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These Afghan pilots’ hearts belong in the sky. Idahoans can help them soar.
When Afghanistan fell to the Taliban in August 2021, Afghan aviators were ordered to fly their aircraft out of the country to keep them from falling into enemy hands. Over 300 pilots flew to surrounding countries, most of them having to leave their families behind. Many of those pilots have been resettled in the U.S., […]
Idahoans must show that the Gem State is still too great for hate
Back in the early 1980s, when Idahoans in the Coeur d’Alene area were confronted with a growing number of dangerous hatemongers at the Aryan Nations compound near Hayden, the community swung into action. Father Bill Wassmuth, Tony Stewart, Norm Gissel and many other good people formed the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations to […]
Strolling down memory lane to Idaho’s Stanley Redfish Trail
Two recent news reports brought back memories of a time when important figures of both political parties could work together to achieve important public objectives. In the summer of 1966, Idaho’s two U.S. Sens. Len Jordan (R) and Frank Church (D) were working on the language of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. The legislation […]
Remembering and mourning our foreign partners on Memorial Day
Beginning with the Revolutionary War, almost 1.4 million Americans have died in our nation’s wars, including about 667,000 killed in combat. We remember, honor and mourn those gallant souls every year on Memorial Day – May 29 this year. Those Americans who have served in or near war zones carry their memories throughout the year. […]
U.S. Sen. Len Jordan reflected the values of Idaho’s traditional Republicans
Former U.S. Sen. Len Jordan served Idaho with distinction from 1962 through 1972. He was a conservative Republican who brought courage and individualism to the Senate. He differed with Idaho’s other senator, Frank Church, on a number of issues, but they worked together in harmony on issues affecting Idaho. Both were dedicated to safeguarding democracy. […]
A bright silver lining shines through an ugly cloud of misinformation in North Idaho
A bright ray of love and compassion has just broken through the ugly cloud of misinformation about transgender kids that was created in the just-concluded legislative session. At a time when extremist legislators, particularly from the northern climes of the state, seemed hell-bent on punishing these kids, a courageous panhandle librarian was selected for a […]
Will the Idaho Legislature be able to financially starve the courts into submission?
No doubt about it. A large swath of the Legislature is still honked off about the Idaho Supreme Court’s 2021 decision overturning a raw legislative power grab. In reaction to voter approval of Reclaim Idaho’s initiative to expand Medicaid coverage, indignant legislators passed a law designed to make it virtually impossible for the people to […]
Jim Jones: Public schools fared better than expected in the 2023 legislative session
Public education came through the 2023 legislative session much better than anyone had expected. It was not a banner year, but the prospects for Idaho’s public schools appeared dim at the outset of the session because a number of new anti-education legislators were elected last year. Fortunately, because of their inexperience or overzealousness, they were […]
March 29 is a time to recognize America’s Vietnam War veterans
When many Vietnam veterans returned home from serving their country, they were met with indifference, even hostility. The war had divided the public and feelings ran high over that ill-fated war, particularly in the late 1960s and continuing for more than a decade. It was an ugly war that took the lives of 58,220 U.S. […]
Idaho legislators are weaponizing government against transgender kids and their doctors
Idaho’s legislative culture warriors are at it again, weaponizing the government against families with transgender kids and criminalizing their doctors. House Bill 71, which passed the House of Representatives on Valentine’s Day, now goes to the Senate. If it is enacted into law, it might result in a few suicide attempts by stigmatized transgender kids […]
Idaho House votes in favor of sticking its head in the sand on OPE issue
The Idaho Legislature took a bold step to improve the efficiency of state government in 1994. Tired of being blindsided by poorly performing programs, the Legislature established an independent, nonpolitical Office of Performance Evaluations to evaluate the effectiveness of governmental operations. The Joint Legislative Oversight Committee, with bipartisan membership, directs the work of OPE. It […]
What an Idaho school funding lawsuit might look like
It is not inevitable that the Idaho Legislature will invite a school funding lawsuit, but legislators appear at the present time to be heading toward provoking legal action. Three factors will play into a decision as to whether or not to sue the state for violating provisions of the Idaho Constitution: (1) whether the Legislature […]