Mar 21 2025 46 mins
In this episode of The Idaho Pulse, host Bob Neugebauer interviews Ron Nate, President of the Idaho Freedom Foundation, about the current legislative session and budgetary issues. Nate discusses the “enhancement budgets” that are still pending approval in the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee (JFAC) and how they represent unnecessary government growth. He explains that while some enhancement budgets have been killed in the House, the overall state budget is still likely to increase by 5-10% this year, pushing it over $14 billion.
Nate shares insights from the Idaho Freedom Foundation’s spending index, which ranks legislators based on their voting records on spending bills. According to this index, only nine legislators have voted against every spending increase, while numerous Republicans join Democrats in consistently supporting bigger budgets. The conversation also addresses recent tax cuts, which Nate characterizes as minimal compared to the state budget – representing only about $576 per year for the average Idaho family, while legislators themselves received a $5,000 annual pay raise.
The discussion extends to Medicaid spending, which accounts for $5.3 billion of Idaho’s $14.4 billion budget, with only minimal cuts being made. Nate and Neugebauer also discuss the Medical Freedom Bill (Senate Bill 1023), which would prohibit government entities from mandating medical interventions like vaccines or masks as conditions for entering businesses, schools, or government buildings. The conversation concludes with optimistic notes about growing support for freedom-oriented policies nationwide, particularly following recent political changes at the federal level.
Podcast Chapters
Chapter 1: Enhancement Budgets and March Madness
1:12 – 8:02 Ron Nate explains the concept of “enhancement budgets” and how they’re being rushed through in the final weeks of the legislative session. He describes how separating enhancement from maintenance budgets creates an opportunity to reject government growth, but notes the overall budget is still expected to increase by 5-10% this year to over $14 billion.
Chapter 2: The Freedom Foundation’s Spending Index
8:02 – 15:33 Discussion of the Idaho Freedom Foundation’s spending index, which ranks legislators based on their fiscal conservatism. Nate names the nine legislators who have voted against all enhancement budgets and reveals numerous Republicans who vote for every spending increase, scoring 0% on the index. They discuss how this information can help voters hold representatives accountable.
Chapter 3: Tax Cuts and Budget Priorities
15:33 – 24:26 Analysis of Idaho’s recent tax cuts, which amount to approximately $576 per year for the average family while legislators gave themselves a $5,000 raise. Nate explains how Speaker Moyle is delaying part of the property tax cut and discusses alternatives like Mississippi’s approach to phasing out income tax. They also discuss BSU’s leadership change.
Chapter 4: Medicaid Expansion and Federal Funding
24:26 – 32:02 Examination of Medicaid spending, which accounts for $5.3 billion of Idaho’s $14.4 billion budget. They discuss Idaho’s reliance on federal funding (42% of the budget) and the vulnerability this creates. Nate suggests better legislative education in economics might help address these issues.
Chapter 5: Medical Freedom Legislation
32:02 – 39:31 Discussion of Senate Bill 1023, the Medical Freedom Bill, which would prohibit government entities from mandating medical interventions as conditions for entering businesses, schools, or government buildings. They discuss the bill’s progress through the legislature and the importance of signing it into law to prevent future government overreach.
Chapter 6: Hope for the Future
39:31 – 43:46 Nate shares optimism from his recent experience at an Atlas Network conference, where he met representatives from freedom-oriented think tanks across the country. They discuss strategies for educating citizens about fiscal responsibility and the importance of holding legislators accountable for their voting records on spending bills.