Launch Bill Hearing Latest Example of Fracture in GOP
The ‘Launch Bill’ provides $8500 to high school graduates that can be applied to college or trade school. Conservatives charge that it is a payoff to big business and further shows that high school is not properly preparing graduates for jobs. Idaho Freedom Foundation Senior policy advisor Ron Nate (pictured) called the bill ‘cronyism’. As he elaborated, Chairman Kevin Cook told him to sit down and called an officer to usher Nate from the podium. This once again shows the GOP vs GOP division in the legislature.
The measure passed the House by a single vote and it was sent on to the Senate floor under an amending order as opposed to a ‘do pass’ recommendation. This allows the bill to be modified before a full hearing on the floor.
What about Property Tax Relief?
A recent town hall in North Idaho with several legislators covered the issue of property tax relief. Reps Barbieri and Okuniewicz explained that property taxes are primarily a county level matter and that the legislature has little ability to intervene. What they can do is shift money from state coffers (mainly from sales and income taxes) to local coffers to help reduce the revenue that counties need to cover costs.
A BSU study showed property tax relief is high on the minds of Idahoans. A number of bills have been submitted to address the matter. As of today, these are the bills that have shown recent activity:
S1111 (Sens Grow & Anthon): Shifts money from sales taxes to property tax relief and increases exemptions for low income households. It has yet to pass the Senate.
H292 (Sens Grow & Ricks, Reps Moyle & Monks): Provides state money to be used for property tax relief. This bill was just introduced on 3/9 and appears to be the latest revision of a comprehensive property tax relief effort by the legislature.
Are Civil Conversations Across the Aisle Possible?
This exchange between Wayne Hoffman of the Idaho Freedom Foundation and House Minority Leader Rep Ilana Rubel provides an encouraging example of agreeable disagreement. They cover a range of topics from many of the bills currently being debated in the legislature to fundamental discussion of the role of government in society.
Tucker Carlson’s J6 Video Release Receives Applause and Criticism
Carlson’s Fox News show is one of the highest rated and on Monday night, he aired the first of two segments covering the video surveillance footage of January 6th 2021 at the Capitol building in Washington DC. Carlson had been granted access to the video by Speaker Kevin McCarthy now that the Republicans control the House.
The pushback to the first segment was immediate not only from the likes of Democrat Sen Chuck Schumer, Majority Leader, but also from Mitch McConnell, the GOP minority leader. The uproar caused Carlson to defer plans to air the second segment.
Some of the claims Carlson points to in the video included:
Officer Sicknick, who initially was labeled as having been killed by rioters, was seen walking around after he was supposedly attacked.
The ‘Qanon Shaman’ person wearing the iconic buffalo horns was seen being escorted around by Capitol Police. He is currently serving a 41 month prison sentence for his actions at the Capitol.
The person known as Ray Epps, who has avoided any prosecution despite video of him calling for people to ‘go into the Capitol’ apparently lied to Congress in saying he left the grounds when video shows he had not. Epps is accused of being a federal operative by Trump supporters.
Senator Josh Hawley was ridiculed for running away when in reality, he was one of a number of Senators who did so.
The video linked above is a shortened version of the full segment, which can be found on YouTube and Rumble.
Day Care Groups Cry Foul Over Budget Cuts
Many child care centers depend on federal America Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grants to help fund their operations. The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee (JFAC) which oversees the state budget put a hold on distribution of ARPA funds catching many of these facilities by surprise. Supporters rallied at the Capitol on Wednesday and drew a response from House Speaker Moyle and Senate Pro Tem Winder that they would look into it.
Responding to Idaho Capital Sun Article linked in The Idaho Voter Substack 3/10/23 (https://theidahovoter.substack.com/i/107428228/day-care-groups-cry-foul-over-budget-cuts)
Daycare groups’ dependency on ARPA money shows just how addicted they and others have become to “free” government money: https://idahocapitalsun.com/2023/03/08/idaho-parents-child-care-providers-ask-legislature-to-reverse-budget-cuts-as-closures-begin/
I am so disappointed in Americans who fail to champion rugged individualism, meritocracy, and competition to thrive. People should never count on outside money that they don’t earn themselves. This may seem harsh, but living within or below your means is the only honest route to success.
ARPA money is NOT free. It is money taken from American taxpayers throughout the country (or simply printed by the government) to fund preferred groups in different parts of the country.
ARPA money is wrong and has been from the start; it is redistribution of wealth — socialism — and it has come with so many strings attached that the puppets are all tangled now.
House Speaker Moyle and Senate Pro Tem Winder should call out this addiction to other people’s money and do everything they can to stop it. It’s time for some tough love, especially for the government but also for the people who have become dependent upon it.
ARPA is money the government doled out to try to solve problems the government created in the first place (e.g., forced lockdowns, business closures, mandates, and inflationary policies). We must stop this enabling behavior, cut off this money NOW, and never again let dependency become the norm in America’s psyche.