Tea Party Bob and Ron Nate tackle Idaho’s ongoing grocery tax battle, revealing how legislative leadership blocks repeal despite 87% public support and veto-proof supermajorities passing it in 2017. Since Governor Otter’s controversial veto, Idahoans have paid $2 billion in grocery taxes while receiving only 51% back through an inefficient credit system. With the legislature refusing action, citizen activist Howard Reinerson leads a signature-gathering initiative requiring 71,000 signatures to place grocery tax repeal on the ballot—a move that could force legislative action by February to avoid public embarrassment.
The episode explores Idaho’s new school choice tax credit offering $5,000 to families educating children outside public schools, available through myschoolchoice.idaho.gov. Nate explains how the program faces constitutional challenges from public education advocates including Republican legislator Stephanie Mickelson, despite Idaho Freedom Foundation analysis showing the tax credit approach differs from vouchers and withstands constitutional scrutiny. The conversation addresses public education accountability failures where teachers rate 98% proficient while only 32% of students achieve proficiency in math and reading.
Most troubling, Ron Nate exposes how an interim committee spent five years examining Governor Little’s COVID response, voting 8-2 and 9-1 that church closures, business shutdowns, and asymptomatic quarantines violated constitutional rights—yet recommended zero accountability measures. The committee documented First Amendment violations, unconstitutional stay-at-home orders, and emergency powers abuse, but refused to censure, sanction, or prosecute despite clear findings. This exemplifies legislative weakness in holding executive overreach accountable even when violations are documented.
The discussion concludes with local government accountability issues including Boise City’s planning office holding kumbaya sing-alongs during business hours while raising property taxes $14.1 million, defying state flag laws, and voting themselves 9% pay raises. Nate calls for Idaho voters to choose better leaders in upcoming city elections and May primaries, emphasizing that principle-based voting rather than personality politics offers the only path to reversing government expansion and constitutional violations at all levels.
1:36 Grocery Tax Repeal Initiative Momentum
Ron Nate explains how 87% of Idahoans support grocery tax repeal yet legislative leadership blocks action for eight years. Since Otter’s 2017 veto, Idahoans paid $2 billion in grocery taxes while receiving only 51% back through credits, making Idaho one of only four states fully taxing groceries.
3:31 Citizen Initiative Bypassing Legislature
Howard Reinerson leads signature gathering at repealidahogrocerytax.org requiring 71,000 signatures across 18 legislative districts. Nate predicts if signatures reach threshold by February, the legislature will act to avoid ballot embarrassment, noting Governor Little’s 2017 campaign support for grocery tax repeal.
6:48 Twin Falls Debate with Lieutenant Governor Bedke
Ron Nate discusses upcoming Twin Falls Republican Central Committee panel where he’ll debate Lieutenant Governor Scott Bedke on grocery tax despite Republican platform supporting repeal. The debate illustrates internal party conflicts between leadership and grassroots on tax policy.
9:25 COVID Committee Finds Constitutional Violations
Bob and Ron examine the interim committee’s findings that Governor Little’s church closures violated First Amendment (8-2 vote), business shutdowns and stay-at-home orders violated constitutional rights (9-1 vote), and asymptomatic quarantines exceeded legal authority (8-2 vote), yet committee recommended zero accountability measures.
13:25 Emergency Powers Abuse and Reform Failures
Discussion reveals governors can declare emergencies for any reason including “boogeyman in the woods,” triggering expansive powers to restrict liberties. Governor Little resisted legislative attempts to limit emergency declaration authority, claiming reforms would violate separation of powers and curb executive authority during emergencies.
19:30 School Choice Tax Credit Program Launch
Ron Nate details Idaho’s new $5,000 school choice tax credit for families using private schools or homeschooling, available at myschoolchoice.idaho.gov. The program faces constitutional challenges from public education advocates including Republican legislator Stephanie Mickelson, though Idaho Freedom Foundation analysis shows the tax credit approach differs from vouchers and remains constitutional.
23:59 Public Education Accountability Crisis
Nate highlights accountability gaps where teachers rate 98% proficient while only 32% of students achieve proficiency in math and reading. He argues superintendents rate teachers highly to ensure raises despite poor student outcomes, revealing systemic incentive misalignment where administrator self-interest trumps educational results.
27:18 Boise City Government Dysfunction
Discussion of viral video showing Boise City Planning and Development office holding kumbaya sing-along sessions during business hours while patrons wait for permits. The same city raised property taxes $14.1 million (7.6% increase), defied state flag laws, and voted itself 9% pay raises while Boise School District increased taxes $30 million (24%).
31:29 Call for Principle-Based Voting
Ron Nate urges Idahoans to choose candidates based on principles rather than personalities in upcoming city elections and May primaries. He warns that electing the same leaders produces the same results, emphasizing Idaho Freedom Action’s role in informing voters about conservative challengers to establishment candidates seeking leadership positions and interim committee appointments.