Idaho’s Conservative Shift: Legislative Victories Signal Changing Tide

In this episode of Idaho Pulse, host Bob Neugebauer interviews Ron Nate, president of the Idaho Freedom Foundation, who shares his cautious optimism about the 2025 legislative session. Nate highlights several key wins for conservatives including school choice legislation, DEI prohibition in universities, health freedom bill passage, and various tax cuts. He explains these victories came despite some setbacks, including continued budget growth and the failure to substantially reform Medicaid expansion.

Nate provides data-driven analysis showing how the legislature has improved, noting a net gain of 8 conservative legislators from the last election cycle, with 31 legislators now scoring A or B on the Freedom Index, up from just 20 previously. He explains that better legislation is now moving through the process, with the average rating of bills shifting from slightly negative (-0.13) to slightly positive (+0.16), resulting in more conservative policy wins.

The conversation turns to challenges including the new lobbying legislation that broadens the definition of lobbying to include indirect advocacy, potentially affecting organizations like the Gem State Patriot. They discuss Boise’s mayor defying the flag law prohibiting pride flags at government buildings, expressing frustration at the lack of penalties in the law. Nate concludes with concern about special interest influence from data centers being built in Idaho, cautioning about water and power resource impacts while emphasizing the need to avoid government favoritism through tax incentives.

Looking ahead to 2026, Nate expresses optimism about continuing to elect more conservative legislators, building on recent primary victories where establishment Republicans lost to more conservative challengers. He warns conservative organizations against infighting, stressing the importance of maintaining a united front to preserve and strengthen the “freedom infrastructure” that led to this year’s successes.

01:19 Introduction to Ron Nate and the Legislative Session Host Bob Neugebauer welcomes Ron Nate, president of the Idaho Freedom Foundation, to discuss the recent legislative session. Nate expresses cautious optimism about the session’s outcomes, noting that while not perfect, it represents significant improvement from previous years. 02:32 Key Legislative Wins Ron Nate details the major legislative successes from the session, including school choice, DEI prohibition in universities, health freedom bill passage, and various tax cuts. Despite these wins, he notes there were missed opportunities on issues like Medicaid reform. 05:15 Defensive Victories and Bills Defeated Nate explains how many of the Freedom Foundation’s wins came from killing harmful legislation rather than passing beneficial bills. He highlights numerous bills that were stopped, including proposed family crisis centers, liquor budget increases, and education grants. 09:11 Analyzing Legislative Improvements Nate provides detailed metrics showing how the legislature has improved, with more conservative legislators elected, better voting patterns, and better legislation moving through the process. He shares specific data comparing Freedom Index scores from the previous session to the current one. 14:31 Concerns About Leadership and Spending The conversation turns to concerns about House Speaker Mike Moyle’s leadership, particularly regarding spending. While acknowledging Moyle’s improved Freedom Index score, Nate expresses disappointment about continued budget growth and the failure to make more significant tax cuts. 16:59 Looking Forward to Future Elections Nate discusses how recent primary election victories for conservatives have changed the political landscape, with establishment Republicans losing to more conservative challengers. He e