Mar 06 2025 48 mins
In this episode of The Idaho Pulse, host Bob Neugebauer interviews Ron Nate, President of the Idaho Freedom Foundation, about the ongoing Idaho legislative session. Nate begins with an amusing anecdote about the “crow” tradition in the legislature, where legislators who make failed motions receive a wooden crow figurine, which has now turned into a political tool used against lawmakers. This story exemplifies what Nate sees as the lack of seriousness in the House leadership.
The conversation then shifts to substantive policy issues, with Nate criticizing several education bills that he believes waste taxpayer money without improving educational outcomes. Nate explains how the early reading initiative has ballooned from $5 million to $72 million without improving reading scores, and how new bills would further expand spending while introducing pre-K education through backdoor methods. They also discuss Medicaid expansion, which Nate describes as drastically over budget, costing nearly $1.4 billion when it was originally projected at $400 million.
Throughout the podcast, Nate and Neugebauer express frustration with the legislature’s unwillingness to address key conservative priorities like repealing the grocery tax, implementing Medicaid accountability measures, and protecting Second Amendment rights on college campuses. Nate highlights the “chairman’s drawer” phenomenon, where committee chairs prevent bills from receiving hearings, effectively vetoing legislation that would likely pass if brought to a vote. Both host and guest suggest that special interests and lobbyists exert undue influence over the legislative leadership, preventing popular conservative reforms from advancing.
Chapter 1: The Crow Story
1:16 – 7:15 Ron Nate shares the story of the “crow” tradition in the Idaho Legislature, where legislators who make failed motions receive a wooden crow figurine. Nate explains how this tradition became politicized and how he ultimately destroyed the crow, leading to an investigation by Capitol Police years later.
Chapter 2: The Chairman’s Drawer
7:15 – 14:21 Discussion of the “chairman’s drawer” phenomenon where committee chairs prevent bills from receiving hearings. They discuss several important bills being held without votes, including grocery tax repeal, and question who influences these decisions, suggesting powerful lobbyists play a role. Nate mentions the idahofreedom.org website where these bills are documented.
Chapter 3: Problematic Education Bills
14:21 – 22:30 Nate details three recently passed education bills he considers wasteful. He explains how the early reading initiative has grown from $5 million to $72 million without improving reading scores, and criticizes programs that would expand Pre-K education and spend millions on “outcomes-based” funding and teacher training for phonics.
Chapter 4: Medicaid Expansion Problems
22:30 – 31:56 Discussion of Medicaid as Idaho’s largest budget item at $5.6 billion, with expansion costs far exceeding projections. Nate details how House Bill 138 would add accountability measures to Medicaid, but is being blocked by committee chairs, while a weaker alternative bill has been introduced.
Chapter 5: Blocked Conservative Bills
31:56 – 38:08 Examination of various conservative bills being held in committee, including citizen-only voting, concealed weapons on college campuses, patient medical rights, and abortion restrictions. Discussion of the power of committee chairs appointed by leadership.
Chapter 6: Closing Thoughts
38:08 – 44:31 Reflections on the legislative session, concerns about corruption, and the need for accountability. Nate expresses optimism despite frustrations, while Neugebauer questions why Idahoans haven’t revolted against government waste and corruption.