The Blog at MSPC

The study isn't asking whether removing the dams is wise. It's asking how to replace them after they're gone. That's not an honest analysis. It's an attempt to justify a predetermined political objective. The study isn't asking whether removing the dams is wise. It's asking how to replace them after they're gone. That's not an honest analysis. It's an attempt to justify a predetermined political objective.

Every year, millions of Americans make one of the biggest decisions of their lives: whether to stay where they are or move somewhere they believe offers greater opportunity. They aren’t just choosing a new home. They’re choosing a different set of public policies.

Education debates almost always begin with the premise that schools need more funding. Rarely do we hear a definition of success. Is it another $100 million? Another $500 million? A billion? At what point would education leaders say, "Yes, this is sufficient"?

Over the past decade, individual income tax collections increased from $1.06 billion in Fiscal Year 2014 to $2.24 billion in Fiscal Year 2024. That's an increase of more than 111 percent.

Despite lawsuits, repeal efforts, and relentless political attacks, thousands of Idaho families still chose educational opportunity for their children.

Gregoire is not a conservative activist. She is not anti-government. She is one of the architects of modern Democratic leadership in Washington state. Which is exactly why her recent remarks to the Association of Washington Business were so striking.

Early data obtained by MSPC shows that nearly half of participating families are lower-income or working class. That matters. And it tells u

A temporary gas tax suspension is not a radical proposal. It’s a pragmatic one. It acknowledges that while we argue about the future of energy, people still have to live in the present.

The real issue isn’t that Idaho spends too little—it’s whether we’re getting results for what we spend. And right now, the data suggests something important: We can do better without simply spending more.

House Bill 516 does not ban unions. It does not prevent teachers from joining them. It does not end collective bargaining. Even critics admit as much. What it does is far simpler — it stops government from acting as the middleman for union operations.

Over the past decade, Idaho lawmakers steadily reduced the state’s top income tax rate—from 7.4% in 2014 to a flat 5.3% today. Critics warned of budget shortfalls, underfunded services, and fiscal instability. Instead, Idaho is collecting more revenue than ever.

This year, Idaho lawmakers introduced more than 800 pieces of legislation—again. That’s not a one-off spike. It’s part of a clear trend: more bills, more activity, and more output from a citizen legislature that was never designed to operate at this scale.

Let’s start with the basic reality: Idaho is increasing public education spending even as student enrollment levels off or declines.

Across Idaho, citizens and journalists have faced inconsistent rules about whether they could film or record public meetings. In some cases, they were told to stop. In others, policies varied from one city or school district to the next. The result wasn’t transparency—it was confusion.

The growth of Idaho and Montana’s largest counties is not happening in isolation. It is part of a broader rebalancing across the West—one driven by policy, affordability, and opportunity.

Let’s avoid the awkward situation of explaining to Idaho families why a program designed to help them ended up putting them on hold.

Policymakers must now decide whether the overwhelming demand is worth additional investment. No bills this session have offered to expand the program, but there have been plenty of pieces of legislation by opponents wishing to cut it.

The agency has cost taxpayers more than $2.3 trillion. Yet despite this enormous investment, student performance has shown little meaningful improvement.

HB 583 establishes a clear statewide standard for short-term rentals (STRs), ensuring that local governments cannot impose arbitrary restrictions that effectively prohibit homeowners from renting their property.

While the goal of reducing bias in government technology is reasonable, the bill’s approach could discourage innovation, reduce competition, and ultimately limit Idaho’s access to the very tools policymakers want government to use responsibly.