a family. That’s why I’m always troubled by renewed attempts to breach dams that Idahoans rely on.

The Great Recession’s impact still reverberates and is expected to cause steep drops in college enrollment over the coming years across the country. Why? When the economy tanked starting in 2008, birth rates trended downward in Idaho and across the United States. Within one year, Idaho’s bir…

On the Fourth of July, we celebrate our nation’s independence as a unique country—built on a bedrock of individual liberties and self-governance that we continue to refine. Our country is vast and home to people with infinitely different viewpoints, which contributes to our strength and chal…

Property taxes pay for some of the basic public services you have come to expect, including first responders, law enforcement, roads, and schools. As candidates for the Legislature, we believe in protecting these services while ensuring the necessary revenue is collected in a fair way. Unfor…

On Friday, June 24, in a case named Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the United States Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling that established the constitutional right to abortion in the United States in 1973. The court’s ruling is the Cons…

One would have to be living under a rock to be unaware of the added scrutiny the elections process has come under since 2020. People are paying attention and that’s a good thing. However, the abundance of information concerning election integrity can easily lead Idaho citizens to believe all…

In the aftermath of such events as the Uvalde school shooting, come inevitable and inaccurate attempts to pin the blame solely on mental illness. At a press event following the shooting, a senior Texas official said “Anybody who shoots somebody else has a mental health challenge. Period. We …

The troubling reality of the world we live in today is that many of us, whether directly or indirectly, have felt the devastating impact of depression-linked suicide. As we try to process these traumas, many are left to ponder the incomprehensible answer to the question:

As I watched the first January 6th Committee Hearing, I watched not as a congressional candidate and not as a Democrat or a Republican, but as an American.

Americans spend millions of hours and billions of dollars filing their taxes. At the very least, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) should open, read, process and protect what Americans send them. Unfortunately, a recent report by the IRS watchdog, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Admi…

The official holiday is Juneteenth National Independence Day. It is also known as Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, and Black Independence Day. By any name, it celebrates the end of slavery in the United States, observed annually on June 19 (or the 20th when the 19th falls on a Sun…

Agriculture is the backbone of Idaho. The agricultural industry is one of the largest contributors to the state’s economy, and our farmers’ crops feed people all over the world. A big reason why this is possible is thanks to the dams along the Snake River.

I have read with alarm the reports of high national rates of police officers murdered or ambushed by violent criminals. When communities are soft on crime and focused on defunding the police, we are all less safe. I stand with Idaho’s law enforcement and will continue supporting their service.

The apparatus governing Idaho’s public schools is huge and made up solely of volunteers. I’m talking about the people serving on local school boards, all 115 of them and on the 75 boards that oversee our public charter schools – a total of more than 800 volunteers who give of their time on b…

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the tree planter’s holiday, Arbor Day. Did you know that 40% of Idaho is covered in trees? Forests cover more than 21 million acres, that’s larger than the states of Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island combined.

Idahoans have been rightfully concerned with the Biden administration’s brazen attempt to establish a federal propaganda panel under the guise of countering disinformation. If the administration truly intended to counter disinformation threats to national security, it would not have establis…

I gather from the phone calls and emails I’m getting that people don’t realize what a monumentally successful night conservatives had in Idaho’s primary election on Tuesday, May 17. This one was one for the record books, and it could help usher in a new chapter in Idaho’s political history.

Idaho voters made one thing clear this month – they approve of their state leaders’ track record of unprecedented tax cuts and historic investments in education and infrastructure, and they want more of it.

Though media attention has understandably been focused on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in recent months, China’s global destabilizing efforts have continued in the shadows. China’s goals of trade and military dominance are a threat to the United States, and we should not neglect our policies…

It seems the lower Snake River dam debate is always one side against the other: fish versus agriculture, hydropower versus alternatives, or “my science” versus “your science”. The question is: Who is actually winning?

One of my priorities as U.S. Senator representing the great people of Idaho has been to prevent federal overreach into Idahoans’ right to be left alone. From navigating our waterways to navigating ever-advancing technologies, banking services and so much more, opportunities for the federal g…

Over the last year, my campaign has provided me with incredible opportunities to listen, learn, and begin a dialogue on what needs to be done to improve Idaho education for students, parents and teachers. I have been in living rooms, classrooms, small and large businesses and everywhere in b…

A constitutional right will likely be taken away from us.

During my time in the Idaho Legislature, I’ve been asked “what’s your Freedom Foundation score?” Some years I’m in the 90s and some years I'm in the 70s. I’m then asked, “why don’t you have a 100%?” My answer is simple; “because the Freedom Foundation isn’t always right, and I favor conserva…

The right to vote, free from discrimination, is fundamental to what makes America great. But Congressional Democrats have introduced several bills in the 117th Congress, along with a litany of actions at the state level prior to the 2020 election and since, claiming to support voting rights …

Like most Idahoans, I grew up in a conservative family, deeply rooted in our faith and values. As a husband and father, I have endeavored to instill in my own family those same principles and virtues. As an entrepreneur, I have experienced how regulations can hamstring economic prosperity an…

During my nearly 30 years working in various capacities to support public education, I worked for three superintendents of public instruction. Two of those were Republicans, one was a Democrat. Two were former educators, and one was a former elected school board member and board chair, with …