OPINION: Idaho’s County Clerks are not mere clerks; let’s give them our respect

We sometimes hear Idaho’s County Clerks spoken of dismissively as mere clerks– low-level functionaries just there to carry out the orders of county commissioners. Those dismissive individuals might be surprised to learn that elected clerks are the heart and soul of most counties in the Gem State. Idaho law says they serve as clerk of the courts in their county, as well as ex officio auditor, recorder and county commission clerk.

OPINION: Fair warning to public school patrons across the Gem State

The Idaho Freedom Foundation may be coming to your school district to carry out its publicly-proclaimed goal of getting the government out of the business of educating our kids. Just witness the disintegration of the West Bonner County School District in Priest River at the hands of an extremist-controlled school board.

OPINION: Freedom Foundation demonstrates its plan to destroy public education

The Idaho Freedom Foundation has already shown us how to drive a storied community college to the brink of ruin. IFF board chair Brent Regan and his wrecking crew have just about finished off North Idaho College. Now IFF is demonstrating its plan to discredit and dismantle Idaho’s public schools, starting with West Bonner County School District centered in Priest River.

OPINION: Extremist GOP legislators are at it again, attacking our public libraries

The claim that Idaho librarians are dispensing pornography and other harmful materials to kids fell flat last year, but extremist GOP legislators are attacking once again. Nobody has been able to provide evidence that our librarians are handing out smut to kids, but that is beside the point. The issue has been popular amongst culture warriors across the country, so it should be good for some political mileage in Idaho.

OPINION: 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 before being blocked as unconstitutional in federal court. The lawyers challenging the legislation will be able, once again, to replenish their bank accounts with taxpayer funds as a result of the Legislature’s bullying of our transgender population.

OPINION: A disheartening preview of coming attractions at the Statehouse theater

Based upon a preview of the coming attractions that will play at the Idaho Statehouse this legislative session, it appears there will be an excess of needless drama, bombastic performances, senseless ad-libbing and failed plot lines. Only an audience of far-right political zealots will give the spectacle a thumbs-up rating.

OPINION: Cure for Idaho’s extremist politics is reform of our election process

As another session of the Idaho Legislature cranks up, Idahoans shudder at the prospect of more needless political discord and legislative shenanigans. Instead of working on legislation to deal with real problems, too many extremist legislators will waste our time trying to score political points on culture war issues like critical race theory, which most of them can’t even define. It gets worse each year.

OPINION: What’s with the Mountain States Policy Center big-spending plan? Part 2

The Mountain States Policy Center, which bills itself as a “free-market-oriented think tank,” has been promoting what it calls a “school choice” plan. The words conjure up visions of parents being offered a variety of school options from which they can pick and choose.

OPINION: Labrador encounters conflict of interest situations as he takes office

It did not take long for newly elected Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador to be confronted by two troubling conflict of interest situations. He mishandled the first case and will soon have to act on the second. The two cases will give Idahoans a flavor of the manner in which he will operate the AG office during his tenure.

OPINION: What's with the Mountain States Policy Center? Part 1

The Mountain States Policy Center recently burst upon the political scene in Idaho with 10 policy recommendations for the legislatures of Idaho, Washington, Montana, Wyoming. The policies include spending public money for private schooling, lowering income tax rates and rejecting additional federal Medicaid funding. A legislator friend recently asked me about MSPC, telling me, “I’m thinking they are almost like the Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF), but hoping not.” That description is close to the mark.

OPINION: An Idaho Attorney General transition that courts danger

As far back as I can remember, transitions in the Idaho Attorney General’s office have been rather seamless and non-political. The manner in which I took over the office from David Leroy after the 1982 election is typical. I informed the entire staff that anyone who was doing a good job for the state would have a place in my office. And that is how it was with those who preceded me and those who followed.

OPINION: Will Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde control the soul of Idaho’s Republican Party?

The serious split in the personality of the present-day GOP in Idaho was demonstrated in two articles that recently appeared in the media. The Kootenai County Republican Central Committee, savoring its evil Mr. Hyde persona, announced on Dec. 8 that U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) would keynote its Lincoln Day Dinner in February. The very next day, Rep. Mike Simpson evoked the good Dr. Jekyll when explaining his vote for the Respect for Marriage Act.

OPINION: Idaho owes a debt of gratitude to its longest-serving Attorney General

Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden will be stepping down at the end of the year, after providing 33 years of dedicated service in the AG’s office. I hired Lawrence in 1989 to perform legal work for the State Tax Commission. He worked his way up in the AG’s office until he was elected as Attorney General in 2002. His 20 years in that office makes him the longest-serving AG in Idaho history. Much more important than that, he was one of the very best–a man deeply committed to the rule of law.

OPINION: Idaho must once again send the hate mongers packing

Hate and bigotry often lurk just beneath the surface of civil societies. So long as a society is united in disapproving of hateful words and actions, those evil twins remain suppressed. When they receive official approval, they rise to the surface and infect society like a virus. A society must maintain continued vigilance to keep them in check.

OPINION: Can we improve public education by subsidizing private education?

The president and CEO of Mountain States Policy Center, which styles itself as an “independent, free market think tank,” recently floated a thought piece on how to improve Idaho’s public school system. First, MSPC contends we can restore faith in public schools by using taxpayer money to fund private education. Second, it contends we should increase transparency in public school budgeting.

OPINION: Supreme Court strikes out its own team ahead of the 2022 elections

The Supreme Court doomed the Republican Party’s chances in the Nov. 8 election when it issued its abortion decision last June.

OPINION: Americans can honor veterans by doing their democracy homework

Every year on Nov. 11, Americans gather at Veterans Day observations to honor and thank America’s veterans for their service to the country. It is certainly right and proper that they do so, but is that the extent of what our countrymen must do to show appreciation for those who put their lives at risk to serve the nation? As one of those veterans, I submit it is the very least of what they are obliged to do.

OPINION: A compliment to Raul Labrador for wanting to learn about Idaho water

It may seem out of place for the treasurer of one candidate for Attorney General to compliment the other candidate, but water law and policy is so vital to the future of Idaho that a compliment should be given when it is in order.

OPINION: AG candidates disagree on ER care

On Aug. 2, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed its first-in-the-nation suit against a state law preventing women from receiving necessary emergency care when their lives are threatened by dangerous pregnancy complications. The Idaho law makes it a felony offense, with a mandatory minimum prison sentence of two years, for anyone to perform or assist with an abortion. The DOJ correctly asserts that the Idaho law “preemptively criminalizes all abortions…even where a denial of care will likely result in the death of the patient."

OPINION: Idaho Freedom Foundation misinforms about the education initiative

The ill-named Idaho Freedom Foundation, which essentially owns and operates the extremist branch of today’s Republican Party, wants to destroy the Gem State’s public school system. As recent as Aug. 8, IFF President Wayne Hoffman repeated his demand for the state to get out of the “education business.” That seems to be a tall order since the Idaho Constitution requires the Legislature to “maintain a general, uniform and thorough system of public, free common schools.” Hoffman claims our “school system is largely transforming into an indoctrination camp built not to teach students reading, writing, and arithmetic, but rather a center teaching them rioting, resistance, and race war.” It seems like Hoffman desperately needs a crash course on what dedicated teachers across Idaho are doing to educate our kids with the insufficient resources they receive from the Legislature.

OPINION: Judge them by their actions, not their words

Members of Idaho’s Congressional delegation would probably not receive any heroism awards for their actions relating to the PACT Act, also known as the “burn pit” bill. When the Act came up for a vote, our Congressional troops flat failed to protect the backs of sick veterans. Representatives Russ Fulcher and Mike Simpson voted against final passage of the bill in the House. Not to be outdone, Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch both voted against the legislation on three separate occasions.

OPINION: A Moon waxes as a Luna wanes

The present-day Republican Party has revealed who it really is and it ain’t pretty. Many of us thought that Tom Luna was way too far to the right, but the newly-elected GOP chair, Dorothy Moon, eclipses Luna by a country mile. Moon’s political beliefs verge on lunacy. Moon has given aid and comfort to the ravings of a pillow merchant who claims the Idaho presidential vote was rigged. She told us during her ill-fated campaign for Secretary of State that Canadians had voted in the Idaho elections. To prove it, she said somebody had told her so. Wonder if it was the pillow peddler.

OPINION: Minidoka reminds us to remain vigilant against racial injustice

The camp was one of 10 established in the Western states in 1942 to imprison Japanese Americans.

OPINION: Freedom Foundation's bark is worse than its bite

Most Idaho Freedom Foundation-supported statewide candidates were defeated

Op-Ed: The Idaho Freedom Foundation demonstrates its higher education model

When Idaho Freedom Foundation President Wayne Hoffman indicated that IFF wanted to dismantle Idaho’s public education system, many wondered what, if anything, the group had in mind to replace it.

Op-Ed: CRT ultra-right's weapon of choice

Hysteria reigns, but where's evidence that CRT is being taught in public schools?

Op-Ed: Has it really come to this for the Idaho Republican Party?

I can recall a time many years ago when I was proud to call myself a Republican.

Op-Ed: The Idaho Freedom Foundation is a threat to the future of the Gem State

Senator Chuck Winder had it right when he recently said the so-called Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF) was “one of the biggest threats we have to our democracy in our state.”

Op-Ed: Civics education vital to preserving democracy

Jennifer Ostyn and thousands like her across

Op-ed: The Legislature has stolen the people's constitutional legislative power

In a brazen heist at the Statehouse, Idaho’s Legislature

Op-Ed: Senate Bill 1110 will strip rural voters of their initiative rights

The Legislature has sent a bill to the Governor’s desk that will make it

Former Justice drops off 16,000 signatures to governor

Jones calls on Little to veto SB1110

Jones calls on Little to veto SB1110

Opinion: Education bill undermines Idaho Constitution

Supporters of privatizing education are about to change the Idaho Constitution

Opinion: An urgent message to President Biden this Vietnam War Veterans Day

As we observe Vietnam War Veterans Day on March 29, let’s recall the human rights

Op-Ed: Bringing extremism under control

America has a serious problem with extremism, as evidenced by the January 6 attack

Op-Ed: Coronavirus may be big winner in legislative session

Just as the threat of the coronavirus is growing, the Idaho Legislature seems

The government can require us to cover some parts of our body

As I watched a recent TV news interview of a gentleman saying the government could not tell him what to wear, a memory floated back into my mind from the 1950s.

Jim Jones: Can Trump prevail? In a word, no

Even before the presidential election, there was speculation as to whether

Op-Ed: Veterans help unite the nation

One cure for a nation divided.

Op-Ed: Let’s focus on keeping our most important relationships strong

Something happened at my brother’s funeral that brought home to me what a wonderful person he was and how lucky we were in today’s divisive atmosphere to have a relationship of mutual love and respect.

OPINION: JIM JONES — Anti-maskers might give Biden boost

The coronavirus has uprooted life in the United States like no other single cause in recent memory. Serious conflicts have arisen among our people as to when and how to return to work, school and routine living. A common thread running through these conflicts is when or whether we should wear masks. Strangely enough, the answer to that question may well determine the outcome of the presidential election in November.

The unalienable Rights of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness

By JIM JONES