Ben Fuhriman is a District 30 Representative and an insurance professional. He came in to speak about the impossible nature of the Medicaid reform bill, and more specifically what the reform bill and its failure would mean to Idahoans. The Ranch Podcast Legislative Session episodes are supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organization committed to unbiased, Idaho focused media. www.theRanchPodcast.org The Ranch Podcast is the premier source for long format interviews and in...
Feb 18, 2025•27 min•Ep. 351
Treg Bernt is the District 21 Senator and is passionate about improving our education system through addressing cell phones and personal tech devices in schools. This is an incredible problem nationally, and Senator Bernt is pushing for a state level requirement that does not prescribe specific actions to districts but instead requires them to develop and implement an effective policy that matches their individual communities and helps address this issue. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast Legislative Ses...
Feb 18, 2025•38 min•Ep. 350
Alison Rabe is the District 16 Senator and involved heavily in fighting homelessness in Idaho. She spent several years in places inundated with homelessness and came in to speak about how Idaho can avoid developing a homeless industrial complex that perpetuates industries around fighting homelessness and never solves the problem. This was an incredibly eye opening conversation as I’ve always known there was a massive industry in places like SF and Seattle, but I never knew what the specifics wer...
Feb 18, 2025•51 min•Ep. 349
John Gannon is a District 17 Representative. He is extremely concerned about the growing power consumption in Idaho, especially considering the impact the Micro expansion and incoming data centers will have on Idaho Power. Idaho is growing in population, but it is also an attractive place for data centers which need cheap power, labor, and land. These centers also generally get extremely favorable deals with property taxes, stripping the surrounding area of much needed property tax relief. Enjoy...
Feb 17, 2025•35 min•Ep. 348
Steve Fullmer is an Idaho citizen who has been helping other Idahoans fight against online pornography addiction. As an addict himself, he understands the nature of the beast and works within small groups to help men take back their lives and families from the grips of this online evil. He is also working with many legislators to get common sense reform so we can protect our young men and women from being exposed to this for as long as possible. This is a sobering conversation, but hearing Steve...
Feb 17, 2025•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 347
Nick Edwards is a Command Sergeant Major for the Idaho National Guard who took a group of Idaho National Guardsmen and women to Washington DC for the 2021 and 2025 presidential inauguration. President Trump was the target of many assassination attempts during his recent campaign, and Idaho sent hundreds of our own to make sure the transition of power went smoothly and safely for our nation. God Bless these men and women. Enjoy! www.theRanchPodcast.org The Ranch Podcast is the premier source for ...
Feb 15, 2025•23 min•Ep. 346
Todd Achilles is a District 16 Representative and a huge advocate for education in Idaho. We got connected initially because of a piece of content he made throwing away a joint resolution to remove the education requirement from Idaho’s state constitution. There is a movement within the state to put the requirement of education onto parents, not onto the state, meaning if there was a child in an urban or remote area of the state and parents did not have the time or desire to educate the child, t...
Feb 15, 2025•26 min•Ep. 345
Britt Raybould is a District 34 Representative and the target of violent, credible threats to her life as a result. The environment around politics and politicians in America has reached a point where extreme and violent threats and actions are being taken against our state and local politicians. Britt has not only put herself on the line as an elected official, but also as someone loudly speaking out against this horrendous behavior. We, as Americans, need to be better. The Ranch Podcast Legisl...
Feb 15, 2025•28 min•Ep. 344
Sam Parrott is the Sugar Beet Queen of Idaho. She represents the hundreds of sugar beet farmers in the state, and as Idaho is a leading sugar beet grower, Sam has a huge part of representing the industry as a whole on a national level. We spoke MAHA, the Farm Bill, financial nuances, and the future of sugar in the US. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast Legislative Session episodes are supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organization committed to unbiased, Idaho focused media. www.th...
Feb 14, 2025•55 min•Ep. 342
Deborah Kraft is a civilian working with the Canyon County Anti-Trafficking Task Force. She came face to face with a trafficking victim while she was enjoying a walk with a friend, and that one experience sent her down a rabbit hole of learning about and advocating against human trafficking in the Treasure Valley. Many people speak out against trafficking on a whole, but few know that there are trafficking victims currently being abused in our own communities. This was a sobering but hugely valu...
Feb 14, 2025•34 min•Ep. 343
Dr. Kyle Tobler is a fertility specialist with the Idaho Center for Reproductive Health and a bona fide genius when it comes to IVF medicine. We are seeing an ever increasing starting average age of women with regard to family creation, and IVF is one of the few modern medicine miracles that can help older couples conceive and successfully create a family of their own. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast Legislative Session episodes are supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organizatio...
Feb 14, 2025•30 min•Ep. 341
Monica Church is a District 19 Representative and multi-generation Idahoan. We spoke extensively about what it takes to live and thrive in Idaho, and how there is a disconnect between individuals like myself who have moved from other states to the great state of Idaho and those that have been here for some time. This is going to be one of the greatest chasms that we, as a state, have to bridge together as we’re all Americans and find ourselves not understanding each other but occupying the same ...
Feb 13, 2025•54 min•Ep. 340
Ilana Rubel is the House Minority Leader from District 18. She came in to speak about the shortfall in revenue that is being reported, medicaid repeal, and marriage in Idaho. She also happens to be an attorney by trade and was able to speak extensively on the legal implications of repealing the 2015 same-sex marriage decision laid out by the Supreme Court. Marriage, unlike many other decisions, requires ongoing affirmation in many areas such as child custody, medical decisions, tax code, etc. Re...
Feb 13, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 339
Andrew Mickelson is an Idaho farmer who has been working to understand possible ways to stretch our scarce water resource farther in our varying soil types. The Rule of Thumb within the farming community is changing as we gain more advanced technology like soil probes and more effective monitoring devices, and this shift may be the key to unlocking even greater production with the same or less water in Idaho. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast Legislative Session episodes are supported by Truth In Media F...
Feb 13, 2025•50 min•Ep. 338
Bam is the host of the Wild Chaos Podcast, a vet, and an entrepreneur. He has gone through the crucible of getting a show off the ground in a way very few people have. It was wonderful to speak with him about what that is like as so many people want to have a show but just do not understand what it takes to make it a reality. I greatly appreciate him and his production. Enjoy! www.theRanchPodcast.org The Ranch Podcast is the premier source for long format interviews and information in the Treasu...
Feb 12, 2025•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 337
Jason Fellows is an Agriculture Advocate who traveled the world studying sustainability. The 20th century saw the introduction of many farming practices as well as farming disasters, and if we are to have consistent food supplies and successful ag businesses, we must have people who understand how to keep this machine running. Jason is just that guy. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast Legislative Session episodes are supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organization committed to unbi...
Feb 12, 2025•44 min•Ep. 336
Mike Moyle is the Speaker of the House for the state of Idaho. He ran in 1998 on reducing taxes, and that has been his mission ever since. We spoke extensively about his plan to give back over $400+ million in taxes to Idaho tax payers, as well as Ag labor, medicaid expansion, ballot initiatives, and more. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast Legislative Session episodes are supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organization committed to unbiased, Idaho focused media. www.theRanchPodcas...
Feb 12, 2025•36 min•Ep. 335
Bryan Searle is the president of the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation. As a lifelong farmer, he has gone through the entire range of life experiences that farming offers. The love, the loss, the joy, and the misery that are all offered by this way of life are very well known to him. The reality of our food production system is no longer common knowledge to the average Idahoan and American, so hearing and understanding his story is crucial to understanding and preserving our way of life. Enjoy! The R...
Feb 11, 2025•44 min•Ep. 334
Jordan Redman is a District 3 Representative who is advocating for many things, and today we specifically talked about mandatory reading of the bible in schools, adding a medicaid work requirement, and adding alternatives to medical residency programs. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast Legislative Session episodes are supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organization committed to unbiased, Idaho focused media. www.theRanchPodcast.org The Ranch Podcast is the premier source for long ...
Feb 11, 2025•33 min•Ep. 333
Dr. Megan Kasper is a pro-life OB/GYN in Nampa, and she agreed to come in and explain why two medications that have come under fire should not be removed from the toolbox of doctors. The two medications in question are used to stop bleeding postpartum as well as help mothers who have had a failed pregnancy and are carrying a deceased fetus in their uterus. Although these two drugs have very clear, accepted uses, they are also used in other states in chemical pregnancy terminations. Elective preg...
Feb 11, 2025•26 min•Ep. 332
Dustin Miller is the Director of the Department of Lands in Idaho. Idaho has been working closely with many state and federal agencies to combat wildfires within our state and also prepare for future fires. The Governor’s budget included a 60 million dollar line item to replenish what we spent fighting fires previously and a 40 million dollar line item for ongoing, recurring expenses with fires so Idahoans do not get caught unprepared. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast Legislative Session episodes are su...
Feb 10, 2025•43 min•Ep. 331
Tammy Nichols is the District 10 Senator and also the chairwoman for the Senate Ag. Committee. She has been working on several crucial bills for Idahoans, specifically one that bans weather modification and another that works to save our cloud seeding program through transparency and reporting. Idaho’s Ag sector fundamentally operates on water supply, and the cloud seeding program in Idaho not only supplies that crucial ingredient, but it also provides clean electricity, and Sen. Nichols is one ...
Feb 10, 2025•49 min•Ep. 330
Susie Keller is the CEO of the Idaho Medical Association, the largest association in the state representing physicians and medical practitioners. Idaho has consistently ranked lower in the country for physician to patient ratios and also struggles attracting medical professionals in a wide variety of specialities. These issues have many causes, but part of the problem is lack of residency programs and education opportunities. Susie and IMA have been working extremely hard to improve both of thes...
Feb 10, 2025•23 min•Ep. 329
Jason Monks is a District 22 Representative who is running a bill to increase the grocery tax rebate. Idaho has a grocery tax, but we also have a rebate program where every man, woman, and child that files tax returns can get a large portion of that money back. My family, for instance, gets enough grocery tax rebate to eliminate all taxes on any groceries bought up to around $12,000. The question remains, then, why do we have a grocery tax? Rep. Monks explained the benefits to my family and all ...
Feb 08, 2025•32 min•Ep. 328
Sebastian Griffin is a Nampa City Councilman who has been working to solve the problem of growth and preservation. Nampa is the third largest city in Idaho and also experiencing tremendous growth. This growth is changing the function and layout of the city with many developments popping up in ag land and some with lower end amenities. Sebastian has been working with the city, planning and zoning, and the other council members to figure out how to ensure that growth adds value to existing homeown...
Feb 08, 2025•38 min•Ep. 327
John Shirts is a District 9 Representative, an Air Force Jag, and Federal Prosecutor. We spoke at length about predation on tech, problems developing as we move more towards tech communities, and trafficking in Idaho. Although a heavy topic, this is hugely important for our youth and our future, and John’s insights were powerful. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast Legislative Session episodes are supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organization committed to unbiased, Idaho focused m...
Feb 07, 2025•31 min•Ep. 326
Clint Hostetler is a District 24 Representative and brought forth a school choice bill this year. There have been so many debates and conversations about school choice, but Clint and I focused instead on articulable issues that we both felt are dragging down our public schools. No matter what school choice bill passes or fails, we’re still going to need the best possible public school system, and figuring out specific things that might be dragging it down or things that people just don’t like is...
Feb 07, 2025•42 min•Ep. 325
Ron Winegar is a former Boise Police Chief, an Idaho Medal of Honor recipient, and a true servant to Idaho. He was with Officer Mark Stall in 1997 when Mark Stall was killed in the line of duty in downtown Boise. It is difficult to overstate the heroic nature of our men and women who defend us everyday, all day, and it is imperative as a community, state, and nation that we not forget this event and what we ask our law enforcement officers to do everyday. The Ranch Podcast Legislative Session ep...
Feb 06, 2025•42 min•Ep. 324
Ron Taylor is a District 26 Senator. We spoke extensively about the Ag. Labor, ownership and management of our public lands, and harvesting of both minerals and timber in a responsible manner so that we, as Idahoans, can benefit from our natural resources without losing our unparalleled open spaces and recreation opportunities. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast Legislative Session episodes are supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organization committed to unbiased, Idaho focused med...
Feb 06, 2025•40 min•Ep. 323
Lauren McLean is the Mayor of Boise. She came in to speak about what the city is doing to address the housing crisis that we all feel the effects of as well as what is being done so the city grows together instead of apart. We also discussed the preservation of the surrounding hills and open spaces that the citizens of Boise have paid millions to put into trust so we, as all Idahoans, will have access to beautiful, undeveloped lands just outside our Capital city forever. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast...
Feb 06, 2025•39 min•Ep. 322
