Amnesty is Back on the Menu

Earlier this month, Congressman Mike Simpson issued a press release touting H.R. 9535, the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act. The bill, cosponsored by Simpson and nearly fifty other Republicans, also drew praise from Big Ag lobbyists:

“The Idaho Dairymen’s Association thanks Congressman Mike Simpson for being an original cosponsor of the ‘Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act.’ We are deeply grateful that the Congressman is once again showing that he is willing to lead on securing a workforce for Idaho’s dairy farms. Idaho’s farm families are the backbone of our state and having access to a secure, stable agricultural workforce is key to the economic success of those farms and our rural communities,” said Rick Naerebout, CEO of the Idaho Dairymen’s Association.

“America’s farmers and ranchers need a reliable, legal workforce to continue feeding our nation. The Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act is a practical step toward strengthening our agricultural workforce and ensuring the long-term viability of U.S. agriculture,” said Matt Dorsey, President of the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation.

Recall Rick Naerebout’s father, Bob, admitting in legislative testimony that up to 70% of the workforce at Idaho’s dairies could potentially be in the country illegally:

So what does H.R. 9535 actually do?

The bill would create a pathway to legal status for agricultural workers who are currently here illegally. They would be required to prove a history of employment in the agricultural industry, as well as pass a background check and pay a fee. Supporters of the bill say this is necessary to ensure a consistent supply of workers.

H.R. 9535 would also expand the H-2A visa program, which is currently used for seasonal agricultural workers. If passed, this bill would make H-2A visas available year-round for industries such as dairy and livestock production. Current law requires employers who use H-2A visas to first establish that there are no American workers available and that the visas will not negatively impact American wages. Under the new law, that certification would last for three years rather than just one.

Lobbyists from Idaho’s agricultural industry have been pushing for something like this for as long as I’ve been paying attention. Two and a half years ago, I wrote about a joint memorial that called for exactly what H.R. 9535 does: an expansion of H-2A visas for future workers and implicit amnesty for those workers here illegally:

The same people are back with a new memorial, without an explicit call for amnesty. Nevertheless, Senate Joint Memorial 102 once again comes from the perspective of big businesses that want to guarantee an endless supply of cheap labor.

Sen. Kevin Cook shared a newsletter last week lauding the new proposal, saying the memorial “underscores the urgency for a modernized approach that not only secures our nation’s borders but also meets the labor demands of domestic businesses.”

What kind of country are we when the “labor demands of domestic businesses” require a steady stream of cheap foreign workers? What happened to the idea of hiring Americans to do American jobs? Instead we encourage young people to spend years in college rather than learning the value of hard work.

On Monday, the McClure Center for Public Policy Research out of the University of Idaho gave a presentation on the supposed economic benefits of migration, both legal and illegal. According to the Center, more than 30,000 illegal aliens currently work in Idaho, which means that businesses and our entire economy depend upon their labor.

Sen. Glenneda Zuiderveld brought this up during debate on the Senate floor on Tuesday. Even though SJM102 explicitly rules out amnesty, it doesn’t say what must be done about the illegal aliens currently working in Idaho. Without mass deportations, some form of amnesty is inevitable, which means SJM102 implicitly endorses amnesty.

Big Ag lobbyists and their political allies engage in linguistic sleight-of-hand by saying they don’t support amnesty, just a pathway to legal status for current undocumented workers. That’s like if I said I don’t support mass deportations, just the expedited removal of those here without authorization. It’s the same thing, but they can craft headlines declaring their opposition to amnesty while putting literal amnesty into their legislation. Indeed, in February, as he was working on crafting H.R. 9535, Congressman Simpson did exactly that:

Thank you to everyone who participated in the meaningful conversations about the need for a stable, reliable, and legal agricultural workforce. A special thank you to Rick Naerebout and Zak Miller for their efforts here as well. Did you know that 85% of Idahoans, including 79% of Republicans, support legal status for dairy workers (who pass a background check and have no criminal record) and their families.

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. I do not support amnesty. Our country needs a stable labor force to protect our food supply and ensure farmers can continue to do their jobs.

Either we have rule of law, or we don’t. Either we have a border, or we don’t. Either we have a country, or we don’t. It’s incredible that at the very moment when innovation in AI and automation stands to replace more low-skill jobs, and when the labor force participation rate remains lower than at any point in the past half-century outside of the COVID-19 pandemic, Republican congressmen are working to codify a permanent foreign agricultural workforce.

President Trump campaigned on mass deportations and enforcing the law with regard to immigration policy. Congressman Simpson has presented himself as one of the president’s biggest supporters since his second inauguration and is even now trying to portray H.R. 9535 as being in support of the president’s agenda, rather than a complete repudiation of it. The Trump Administration is removing those here illegally while also targeting the incentives that bring illegal aliens here in the first place, including public benefits, financial services, and, of course, jobs. Congress should stand up for Trump’s agenda and the rule of law by defeating this ill-conceived bill.

Congressman Simpson is unlikely to change his position on this legislation—after all, he’s a proud cosponsor—but feel free to call his office and respectfully register your disagreement anyway. I suggest calling Congressman Russ Fulcher as well and urging him to vote no on H.R. 9535.

Amnesty for those who come here illegally—breaking numerous laws in the process—is never acceptable. It’s time to remind Congress of that fact.

Feature image created with Microsoft Copilot.

Newsletters

• Labrador Letter

• Highlights from the Secretary of State’s Office

• The Simpson Standard

Press Releases

• DEQ seeks comment on proposed settlement

• Sen. Crapo targets fentanyl presses

• Parental Choice Tax Credit application period closes

• Gov. Little cheers Idaho’s balanced budget at the close of FY2026

• Swan Falls water report

• Sens. Crapo and Risch and Congressman Simpson celebrate nuclear tech hub

• Lt. Gov. Bedke celebrates nuclear tech hub

• Sen. Risch goes to war against imitation dairy products

Video of the day

Jake the Lawyer makes a strong case against the 17th Amendment:

As you might recall, the Idaho GOP Platform officially calls for repealing the 17th Amendment.

You’ll have to let me know what you think of this hybrid format. If you’ve made it this far, check out the legislative committees page at Idaho Insider—I spent the weekend refining both it and the individual committee pages. By the time the 2027 session begins I intend Idaho Insider at the Gem State Chronicle to be the premiere source for information about your elected lawmakers.

As always, thank you to sponsors Lynn Bradescu’s Boise Realty, Money Metals, and New Saint Andrews College. Thank you also to all the paid subscribers who make it possible for me to do what I do, as well as all the readers who are constantly encouraging me to keep it up. I appreciate you!

I’ve been doing more behind-the-scenes work on the Chronicle, including adding the 2026 interim committees. My hope is that this platform will be the best one-stop shop for legislative information in the state, and everything I do is geared toward that goal.

One thing I accomplished this that week was small, but meaningful to me: for some reason, press release and newsletter thumbnails on the Chronicle homepage were being shifted downward by 28 pixels. I plugged Claude into the problem and after quite a bit of research it found the issue and fixed it. Thumbnails now appear centered, as they should.

Here’s what’s been going on in the meantime:

Prop 1 fight heats up, and the property tax debate gets going

Idaho GOP Chairwoman Dorothy Moon is out with a sharp op-ed making the case against Proposition 1, the abortion initiative headed to the November ballot. Her core argument: this isn’t a return to pre-Roe law, it’s something far more permissive:

Supporters of Prop 1 also want you to believe this initiative is about compassion. It is not. Current Idaho law requires doctors to do everything possible to save both patients, including delivering a baby prematurely if necessary when serious health complications arise. Prop 1, by contrast, authorizes abortion up to birth if a provider determines that continuing the pregnancy threatens the health of the mother.

Prop 1 also threatens parental rights. If this initiative passes, a minor girl could obtain an abortion six months into her pregnancy and her parents would never be told.

Read the whole thing

On a very different note, Art da Rosa from Jefferson County has a different take on propery taxes:

Jefferson County does not have the commercial activity to generate sufficient sales tax revenue to replace property tax… This means that any sales tax replacement must be collected at the state level and distributed to counties by formula. And that is where we move from a tax problem to a governance problem.

He draws on Tocqueville, the Federalist Papers, and California’s Prop 13 experience to lay out what genuine reform—as opposed to elimination—could look like.

Read the whole thing

From the Attorney General and Secretary of State

Attorney General Raúl Labrador’s latest newsletter has some numbers worth noting: his Consumer Protection Division returned nearly $1 million to Idaho consumers in just the first half of 2026, without a single lawsuit:

In the first six months of 2026, my Consumer Protection Division returned $956,000 to Idaho consumers, without a single lawsuit or court order. That pace puts this year on track to beat 2025, when the division recovered a record $1.1 million through the same voluntary process.

Read the whole thing

Secretary of State Phil McGrane writes on why Idaho keeps getting held up as a model for election security—including recent recognition from the Trump administration on the state’s voter roll maintenance:

Following Governor Little’s Only Citizens Can Vote Act, we worked with the Department of Homeland Security to compare Idaho’s voter registration records against federal citizenship data. That review reinforced what I’ve said for years: Idaho’s voter rolls are among the cleanest in the nation because maintaining them is a year-round responsibility.

Of course, the DoJ is still suing Idaho over our refusal to turn over full voter data, so the federal government is praising with one hand while chastising with the other. We’ll have to wait and see how that turns out, but this is generally positive news. I’ll have more on Idaho’s election systems soon.

Read the whole thing

Two pieces of news from Boise

The Parental Choice Tax Credit program has officially closed its application window after hitting its nearly $50 million cap for the year:

The Idaho State Tax Commission has closed the application period for the Parental Choice Tax Credit program because the program has reached the nearly $50 million limit allowed for this year.

Read more

And Gov. Brad Little announced Idaho closed out Fiscal Year 2026 well ahead of forecast, while keeping its AAA credit rating from Moody’s:

Final General Fund collections finished approximately $171.9 million above DFM’s revised forecast… The state’s financial strength was further validated this month when Moody’s Ratings reaffirmed Idaho’s AAA credit rating with a Stable Outlook.

Read more

Video of the day:

Chris Rufo and Jonathan Keeperman, two of the most astute conservative commentators working today, examined the passing of Lindsey Graham, the data center debate, and some identity politics in this week’s Rufo & Lomez:

As always, thank you to sponsors Lynn Bradescu’s Boise Realty, Money Metals, and New Saint Andrews College. Thank you also to all the paid subscribers who make it possible for me to do what I do, as well as all the readers who are constantly encouraging me to keep it up. I appreciate you!

I posted some pictures from the Boise Greenbelt, sent to me by a nearby resident, following my article on the assault and murder earlier this week. They generated a lot of discussion. I wrote about that discussion, and the greater context behind Idaho’s anti public camping laws, today:

The issue of public camping, as part of the larger issue of homelessness, has been a vexing problem for policymakers for many years. Vagrancy often leads to increased crime, vandalism, littering, drug abuse, and even—as we saw last week—assaults and murders. Cities and other government entities have a responsibility to address the problem in a way that does not violate constitutional rights while also protecting their citizens.

In 2018, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in Martin v. Boise that the city’s ordinance against public camping was unconstitutional because it targeted homeless people as a class. However, in 2024, the Supreme Court essentially overturned Martin with its ruling in Grants Pass v. Johnson, holding that anti-camping ordinances do not constitute cruel and unusual punishment.

In the wake of that Supreme Court ruling, Sen. Codi Galloway and Rep. Bruce Skaug sponsored Senate Bill 1141 in 2025, prohibiting public camping in cities with more than 100,000 people. The bill affected Boise, Meridian, and Nampa. After Gov. Brad Little signed it into law, Boise Mayor Lauren McLean denounced the bill, calling it “the Galloway law” and warning that it would make it “harder for people to get back on their feet, for families to stay together, and for our police officers to do their jobs.”

The Boise City Council complied with the new law by establishing an ordinance that it explicitly labeled the “Galloway Law,” along with a $10 fine for each violation. According to court data, there were 51 such citations issued from July through December 2025. I have submitted a public records request to the Boise Police Department to learn how many citations have been issued in 2026 and exactly where they were issued.

Click here to read the full article

Little goes nuclear

Gov. Brad Little submitted an op-ed celebrating how Idaho is once again leading the nation in nuclear innovation:

There is incredible work taking place at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), and the people at INL are helping write the next chapter of America’s energy story.

For the first time in more than 50 years, new reactors have successfully started at our nation’s nuclear energy research laboratory. That’s a remarkable achievement for INL, for Idaho, and for our country. It shows that America is once again leading the way in nuclear innovation.

This milestone didn’t happen by accident. It happened because of bold leadership, a clear vision, and the hard work of scientists, engineers, technicians, and skilled tradespeople who are turning big ideas into reality.

I want to thank President Donald Trump for making American energy leadership a national priority.

Read more

Press releases

• DEQ wants public comment

• Sen. Crapo targets fentanyl production

Feedback time

I’ve been trying this digest format for a couple of months now, the purpose being to drive more traffic to gemstatechronicle.com. A lot of subscribers here on Substack still aren’t aware of the full features of the platform—Idaho Insider, Scorecard Explorer, Primary Pulse, and so much more that I’m currently working on. But what do you think? Do you like the digest format where you click to read full versions of each article? Or would you prefer I send you the full text of my columns so you can read the whole thing in your email?

Take the poll, and leave your feedback below. I’ll open comments on this post.

As always, thank you to sponsors Lynn Bradescu’s Boise Realty, Money Metals, and New Saint Andrews College. Thank you also to all the paid subscribers who make it possible for me to do what I do, as well as all the readers who are constantly encouraging me to keep it up. I appreciate you!

Vaccines. Contrails. Election integrity. Charlie Kirk. There are many debates within the online right these days over these issues and more. The question isn’t about where the evidence leads, but what counts as evidence?

In the old days, before the internet, social proof was harder to come by. If you developed strange ideas about the world—such as the earth being flat—you would likely face ridicule from your peers. Today, however, you can log on to Facebook, X, or TikTok and find tens of thousands of other people who believe the same things. It becomes easy to believe that this is a radical truth that has been suppressed by an evil global conspiracy rather than a crackpot idea. The more people promote the so-called “official story,” the more true believers dig in their heels.

Political podcasts have become sources of entertainment, weaving storylines that seem more appropriate for soap operas. The “official story” is often much more boring than what podcasters can imagine. Why live in a world where a left-wing activist shot Charlie Kirk for seemingly banal reasons when you can walk through a multifaceted conspiracy involving several foreign governments, TPUSA employees, and Charlie’s own wife? Why accept the belief that the earth is round, that Islamic terrorists attacked the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, or that Lee Harvey Oswald shot JFK when there are all sorts of much more interesting stories we could tell ourselves?

We must approach every idea through the lens of “Is this true?” rather than “Is this interesting?” or “Do other people believe this?”

Read the whole article

Video of the day

Today’s video is the one Nick Freitas published recently that got me thinking about these things in the first place. Freitas is quickly becoming one of my favorite commentators. He brings both an idealistic perspective as well as pragmatic experience to the table.

A few press releases

• Gov. Little applauds Trump admin rule on grizzly bear management

• Sens. Risch and Crapo also applaud said rule

• Attorney General Labrador issues new scam alert

• Sen. Risch wants more geothermal energy

A letter to the church

Brian Parsons adapted Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth for our modern challenges:

Behold, a new test is upon us: Proposition 1, the so-called “Reproductive Freedom and Privacy Act.” This initiative seeks to enshrine in our state law the very destruction of the least of these—the unborn children whom God forms in the womb (Psalm 139:13-16). It is not freedom, but bondage to death. It is not privacy, but the shedding of innocent blood in the dark. And in this hour, many in the church remain quiet, lest controversy disturb the gathering or offend the culture.

Read more

As always, thank you to sponsors Lynn Bradescu’s Boise Realty, Money Metals, and New Saint Andrews College. Thank you also to all the paid subscribers who make it possible for me to do what I do, as well as all the readers who are constantly encouraging me to keep it up. I appreciate you!

Bonus note for paid subscribers:

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Over the course of the past week, there was a murder and an assault on the Greenbelt. The alleged murderer is a homeless man who was just interviewed by local news media about taxpayer-subsidized support services, and the alleged assailant was a transient worker who doesn’t speak English.

I suggest that crimes like this are the result of policy choices by Boise city leadership:

Senate Bill 1141, sponsored in 2025 by Rep. Bruce Skaug and Sen. Codi Galloway, prohibits public camping in large Idaho cities, including Boise. Every Democrat voted against the bill, along with Sen. Jim Guthrie, and someone vandalized a fence in Galloway’s district, accusing her of hating the homeless. After Gov. Brad Little signed S1141 into law, Boise Mayor Lauren McLean denounced the legislation, claiming it would make it harder to address homelessness.

Now a man is dead because Boise refused to enforce state law regarding public camping, and the rhetoric coming from Boise PD treats it as though it were a random act of nature rather than the result of deliberate policy choices.

Read the whole article

House Republican leaders are furious about this, and issued a press release calling Boise mayor Lauren McLean to task for not enforcing the law:

“The law doesn’t need to be strengthened or changed — it just needs to be followed,” said Speaker of the House Mike Moyle. “Idahoans who use the Boise greenbelt, float the Boise River or visit a downtown restaurant should not have to fear for their safety because Boise Mayor Lauren McLean won’t follow the law. We are a nation of laws, and Idahoans expect our public officials to follow the law. It is sad and infuriating to see a possibly preventable crime occur because Boise won’t enforce the law.”

Moyle and Skaug have requested and been assured, by the Idaho Attorney General, that potential legal options against the City of Boise are being reviewed.

Read more

Abortion on the ballot

Secretary of State Phil McGrane sent out a press release stating that the abortion initiative has qualified for the November ballot, while neither marijuana initiative received enough signatures:

The Idaho Secretary of State’s Office announced today that the Reproductive Freedom and Privacy Act initiative has met the statutory requirements to appear on the November 3, 2026, General Election ballot. The Idaho Medical Cannabis Act initiative did not qualify for the November ballot after failing to submit the required number of valid petition signatures, both in total number of signatures and required legislative districts.

The Secretary of State’s Office issued a letter of acceptance to organizers of the Reproductive Freedom and Privacy Act initiative, certifying that the initiative met the required threshold of valid petition signatures with a total of 75,478 signatures submitted across 20 legislative districts. This satisfies the statutory geographic distribution requirement by obtaining valid signatures equal to at least 6 percent of registered voters in no fewer than 18 legislative districts. Idaho county clerks verified petition signatures before the initiative was submitted to the Secretary of State’s Office for final review and certification.

The Attorney General’s official title and summary of the initiative are as follows:

Short Title:

MEASURE CREATING RIGHT TO ABORTION BEFORE FETUS VIABILITY, AND POST-VIABILITY TO PROTECT HEALTH; RIGHT TO PRIVACY; HEALTHCARE PROVIDER LIABILITY PROTECTIONS.

Read more

The Idaho Republican Party issued a statement in response:

“Here is the first thing every Idahoan needs to know,” said Idaho GOP Chairwoman Dorothy Moon. “Proposition 1 has no time limit. Not six weeks. Not fifteen. Not twenty-four. There is no week anywhere in that document.

“An abortion at nine months is legal under Proposition 1, if a provider deems it necessary, even if a healthy baby could otherwise be delivered.

“A provider’s opinion is the whole test. That is it.”

Idaho law today says something Proposition 1 does not. If a baby can survive, the doctor has to try to save him. Proposition 1 removes that entirely. In fact, it has no reference at all to the unborn baby.

Proposition 1 does not even require a doctor. It says an abortion may be performed by “a licensed person or an entity.” That is their language, not ours.

“This initiative not only threatens the unborn baby, it threatens mothers as well,” said Julianne Young, 2nd Vice Chair of the Idaho GOP. “Maternal mortality improved after our Defense of Life Act was passed. This shouldn’t surprise us because abortion—especially unsupervised abortion—endangers women’s lives.”

Roe v. Wade let states require a physician. Idaho did. Proposition 1 does not.

“This is not going back to Roe,” Moon added. “This is far more extreme than Roe.”

Read more

I posted on X that it’s time for all conservatives and Republicans to put aside their differences and work together to defeat this evil initiative. Sen. Glenneda Zuiderveld posted this morning that your vote on this initiative could literally save lives:

Glenneda’s Substack

YOUR VOTE CAN SAVE A LIFE

The enemy is at the gate…

Read more

9 days ago · 14 likes · 1 comment · Glenneda ZUIDERVELD

Permanent Daylight Savings Time?

I don’t like the twice-yearly time changes, and it sounds like there are few who do. Is the solution permanent Standard Time, or permanent Daylight Savings? Congress is leaning toward the latter. Congressmen Russ Fulcher and Mike Simpson both voted in favor of a bill doing just that, and Simpson issued a statement:

“Every Idahoan I’ve spoken to dreads the seasonal time change,” said Rep. Simpson. “Over the years, it has become increasingly clear that making this change will benefit farmers, outdoor recreationists, employers, and even public safety. The vast majority of Americans support locking the clock, and the Sunshine Protection Act is a common-sense reform.”

Video of the day

Dave Plummer is a retired Microsoft engineer who makes YouTube videos explaining how things work. Yesterday, he explained how Flock cameras work, laying out the logical case in favor of such technology as well as against it. Before arguing the issue either way, take a moment to understand the process:

I’m continuing to do some intense behind-the-scenes work at the Chronicle, which hopefully will pay off with some new projects I have planned. Remember that my goal is for this platform to be a one-stop authoritative source for information on Idaho politics, especially the Legislature. You can help by sharing this newsletter with all your friends!

As always, thank you to sponsors Lynn Bradescu’s Boise Realty, Money Metals, and New Saint Andrews College. Thank you also to all the paid subscribers who make it possible for me to do what I do, as well as all the readers who are constantly encouraging me to keep it up. I appreciate you!

Bonus note for paid subscribers:

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A new PAC, Too Extreme For Idaho, issued a press release this afternoon claiming that a majority of Idaho voters oppose the initiative, which would legalize abortion no-questions-asked up to viability (between 22-24 weeks) and allow it after that point if a doctor believed it could impact the health of the mother:

BOISE, Idaho — A newly formed political action committee, Too Extreme for Idaho, announced the launch of its “Stop Prop 1” campaign by releasing results of a recent poll showing that a majority of Idaho voters oppose the abortion measure that was certified to Idaho’s November ballot today. The measure — expected to be designated Proposition 1 — would eliminate commonsense safeguards that Idaho voters across the political spectrum support.

A recent survey of likely Idaho voters, conducted by polling firm Peak Insights, shows that 52%, a clear majority, oppose the proposition, and only 41% of Idaho voters support the measure.

“Idaho voters see Proposition 1 for what it is — an extreme, California-style abortion measure that is out of step with the sensibilities of most Idahoans,” said Dee Sarton on behalf of the Stop Prop 1 campaign. “Stop Prop 1 will be a strong, multi-million-dollar media and grassroots campaign to communicate the truth about Prop 1, so that voters are not deceived by proponents’ efforts to downplay the extreme nature of their proposal.”

What Prop 1 Would Do

Despite being marketed as a measure to protect abortion rights, Prop 1 is in reality a backdoor attempt to legalize late-term abortions — well past the point where a baby can feel pain — and goes far beyond what even most pro-choice Idahoans support. The measure’s extreme provisions include:

• Legalizing abortion through seven or even eight months of pregnancy, far beyond the point at which a baby is capable of feeling pain.

• Eliminating the requirement that only licensed physicians may perform or prescribe abortions, placing that authority in the hands of any “healthcare professional” — a term broad enough to include non-medical staff at abortion clinics

• Making abortion the only medical procedure in Idaho that can be performed on a minor without a parent’s consent

About the Stop Prop 1 Campaign

Too Extreme for Idaho has launched the Stop Prop 1 campaign today. Idaho voters who want to be involved can visit www.StopProp1.org.

Read more

It’s time for all political figures and organizations that believe the unborn deserve to be protected to unite against this awful initiative. New groups like this join organizations including the Idaho GOP, Right to Life of Idaho, Idaho Chooses Life, Idaho Freedom Foundation, Idaho Family Policy Center, and many more in the campaign to get pro-life voters to the polls. I firmly believe Idahoans will reject abortion and continue the tradition of defending the unborn that is so important to this state.

Press releases

• Crapo-backed housing legislation becomes law

• Crapo statement on the passing of Lindsey Graham

• AG Labrador secures record amounts for Idaho consumers

• Crapo honors journeymen lineworkers

What is Mike Simpson up to?

Congressman Mike Simpson’s weekly newsletter ran the gamut:

It was great spending the week in Idaho’s Second District. I had several important meetings and discussions with constituents across the state. I was thrilled to attend the Fort Hall Fire Department’s new station ribbon cutting, a community funding project I proudly secured federal funding for.

Additionally, I had the opportunity to sit down with members of the Idaho Association of Commerce & Industry (IACI) earlier this week. Many of you know that IACI represents hundreds of Idaho employers across agriculture, manufacturing, construction, and several other industries. It was great having a conversation with these business leaders and giving them a Washington update.

In case you missed it: I recently cosponsored the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act, legislation aimed at making key improvements to the accessibility and cost of agricultural labor through the H-2A visa program.

Read more

In case you missed it

I shared my thoughts on the passing of Sen. Lindsey Graham in a devotional-style post yesterday. He was an adversary on many issues, but an indispensable ally on others. I find little to be gained from speaking ill of the dead, and any man’s death reminds me that my own time on earth is finite.

I’ve been doing some behind-the-scenes work at the Chronicle the past few days, and I’m looking forward to it paying off. My goal is for this platform to be a one-stop authoritative source for information on Idaho politics, especially the Legislature. The work I’m doing will hopefully bring that goal one more step to completion.

Remember to share this newsletter with your friends, bookmark gemstatechronicle.com, and subscribe to the podcast wherever you get that kind of content. It’s your engagement that drives the algorithm!

As always, thank you to sponsors Lynn Bradescu’s Boise Realty, Money Metals, and New Saint Andrews College. Thank you also to all the paid subscribers who make it possible for me to do what I do, as well as all the readers who are constantly encouraging me to keep it up. I appreciate you!

How one reacts to the death of a public figure is a demonstration of character. I had plenty of disagreements with Sen. Graham over the past decade or two, but what’s the point of rehashing them now? Indeed, I learned a lot about how politics works by watching Graham and the reactions to him over the years.

Lindsey Graham was a notorious warmonger, seemingly itching for conflict throughout the globe. He also attempted to push through amnesty for illegal aliens during President Obama’s second term. In the eyes of many conservatives, myself included, that made him a traitor to our cause.

Yet something strange happened in 2018. President Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, and liberals attempted to run the same play they did in 1991 when they amplified spurious accusations of sexual assault against Clarence Thomas. Lindsey Graham stepped up as Kavanaugh’s strongest defender, castigating the Democrats who were pushing the smear and warning his Republican colleagues not to give in to such nonsense.

I remember fellow conservatives in various group chats feeling like Graham had changed, that he was on our side now… until he supported the next Ukraine war funding bill, at which point my friends figured he must not have changed after all.

Did he change, or was it simply changing circumstances?

That experience taught me that political alliances are fleeting, and we must take advantage of them when we can. Politics is more complicated than a binary friend/enemy distinction—it depends what’s happening on any given day. On foreign policy and immigration, Lindsey Graham was an adversary, but when it came to confirming conservative judges, he was an indispensable ally.

Despite being an early critic of President Trump, Graham came around to being one of his strongest supporters during his second term. People have often asked why Trump would campaign against Thomas Massie, a staunch libertarian, but endorse Lindsey Graham. That’s the answer—Graham has been a loyal supporter and partner to the president’s agenda, including doing a lot of work to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill, while Massie continually opposed the president and voted against the OBBB.

There is something laudable about standing alone on your principles, but in the end, politics is a team sport.

I don’t hold back criticism of political figures when I believe it is deserved, but I always try to remember that the person I’m criticizing is someone’s son or daughter, husband or wife, brother or sister, father or mother, a friend. Lindsey Graham was born in 1955 to a middle-class family and became the first in his line to attend college. He joined the ROTC on a track toward the US Air Force JAG Corps, but both his parents died within fifteen months of each other, leaving him and his young sister orphaned. Graham formally adopted her so he could support her with his USAF benefits.

I find myself in agreement with many of the reactions I’m seeing on social media this morning, each of which is a reminder that human beings are complicated:

Referring to his speech on behalf of Brett Kavanaugh, Theo Wold recalled:

For those of us who were in the Trump admin at the time, this is the Lindsey Graham we’ll always remember.

Didn’t always agree with him, but few politicians had ever had a finer moment that changed the course of history.

RIP.

Vice President J.D. Vance remembered Graham this way:

Early in my Senate tenure, I remember getting into a shouting match with Lindsey about a Ukraine funding bill at lunch and then learning the very next day that he was pushing rail legislation I really cared about behind the scenes. That was Lindsey Graham. He fought like hell for the things he believed in, and he was just as willing to go to bat for you when it counted.

Lindsey had the best sense of humor in the Senate. He loved the game of politics. He was constantly asking which races were up and down, and how he could help. As he liked to say, “I don’t care if you’re an isolationist or a religious fanatic, so long as you have an R next to your name, I want you to win.”

Activist Robby Starbuck, who ran for Congress in 2022, shared this anecdote:

I had relentlessly criticized Lindsay Graham for years when I was removed from the ballot in 2022. At the time the most recent polling had me soundly winning the race for Congress.

Lindsay Graham got my phone number and called me wanting to contribute $ to my lawsuit to get back on the ballot, despite my criticism, and said it was unAmerican that people wouldn’t get the chance to vote for me.

I’m sure he would’ve voted for someone else if he lived in the district but still, he wanted people to get to vote for who they wanted to vote for and ultimately, for people told decide the election instead of a dozen people in a back room.

Commentator Ben Domenech posted a brief remembrance:

I called Lindsey Graham a dangerously insane neocon and the next time we saw each other he hugged me and said "everyone's got an opinion".

Stephen Miller, perhaps the most hardcore immigration hawk in politics today, did not hold back in praise for the senator this morning:

At the end of a particularly thrilling and rollicking meeting in the Oval Office, Lindsey Graham turned to the room and said: “I’ve never had this much fun in my life.”

I cannot describe to you how much joy President Trump’s leadership and friendship brought to Lindsey. Meetings with Graham at the White House were filled with camaraderie, kinship and uproarious laughter.

As heartbreaking as his sudden passing is, I hope it will bring some measure of comfort to those who cherished him to know just how much he was living his dream every day. Very rarely in life do you get to be exactly where you want to be, when you want to be there, with who you want to be with, doing precisely what you want to do — that was every moment for Lindsey.

The lesson here is not to hold back criticism of our elected officials. They need to hear the unvarnished truth from the people they are supposed to represent. But it’s easy to go too far, nurturing and sowing outright hatred, especially when shielded by a computer or phone screen. Death comes for us all—often unexpectedly—no matter our political positions or how loudly we screamed about them on the internet. So don't waste what time you have on chest-thumping and petty grudges. There's real work to be done.

He who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun.

Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do. Let your garments be always white. Let not oil be lacking on your head.

Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.

Ecclesiastes 9:4-10 ESV

Rumors are swirling that the abortion initiative will be on our ballots this November as Proposition 1. Idaho GOP chairwoman Dorothy Moon, who led the fight against ranked choice voting in 2024, calls upon Idahoans to defeat radical abortion in 2026:

Well, it’s all but official. Word is that pro-abortion activists found enough signatures to get their radical and deceptive “Reproductive Freedom and Privacy Act” on the November ballot. I’ve never seen such a dishonest title. Abortion is not about freedom, it’s not about privacy, and it’s certainly not about reproduction. Abortion is the deliberate destruction of a unique and precious human life, which is why the Idaho GOP will always oppose this barbaric practice.

This initiative will likely be called Proposition 1, the same number given to the ranked choice voting initiative that appeared on your ballot nearly two years ago. Just as with the previous Prop 1, you’re going to see huge amounts of out-of-state money spent to push this measure on Idaho voters. Just as with the previous Prop 1, I believe Idahoans will see through this scheme and soundly defeat it at the ballot box.

Idaho is a state that values life. Despite the ruling in Roe v. Wade preventing states from banning abortion, I was proud to cast my vote on the House floor in 2020 to stop it here in Idaho, contingent on Roe ever being overturned. Just two years later, the Supreme Court did just that, and Idaho immediately became a sanctuary state for the unborn.

Now, the pro-abortion left is trying to undo that progress and turn back the clock to a time when any unborn child could face the death penalty for the crime of being inconvenient.

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Press release

• Attorney General Raúl Labrador nabs another bad guy

Video of the day

Jake the Lawyer explains the history and context behind the phrase “all men are created equal” that figures so prominently in the Declaration of Independence:

Pro-life campaign training

The Idaho GOP is hosting several campaign workshops presented by the Leadership Institute to help you fight back against the upcoming abortion initiative. Click here to find a workshop near you. Party officials are in the process of adding more as we speak, so check back in a few days.

Remember to share this newsletter with your friends, bookmark gemstatechronicle.com, and subscribe to the podcast wherever you get that kind of content. It’s your engagement that drives the algorithm!

As always, thank you to sponsors Lynn Bradescu’s Boise Realty, Money Metals, and New Saint Andrews College. Thank you also to all the paid subscribers who make it possible for me to do what I do, as well as all the readers who are constantly encouraging me to keep it up. I appreciate you!

Former Democratic state representative Todd Achilles is running an independent campaign for United States Senate, branding himself as a common sense alternative to the two party system. Problem is, he can’t escape his legislative voting record:

To his credit, Todd Achilles doesn’t come across as a dweeb like Tim Walz, as effete as James Talarico, and he doesn’t appear to have the sordid past of Graham Platner. He’s a U.S. Army veteran, a technology professional, a policy wonk, and a husband and father. Yet there is one problem for his independent campaign for the U.S. Senate, and that is his voting record.

You might have received a text message from the Achilles campaign attempting to imply that he is actually more conservative than Sen. Jim Risch, the Republican incumbent. One citizen was even told that Achilles is conservative and a former Republican.

This rhetoric doesn’t match his record. Having served parts of two terms in the Idaho House of Representatives as a Democrat, Achilles can’t hide his true positions. A small sampling of his votes in the Legislature illustrates the point:

• He voted against House Bill 32, prohibiting mask mandates by government agencies.

• He voted against House Bill 93, the Parental Choice Tax Credit.

• He voted against House Bill 98, which would prohibit taxpayer subsidies for teacher’s unions. This policy was eventually enacted in 2026 as House Bill 516.

• He voted against House Bill 135, which would bar illegal aliens from taxpayer-funded welfare programs.

• He voted against House Bill 668, which would prevent taxpayer dollars from supporting transgender surgeries.

• He voted against House Bill 710, requiring public and school libraries to stop allowing children access to obscene materials.

• He voted against House Bill 753, which would have set the most basic level of enforcement against illegal aliens. He voted against similar legislation, House Bill 83, in 2025.

• He voted against Senate Bill 1198, prohibiting state colleges and universities from requiring DEI programs for students or staff.

• He voted against Senate Bill 1210, the Medical Freedom Act.

In short, despite Todd Achilles attempting to portray himself as an independent alternative to the two-party system, he is very much a creature of Democratic ideology. His donations over the past two years have gone almost exclusively to Democrats at the state level, though he did donate to liberal Republicans Sean Coletti and Lori McCann, along with a few others. His national donations have gone almost exclusively to Democrats as well. Finally, as chairman of Veterans for Idaho Voters, Achilles was one of the prime movers behind the ranked-choice voting initiative, which Idahoans defeated in 2024 by a 70-30 margin.

Read the whole article

Defending women’s sports

Outside of Rep. Barbara Ehardt, who sponsored the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act of 2020, nobody has fought harder on this issue than Attorney General Raúl Labrador. He wrote an op-ed looking back on the case today:

In 2020, Idaho became the first state in the nation to enact such a law. Five former Idaho attorneys general, Republicans and Democrats alike, urged Governor Brad Little to veto it, warning that it was constitutionally vulnerable. Even the Attorney General at the time wrote an opinion agreeing with his predecessors.

The Governor signed it anyway. Two weeks later, the ACLU sued, and within months a federal district court blocked the law before a single season had been played. That injunction remained in place for years as the case worked its way through the federal courts.

When I ran for Attorney General in 2022, defending this law was one of my central commitments. I believed Idaho could make a stronger constitutional case than it had, and more importantly, I believed the unfairness of allowing biological males to compete on girls’ teams deserved an Attorney General willing to fight all the way to the Supreme Court.

After taking office in January 2023, we made that fight a priority.

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Press releases

• Labrador defends the unborn

• Labrador fights phone scammers

Podcast

For those who prefer to listen rather than read, I’ve converted today’s article into a podcast. Listen, subscribe, and leave a 5-star review on YouTube, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcast content.

You can also listen right here on Substack:

Video of the day

Former Virginia state legislator and all-around great commentator Nick Freitas explained why Tucker Carlson’s dreams of a third party are doomed to failure, delved into the concept of ideology, and debunked the idea of “horseshoe theory”:

As always, thank you to sponsors Lynn Bradescu’s Boise Realty, Money Metals, and New Saint Andrews College. Thank you also to all the paid subscribers who make it possible for me to do what I do, as well as all the readers who are constantly encouraging me to keep it up. I appreciate you!

Read the full article: https://gemstatechronicle.com/2026/07/who-is-todd-achilles-anyway/

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Links:

Post Register article: https://www.postregister.com/news/local/achilles-relishes-independent-senate-run-against-risch/article_fb92164e-ba27-44c0-a27b-3f58d33b0fc3.html

Todd Achilles Substack:

Todd Achilles for U.S. Senate

This isn't capitalism, it's corporate socialism

We’re in a cost of living crisis in this country. In far too many cases, honest work no longer pays enough for young people to get a start, or for Idahoans of any age to take care of a family. Our economic system is failing our people. This is a hard truth to say, but it’s just unavoidable. Disillusionment with our economy has led many of our young peop…

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a month ago · 21 likes · 2 comments · Todd Achilles for U.S. Senate

I jokingly asked on X if it would be easier to build houses at this point in Moscow, Russia, than Moscow, Idaho.

This is part of a much larger debate regarding zoning policies, building regulations, and housing affordability. I wrote about that debate today:

It reminds me of the old Mitch Hedberg joke:

I bought a house, it’s a two bedroom house, but I think it’s up to me to decide how many bedrooms there are. This bedroom has an oven in it. This bedroom has a lot of people sitting around watching TV. This bedroom is over in that other guy’s house.

To be serious, however, this decision in Moscow is only the latest move in a larger debate over where to draw the line on zoning and housing regulation. During this year’s legislative session alone, lawmakers passed four bills meant to curtail the ability of city councils to impose certain housing restrictions:

• House Bill 583 restricts regulations on short-term rentals such as Airbnbs.

• House Bill 800 restricts regulations on manufactured homes.

• Senate Bill 1352 requires cities to allow starter home subdivisions.

• Senate Bill 1354 prohibits regulations against accessory dwelling units.

Debate over these bills crossed partisan and ideological lines. Many moderate Republicans, as well as some right-wing conservatives, voted against some or all of them. Yet they were sponsored by two of the Legislature’s most conservative members, Rep. Jordan Redman and Sen. Ben Toews, both of Coeur d’Alene. The debate exposed a divide within conservatism between those who believe private property rights are paramount and those who believe local governments have a responsibility to maintain a certain threshold of safety and stability in their communities.

The line between those two positions is not obvious. Private property rights are an integral part of the Western political tradition, as expressed in John Locke’s formulation of “life, liberty, and property.” Yet living in a community alongside our fellow citizens entails certain tradeoffs. Fire codes exist not only for your own protection, but also for your neighbors—a fire that starts in one house or apartment can easily spread to others. Plumbing codes help ensure that sewage is properly disposed of rather than becoming a public health hazard. Many early regulations in American cities were adopted in response to unsanitary and unsafe conditions that allowed disease to spread rapidly. After all, prospective tenants often lack the expertise to know whether wiring is safe or ventilation is adequate, so government has established certain minimum standards that homes and apartments must meet.

I could have written three times as much as I did, so keep that in mind if you believe I missed some aspect of this discussion. Feel free to send me a letter to the editor with your thoughts—in many ways, this conversation is just getting started. Idaho’s record growth does not appear to be slowing anytime soon, especially as blue states such as Washington and California appear intent on committing civic suicide.

Click the button to read the entire article then let me know what you think!

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Guess who’s back?

Rep. David Leavitt, who fell short in his reelection bid in this year’s primary, has announced he is taking over as publisher of the Idaho Dispatch:

A press that doesn’t challenge power isn’t a free press. It’s a managed one. Franklin saw that in 1729. Idahoans are living it today.

The Idaho Dispatch will focus on local and state politics. These are the stories that actually affect your life and your community. I’m actively looking for guest contributors willing to cover what is happening in their own backyards: city council meetings, county commissioner decisions, school board votes. The things that matter and the things that too often go uncovered.

Idahoans are hungry for honest, conservative news coverage. I intend to provide it.

This is great news. The Idaho Dispatch was long a go-to source for statewide news from a conservative perspective. Greg Pruett did some excellent investigative journalism back in the day, and I always saw the Dispatch and the Chronicle as complementing each other. I still rely on outlets like Idaho Capital Sun and Idaho Ed News for on-the-ground reporting in my analysis, so having the Dispatch back covering statewide issues is a welcome development.

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Video of the day

Bryan Hyde covered the fallout from Little v. Hecox on his show today:

As always, thank you to sponsors Lynn Bradescu’s Boise Realty, Money Metals, and New Saint Andrews College. Thank you also to all the paid subscribers who make it possible for me to do what I do, as well as all the readers who are constantly encouraging me to keep it up. I appreciate you!

I reposted an op-ed from Chris Cargill of Mountain States Policy Center regarding the public school funding formula, which asks how much is enough for the system:

Over the past five years, Idaho’s public schools have lost more than 2,500 students. More importantly, the steepest declines are concentrated in kindergarten, first grade and second grade. Those aren’t isolated fluctuations—they’re the front edge of smaller student cohorts moving through the education system.

Today’s smaller kindergarten class will become tomorrow’s smaller fifth grade and eventually tomorrow’s smaller graduating class.

In other words, the system is being asked to educate fewer students.

That doesn’t mean school funding should automatically fall dollar for dollar with enrollment. Schools have fixed costs. Rural districts face unique challenges. Some expenses rise even when student counts decline.

But it does mean the conversation should change.

Make sure to click the button to read the full article. Our state constitution requires a uniform system of free public schools, which means taxpayers are on the hook no matter what. But exactly how we fund those schools is a debate that’s going to take center stage over the next few years.

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Risch on America250

Sen. Jim Risch shared a special message for America’s 250th anniversary:

Simpson makes the rounds

Congressman Mike Simpson’s weekly newsletter covered several subjects, including Little v. Hecox:

Idahoans owe a debt of gratitude to Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador and Idaho State Representative Barb Ehardt for leading the charge to protect women’s sports and fight for common sense. More than anything, today’s ruling is an incredible step toward preserving and protecting Title IX for future generations.

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Labrador on America250

Speaking of Attorney General Labrador, his weekly newsletter reflected on 250 years of American independence:

Happy Fourth of July, Idaho. It remains the honor of my life to serve as your Attorney General and to stand with all Americans who have kept faith with this Republic for the last two and a half centuries.

We have kept it for 250 years. May we prove worthy to keep it for 250 more.

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Video of the day

Moment of Truth is the podcast of American Moment, a great organization that trains young conservative adults to work in government. Today, Nick Solheim discussed the structure and future of America’s so-called intelligence community with former CIA agent George Beebe:

Did you catch my short post yesterday examining our place in history and the sacrifices our forefathers made to bring us to it? Check it out here:

As always, thank you to sponsors Lynn Bradescu’s Boise Realty, Money Metals, and New Saint Andrews College. Thank you also to all the paid subscribers who make it possible for me to do what I do, as well as all the readers who are constantly encouraging me to keep it up. I appreciate you!

July 4, 1826 was the 50th anniversary of our independence, and also the date on which both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson passed away. The president who would oversee our 150th anniversary, Calvin Coolidge, was born on the 4th of July in 1872.

While I find history fascinating, and have a never-ending insatiable desire to learn more, it’s the personal connections that makes history worthwhile. It’s one thing to learn about the Battle of Fort Donelson in February 1862, then a second battle at nearby Dover a year later. It’s another to learn that my 3rd-great-grandfather’s younger brother, Sylvester Dickson, was killed near Donelson in between the two battles. My 2nd-great-grandfather was born a year later, and was given the middle name Sylvester in his memory.

Another 3rd-great-grandfather, William Easton, fought in the Civil War as well, but he survived and returned to his family in Iowa, where my 2nd-great-grandmother was born seven years after the war. Easton served one term in the Iowa State Legislature. My grandfather’s papers relate early memories of his stern white-bearded grandfather praying before meals. One of my earliest experiences was as a toddler attending that very great-grandfather’s memorial service. Consider that: I am only one connection removed from a veteran of the Civil War!

My 6th-great-grandfather William Dickson left Downpatrick, Ireland, at the age of 13 to travel with his aunt and uncle to the New World. They first settled in Connecticut, but religious differences pushed them further into the frontier. They eventually founded the village of Cherry Valley, now in upstate New York. Dickson grew up, married another Scots-Irish pioneer, built a successful farm, and had at least eight children.

When the colonies declared their independence from Great Britain 250 years ago yesterday, William Dickson and his older sons took their muskets to join the war, fighting in the New York Militia. Yet the war came home while they were away. Mohawk warriors under Joseph Brandt, operating as British auxiliaries, sacked Cherry Valley, massacring dozens of inhabitants, including Elizabeth Dickson, my 6th-great-grandmother.

Every one of our ancestors struggled to build better lives for themselves and their posterity. They didn’t know what the future might bring, but they did what they could in their own time to create the best future they could. The sacrificed much to deliver the fire of faith and civilization to us, and now it is our responsibility to pass that torch to the next generation.

The author of the book of Hebrews in the Bible looked back on how the heroes of the faith persevered, sometimes enduring the most horrific circumstances, despite not seeing temporal rewards:

And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated—of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

Hebrews 11:32-40 ESV

The author then gives us a charge to keep in our own lives:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV

None of us know how much time we have on this earth, but each of us has a duty to do what we can, with the time and tools we’ve been given. Whether your mission is small or great, do it to the best of your ability, with all earnestness, to the everlasting glory of God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Build a legacy that your 6th-great-grandchildren will be proud to remember.

Of course, this was only the beginning. There were many trials and tribulations yet to come for our Founding Fathers. The war with Britain continued for several years, and struggles to form a cohesive government continued as well. Yet this is the moment upon which Americans look back as the birth of our nation.

As a nation, America is still fairly young—we are not surrounded by centuries of heritage like Britain, France, or Japan. Yet as a country, a state, America has stood the test of time. In that sense, we are older than France (1958), Germany (1949), Russia (1991), and many other countries with much older cultures.

Over the course of 250 years, this nation born in the New World helped build the modern world. It was in America that the telegraph and telephone were invented, where Henry Ford revolutionized manufacturing by making automobiles affordable through the assembly line, and where pioneers of flight and space exploration—from the Wright brothers to Charles Lindbergh, Chuck Yeager, and Neil Armstrong—pushed the boundaries of human achievement. It was in America that the atom was first split and where, decades later, a rocket booster was first safely landed upright.

It all began with a few brave men in 1776. What will we accomplish in the next 250 years?

Idaho celebrates America250

Dorothy Moon

Two hundred fifty years is an amazing achievement for a nation. In 1776, English settlers from Virginia, Massachusetts, and the rest of the colonies put their names on a document that would change the world. They not only declared their independence from Great Britain, but also set forth a new philosophy of liberty, of government by the people and for the people, and of something never before seen in human history: a new nation based not on ancient claims or the divine right of kings, but on a people coming together of their own accord.

Americans have always been conscious of our place in history, and on this 250th anniversary of our independence, it’s important to strengthen our connection to those who came before us.

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Raúl Labrador

A republic survives only as long as its people still believe in it and are willing to defend it. American culture, forged through faith, family, hard work, and a shared commitment to liberty, gave rise to the Constitution and has kept it alive for 250 years. When elite institutions teach children to see their own country as a source of shame rather than pride, they cut the next generation off from the inheritance they need to keep the republic going.

As Benjamin Franklin left the Constitutional Convention in 1787, he was asked whether the delegates had created a republic or a monarchy. His reply has outlasted every one of them: “A republic, if you can keep it.” Keeping it requires more than institutions and laws. It requires a people who still love this country enough to defend what makes it worth keeping.

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Phil McGrane

Two hundred years ago, on July 4, 1826, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams both died within hours of each other, exactly fifty years after the Declaration of Independence was signed. Two of the men who had argued, debated, and ultimately helped bring an entirely new form of self-government into the world lived just long enough to see the republic reach its fiftieth birthday.

Two hundred years later, we get to see it reach 250. The republic they launched remains a work in progress. It has endured challenges, triumphs, and real setbacks. It continues because each generation has accepted responsibility for carrying it forward. As you celebrate tomorrow, whether at one of the hundreds of community events across the state, the Capitol Celebration in Boise, out in Idaho’s vast outdoors, or at home with people you love, I hope you’ll take a moment to appreciate just how extraordinary that is, and what it asks of us.

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Camille Blaylock

We should fly the flag. Light the fireworks. We should teach our children about Lexington and Concord, Valley Forge, Yorktown, and the 56 men who signed their names to a document that could have just as easily become their death warrant.

We should remember the generations who fought, sacrificed, worked, invented, built, and prayed to bring this country to its 250th year.

And we should say without reservation that America is exceptional.. because it is.

Not because Americans are a superior class of human beings. Not because our history is free from sin or failure. But because America was founded upon superior ideas:

• The individual does not belong to the state. The state belongs to the people.

• Our rights come from God. Government exists to secure them.

• And free people - through faith, family, work, courage, and responsibility - can accomplish more than any central authority could ever plan for them.

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Wayne Hoffman

There is, truly, much to celebrate in the American experience and in the recognition 250 years ago that when government turns tyrannical, a people must reevaluate their connection to it. But the work did not end in that Philadelphia hall in 1776. The Declaration was a profound step in human evolution, not the final one.

What do we want to do with it next? Much of today’s celebration focuses on issues long in the rearview mirror and only dimly understood. It is time to better understand what was so that we can also attend to what is. Improving our understanding of why independence was fought and died for allows us — the beneficiaries of that past — to ask whether we’ve lived up to our founders’ promise.

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I might not get a post out tomorrow (I’ll either be celebrating with friends and family or helping deliver a baby—it’s any day now!) so allow me to wish you a wonderful Independence Day. A nation’s 250th birthday only happens once, so let’s make the most of it.

Nearly a year ago, Idaho GOP chairwoman Dorothy Moon asked me to design an America250 logo for party publications. I put this together in Canva, and I think it came out all right. Graphic designers will certainly spot places where it could be improved, and professionals later produced stronger versions for the convention and other events, but I enjoyed the process of building it.

Let it stand as a small reminder of what America has been, and what it can still become.

As always, thank you to sponsors Lynn Bradescu’s Boise Realty, Money Metals, and New Saint Andrews College. Thank you also to all the paid subscribers who make it possible for me to do what I do, as well as all the readers who are constantly encouraging me to keep it up. I appreciate you!

The Idaho State Board of Education officially appointed Dr. David Hahn, former dean of engineering at the University of Arizona, as the eighth president of Boise State University:

Hahn’s appointment follows a national presidential search and the completion of the 10-business-day period required under Idaho law after he was named the sole finalist on June 16. Hahn’s appointment is effective July 1. He will perform his duties as he prepares to move to Idaho and will begin serving on campus no later than Aug. 10, in accordance with the terms of his contract.

“This vote reflects the confidence of the full Board in the process we undertook and in the leader we have selected,” President of the Idaho State Board of Education Kurt Liebich said. “Today’s vote is the culmination of a rigorous process, and I have every confidence that Boise State and the state of Idaho are well served by this appointment. Dr. Hahn is the right person to lead Boise State into its next chapter.”

Hahn succeeds Dr. Marlene Tromp, who departed for the University of Vermont last year following a tumultuous relationship with the Legislature over DEI. I’ll have more on Dr. Hahn and what Idaho might expect from the new boss soon.

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Simpson moves to reform H-2A

Congressman Mike Simpson announced that he is cosponsoring the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act, which looks to make it easier for Big Ag to bring in more foreign workers:

“Ask any farmer or rancher, especially in the dairy industry, and they will tell you about the labor crisis they face. After years of working to build consensus to address this critical issue, I’m confident that the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act is the legislative fix we need. President Trump has demonstrated the courage to act on this issue and has a proven record of protecting America’s farmers while removing violent criminal illegal aliens who have no place in our country. I’m grateful to Chairman Thompson for his leadership and look forward to finally getting this solution across the finish line to bring lasting reform and certainty for our agricultural producers,” said Rep. Simpson, an original cosponsor.

“The Idaho Dairymen’s Association thanks Congressman Mike Simpson for being an original cosponsor of the ‘Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act.’ We are deeply grateful that the Congressman is once again showing that he is willing to lead on securing a workforce for Idaho’s dairy farms. Idaho’s farm families are the backbone of our state and having access to a secure, stable agricultural workforce is key to the economic success of those farms and our rural communities,” said Rick Naerebout, CEO of the Idaho Dairymen’s Association.

What do you think—do we still need more foreign visa holders to do the jobs Americans allegedly won’t do?

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More press releases

• Crapo encourages applications for federal funding

• Labrador gets another bad guy

• Idaho’s congressional delegation submits items for a time capsule

Video of the day

The inimitable RazörFist lays out a path forward for America following the Supreme Court’s birthright citizenship decision:

As always, thank you to sponsors Lynn Bradescu’s Boise Realty, Money Metals, and New Saint Andrews College. Thank you also to all the paid subscribers who make it possible for me to do what I do, as well as all the readers who are constantly encouraging me to keep it up. I appreciate you!

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court ruled against the Trump Administration, maintaining that the 14th Amendment requires every person born on our soil has American citizenship. Others, including Theo Wold, Attorney General Raúl Labrador, and Justice Clarence Thomas disagree:

Rewind to 1868. The Civil War is over, and lawmakers face the difficult task of not only reintegrating the defeated Southern states but also figuring out what to do with the roughly four million former slaves who inhabited them. Congress had built on Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation by passing the 13th Amendment to abolish slavery, but now it needed to ensure that those freed slaves could enjoy the same rights and privileges as any other American citizen. Lawmakers feared that the Southern states might eventually pass laws restricting the rights of former slaves, and their solution was the 14th Amendment.

The 14th is one of the longest and most complex amendments to the Constitution, as it was trying to accomplish many things at once. In the more than 150 years since its ratification, it has become something of a skeleton key to the Constitution, having been used to justify everything from affirmative action to abortion. For our purposes today, we can focus on the very first sentence of the amendment:

All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside.

Many very intelligent people have debated the precise meaning of that sentence, particularly the phrase “and subject to the jurisdiction thereof.” Chief Justice Roberts believes it means that anyone born on American soil is subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, while Justice Thomas disagrees. His dissent begins by attempting to understand the original purpose of the 14th Amendment, rather than using its words to support a more modern interpretation:

Blacks were entitled to citizenship because they were Americans. They had no other homeland, owed no allegiance to any foreign power, and were subject to no other authority. They ‘fought and bled in the same battles,’ ‘gained and gloried in the same victories,’ and were ‘liable to be called upon to defend [America] in time of war’ alongside every other citizen.

As always, be sure to read the entire article. I examine the concept and history of citizenship, what it means, the rights it grants, and the responsibilities it confers.

Read the whole thing

How to stay healthy

I talk a lot on this platform about taking a long-term view. Participating in politics is not about short-term gain, but about maintaining liberty and prosperity for generations to come. Yet liberty and prosperity are hollow if we aren’t healthy enough to enjoy them. That’s why I am happy to publish Savanna DeHay’s monthly health and nutrition column:

In the name of health, sometimes we bite off more than we can chew. We hyperfocus on “perfection” or try so many different things at once, only to get discouraged and burnt out. But true health isn’t about the false idol of perfection; it’s about daily habits that support longevity. Sometimes, the healthiest thing we can do is the opposite of what we think is right.

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Press releases

• Crapo talks money for Idaho

• Bedke celebrates nuclear power innovation

• Little announces new appointments

Video of the day

Mark Hemingway joined Auron MacIntyre to break down the Supreme Court’s birthright citizenship decision:

As always, thank you to sponsors Lynn Bradescu’s Boise Realty, Money Metals, and New Saint Andrews College. Thank you also to all the paid subscribers who make it possible for me to do what I do, as well as all the readers who are constantly encouraging me to keep it up. I appreciate you!

This morning, the Supreme Court announced its decision in Little v. Hecox, which concerned the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act of 2020, originally sponsored by Rep. Barbara Ehardt. I didn’t write an article today but I did post a collection of press releases from various Idaho figures, including Attorney General Raúl Labrador, who has been fighting this battle for a long time:

“Today’s decision is a victory for common sense, fairness, and the countless girls and women who dedicate themselves to athletics,” said Attorney General Labrador.“Idaho led the nation by becoming the first state to protect women’s sports, and I’ve never wavered in defending that law. The Supreme Court has now confirmed that states can preserve fair competition and protect the opportunities that generations of women fought to secure. Every parent can rest assured that our law protects their daughters competing in Idaho.”

Idaho enacted the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act in 2020 as the first law of its kind in the nation. The legislation requires that public athletic teams, such as high schools and universities, designated for females be based on biological sex at birth. The ACLU sued immediately and lower courts blocked enforcement from the day the law passed. When Attorney General Labrador took office in January 2023, he made defending the law a top priority, and requested that the U.S. Supreme Court review the case. The Court agreed to hear the case in July 2025, consolidating it with a similar case from West Virginia. Oral arguments were held January 13, 2026.

The importance of Independence Day

Author Brian Parsons shared his thoughts on American greatness and the importance of celebrating our heritage:

Independence Day holds a special place in my heart that only Christmas can rival. As Christmas celebrates the beginning of eternal hope for all of mankind, Independence Day celebrates a sort of earthly resolution of millennia-long toiling for self-determination. They both share a sense of lightheartedness and goodwill toward those around us, but the audience and setting create distinct experiences. While the cold of December brings us indoors for more intimate settings, the heat of Summer invites us outdoors for larger, more agnostic and communal gatherings. No matter our religion, Independence Day invites us to gather and celebrate our freedom to practice.

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Of course, Little v. Hecox was not the only Supreme Court decision this morning. There will be time in the coming days and weeks to unpack Chief Justice John Roberts’ opinion that the 14th Amendment guarantees American citizenship to anyone born on our soil, no matter the circumstances or their parentage. It’s a setback, but it’s not the end of the world. I wrote yesterday that we should keep fighting for what’s right no matter what happens, and I still believe that. The country our grandchildren inherit someday depends on what we do today.

Video of the day

John Doyle explained how Donald Trump was correct when he said we’ve been fighting the communists for thousands of years:

I’ll be back with more content tomorrow. As we approach America’s 250th Independence Day, we should reflect on how we got here, where we’re going, those that came before, and those who will follow in our footsteps.

As always, thank you to sponsors Lynn Bradescu’s Boise Realty, Money Metals, and New Saint Andrews College. Thank you also to all the paid subscribers who make it possible for me to do what I do, as well as all the readers who are constantly encouraging me to keep it up. I appreciate you!

The Supreme Court ruled today that the president is indeed the chief executive of the country, just as the Constitution says:

This morning, the Supreme Court ruled in Trump v. Slaughter that the President of the United States has the authority to fire federal bureaucrats, specifically commissioners of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) without needing to establish cause. The decision overturns nearly a century of precedent rooted in Humphrey’s Executor v. United States (1935), a case that came to define the modern idea of “independent agencies.”

To understand the significance of today’s ruling, it is worth returning to that earlier case.

Humphrey’s Executor arose during the early New Deal period. William Humphrey, a Republican appointed to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) under Presidents Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover, found himself at odds with President Franklin Roosevelt’s economic agenda. Roosevelt requested his resignation in 1933, and when Humphrey refused, Roosevelt fired him anyway. The statute creating the FTC allowed commissioners to be removed only for “inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office.” Roosevelt did not claim any of these grounds—only that Humphrey’s continued service was incompatible with the administration’s direction.

Humphrey contended that Roosevelt lacked the authority to remove him for purely political reasons and continued reporting to work despite no longer receiving a paycheck. Though he died in 1934, his estate sued the federal government for back pay. In 1935, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously in Humphrey’s Executor v. United States that the President could not remove an FTC commissioner in violation of the statute. The Court held that because the agency exercised both “quasi-judicial” and “quasi-legislative” functions, it was functionally independent and insulated from political control.

That distinction became one of the foundational building blocks of the modern administrative state—the system of agencies and bureaucracies that we often call the “deep state” today.

Make sure to click the button below to read the whole article, in which I examine the historical tension between the president and executive appointees and what it means for the separation of powers that our Founders intended.

These are the kinds of articles I really enjoy writing. They’re a chance to dig into history, jurisprudence, and current events, and come away with a greater understanding of how our country and our government work.

Read the whole article

A victory for gun rights

Attorney General Raúl Labrador’s newsletter shares how his office helped win a victory for gun owners at the Supreme Court last week:

This week, the United States Supreme Court struck down a Hawaii law that made it a crime for concealed carry permit holders to walk onto private property open to the public unless the owner had first given express permission. In a 6-3 decision in Wolford v. Lopez, the Court ruled that the law, known as the “Vampire Rule,” violated the Second Amendment. Violating it was a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in prison. The Court held that while private property owners may restrict firearm possession on their own property, the state itself cannot impose that restriction as the default rule for everyone.

I was part of getting this case to the Court in the first place. Along with Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, I led a coalition of 17 states in an amicus brief urging the justices to take up Wolford and reverse the Ninth Circuit, which had upheld Hawaii’s law even though the Second Circuit had struck down a similar restriction in New York under Antonyuk v. James. Two federal appeals courts had reached opposite conclusions on the same constitutional question, and only the Supreme Court could resolve which one was right.

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Simpson celebrates

Congressman Mike Simpson celebrated America250 in his latest newsletter, along with the four year anniversary of the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade:

Four years ago, the United States Supreme Court made the correct decision and overturned Roe v. Wade.

I have long said that there is no constitutional right to an abortion, and thanks to the historic Dobbs decision, power was returned to the people, and the right to protect unborn life was restored. I’m proud to be a part of the pro-life movement and will continue to stand up for the unborn unapologetically. I am also proud to I am proud to have earned an A+ on SBA Pro-Life America’s scorecard. Defending the most vulnerable among us is one of my top priorities in Congress.

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Press releases

• Crapo takes on mifepristone

• Labrador warns of new scam

Tomorrow is a huge day at the Supreme Court. We will learn of the Court’s decision in Little v. Hecox, which will determine if Rep. Barbara Ehardt’s Protecting Women’s Sports Act of 2020 can remain in effect. I expect a favorable ruling on this one, as a majority of justices have indicated their skepticism that men pretending to be women are a protected class in and of themselves.

However, that case will almost certainly be overshadowed by the result of Trump v. Barbara, which will decide if the text of the 14th Amendment guaranteeing citizenship to those born in this country extends even to aliens who cross our border illegally to give birth on American soil. In my view, the purpose of the amendment was clearly to ensure that freed slaves were considered American citizens, and that nobody intended it to grant citizenship to anyone who happened to be born on American dirt.

Even now we read stories of Chinese billionaires paying surrogates to give birth in America before returning home to raise their little Americans under the eyes of the Chinese Communist Party, or birth tourism schemes in which women come on tourist visas, give birth to American babies, and then qualify for residency and even public benefits.

It’s an important decision, but even if it goes awry we will keep fighting for what’s right and celebrate 250 years of American greatness. No blackpilling!

Video of the day

Former Virginia state assemblyman Nick Freitas is one of the best at articulating exactly what we’re fighting and how we must fight it. Last week he took aim at those who, like Tucker Carlson, seem more eager to fight those on their own side than our common adversaries on the left. Many such cases, even here in Idaho!

As always, thank you to sponsors Lynn Bradescu’s Boise Realty, Money Metals, and New Saint Andrews College. Thank you also to all the paid subscribers who make it possible for me to do what I do, as well as all the readers who are constantly encouraging me to keep it up. I appreciate you!

Earlier this month, West Ada School District superintendent Dr. Derek Bub was given a pay raise by board trustees. Before deciding if this is a good investment of taxpayer dollars, we should take a look at the numbers:

The Idaho Report Card also notes reading indicator proficiency in both fall and spring, showing how much students grow during the school year. West Ada students score 75.8% in the fall, compared to the statewide average of 70.9% in the spring. That means that the average student in West Ada is more literate at the beginning of the school year than students in other districts are at the end.

Public school students are clearly much better off in West Ada than in any other district in the state. How much of that can be credited to the superintendent? And if we demand that leaders take responsibility for failure, should they also receive credit for success?

In setting Dr. Bub’s salary, the West Ada Board of Trustees utilized a salary and benefits study produced by the School Superintendents Association. I reached out to the district office and obtained a scanned copy. The document contains extensive survey data and demographic breakdowns, but some of the most relevant figures are the median salary for superintendents of districts with 25,000 to 49,999 students at $295,000, and the median salary for suburban districts at $220,000.

Dr. Bub’s current salary of $230,822 places him just above the median for suburban districts, but on the lower end for similarly sized districts by enrollment. His ultimate salary under the new contract of $290,822 will place him just under the median for large districts in that enrollment category.

Make sure to click the button below to read the full article. I converted this one into a podcast, so check it out at Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever you like to listen to such things.

Read the whole thing

Moon’s momentum

Idaho GOP chairwoman’s op-ed following her triumph at the state convention calls for unity in the face of the abortion initiative:

We also have a radical abortion initiative to deal with. This week, we celebrated four years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and allowed Idaho’s laws protecting unborn babies to go into effect. Now, the progressive left wants to undo that accomplishment and bring back abortion—even up to nine months of pregnancy—to Idaho.

The Idaho GOP will not allow that to happen. Alongside other great organizations that believe in the inherent value of unborn life, we will fight to ensure every Idaho voter knows the truth about this radical initiative, and we will defeat it in November should it make the ballot.

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Simpson talks chainsaws

Congressman Mike Simpson published an op-ed in the Idaho State Journal defending a proposed rule allowing gas-powered chainsaws on public lands:

Crosscut saws are slow, labor-intensive, and often inadequate for the scale of the problem in rugged terrain. Volunteers and agency crews have used them for years, but when blowdown reaches “extraordinary levels,” efficiency matters for safety and access.

The Wilderness Act of 1964 is not an absolute ban on all tools. Section 4(c) explicitly allows motorized equipment when it is the “minimum requirement” for administering the area to preserve its wilderness character, including maintaining recreational trails.

The Forest Service conducted a Minimum Requirements Analysis, approved use only on 61 specific high-priority trails (about 542 miles, half the area in one forest), limited it to January through August for three years, and restricted it to authorized outfitters.

Unlike what these left-wing groups are saying, this is not a “chainsaw massacre.” It’s a necessary response to keep trails open, all within the law requirements.

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IFPC explains the stakes

Idaho’s abortion ban is once again subject to litigation. Idaho Family Policy Center explains what is at stake:

A final ruling in favor of Dr. Seyb would blow open abortion access in Idaho. Dr. Seyb is trying to legalize abortion for almost any reason. Such a ruling would undo much of the progress that Idaho has made in recent years to protect preborn babies, and the statewide abortion rate would increase significantly as a result. That said, Idaho could appeal such a ruling to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and eventually the U.S. Supreme Court. On appeal, Idaho’s abortion laws would likely be vindicated—although it’s worth noting that an appeal could take weeks, months, or even years to work its way through the court system. Notably, Idaho’s abortion laws have already been largely upheld by both state and federal courts, including the Idaho Supreme Court. And with the U.S. Supreme Court holding in Dobbs that the regulation of abortion is an issue best left to state legislatures, there are strong reasons to believe that Idaho’s abortion laws will continue to withstand judicial scrutiny.

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Solar, wind, or nuclear?

Brian Parsons is concerned about a new proposed solar project in southeastern Idaho:

Here in Bannock County, we’re once again debating industrial solar and battery farms. This project, the Harmon Solar Project, proposed by Utah’s Balanced Rock Energy, seeks to implement a 2600-acre industrial solar and battery storage facility in the south Bannock County Marsh Valley region. The same project was first proposed and shot down in 2024, when concerned citizens in south county organized to prohibit the development of industrial energy in Bannock County, but re-emerged after County Commissioner John Crowder was replaced on the Commission. The project’s proponents seek to push through the necessary zoning ordinance changes via conditional use permits to allow the development of industrial-scale energy projects, including wind, solar, and nuclear. The final date to receive Federal tax subsidies for this project requires that the project start by July 04, 2026.

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Press releases

• Labrador wins in court yet again

• Fulcher sets date for telephone town hall

Lenney asks questions

This week, President Trump abruptly canceled plans to sign a sweeping housing bill that was supported by all four of Idaho’s congressional delegates. Sen. Brian Lenney took the opportunity to take a closer look at this legislation:

Brian Lenney

Crapo, Risch, Fulcher & Simpson Voted to House Foreign Nationals While Idaho Kids Get Priced Out of Homes

Idaho sent four Republicans to Congress. Crapo. Risch. Fulcher. Simpson. And all four voted yes on H.R. 6644…

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a month ago · 25 likes · 10 comments · Brian Lenney

Heather Scott explains it all

Rep. Heather Scott has been explaining how law enforcement works in Idaho. This week, she examined the office of prosecutor:

Rep. Heather Scott's Substack

Understanding the Prosecutor’s Role

In my last newsletter, I explained the different jurisdictions of law enforcement in Idaho and who they were accountable to. Enforcing laws is only the beginning. Should an arrest occur, the next important actions in the process of “law enforcement” becomes critical to understand…

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a month ago · 9 likes · 1 comment · Rep. Heather Scott

Nichols is fired up

Sen. Tammy Nichols shared her thoughts on the recent state convention and what Idaho Republicans need to do next:

Nichols for Idaho

Idaho Republicans Leave Convention Ready to Lead

The recent Idaho GOP Convention in Meridian was a strong reminder that the strength of our party comes from the grassroots. Delegates, precinct committeemen, county leaders, volunteers, candidates, and elected officials from across Idaho came together to debate ideas, update the party platform, consider party rules, adopt resolutions, elect new leadersh…

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a month ago · 5 likes · 1 comment · Tammy Nichols

Special briefing

If you’re a paid subscriber to the Gem State Chronicle, make sure to check out the special briefing I wrote yesterday.

Remember to catch Eagle Fun Days tomorrow where the District 14 GOP will once again take part in the Wet & Wild Parade. Sounds like it’s going to be rainy, but I’m still going have a great time!

As always, thank you to sponsors Lynn Bradescu’s Boise Realty, Money Metals, and New Saint Andrews College. Thank you also to all the paid subscribers who make it possible for me to do what I do, as well as all the readers who are constantly encouraging me to keep it up. I appreciate you!

Subscribe to the Gem State Chronicle: https://newsletter.gemstatechronicle.com/subscribe

Narration by ElevenLabs. Thank you sponsors Lynn Bradescu’s Keller Williams Realty, Money Metals, and New Saint Andrews College.

Links:

Idaho Report Card: https://www.idahoreportcard.org/achievement/state?stateId=ID&fromTab=true

Idaho Ed News article: https://www.idahoednews.org/top-news/idahos-top-paid-superintendent-gets-new-contract-pay-hike/

West Ada trustees memo: https://www.idahoednews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Superintendent-Contract-Board-Memo.pdf

Dr. Bub’s new contract: https://www.idahoednews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2026-27-Superintendent-Contract.pdf

Superintendents Association salary study: https://gemstatechronicle.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/AASA-2025_26-Superintendent-Salary-and-Benefits-Study.pdf