Rob Shoplock is the president of the Professional Fire Fighters of Idaho. He came in to explain a recent bill presented that would strip away any of the gains and agreements arrived at by the PFFI for the last five decades. This bill has gained national attention, and Rob kindly took the time to explain why this would be disastrous to our first responder community. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast Legislative Session episodes are supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organization co...
Mar 06, 2025•33 min•Ep. 382
Audra Talley is a Homeschool Idaho board member and deeply engaged with our educational system and rights in the state of Idaho. Idaho has an incredible level of school choice, and homeschooling is one of those options. It is also very flexible with no standardized tests or huge requirements. However, there are requirements. Audra came in to explain the basics of what the state expects from our homeschooling community. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast Legislative Session episodes are supported by Truth ...
Mar 06, 2025•37 min•Ep. 381
Josh Wheeler is a District 35 Representative and is very connected to the medical establishment in Idaho. His spouse and several of his children are involved in the medical community, and as such he had a lot of say about what the limitations are within the state, what can be done, and what needs to be changed, especially considering the rural nature of so many Idaho communities. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast Legislative Session episodes are supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media ...
Mar 06, 2025•44 min•Ep. 380
Andy Creech is the Sheriff in Payette County and came in to speak about upgrading the 911 system and the detention and deportation issues that Idaho is facing. Our 911 system was developed decades ago and has a habit of routing emergency calls either out of the area, state, and sometimes the country. We are also grappling as a nation with individual state capacities to deal with illegal immigrants in our own states. Sheriff Creech came in to explain the is and the outs in detail. The Ranch Podca...
Mar 05, 2025•23 min•Ep. 379
Phil McGrane is the Idaho Secretary of State and is acutely aware of the problems around campaign financing. This last election cycle saw a huge problem with out of state funds coming into the state of Idaho to manipulate our elections. SOS McGrane is working with several legislators to pass laws to make that entire process more transparent so Idahoans are not as easily manipulated by outside forces. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast Legislative Session episodes are supported by Truth In Media Foundation...
Mar 05, 2025•29 min•Ep. 378
Andy Grover is the president of the Idaho Association of School Administrators. He also worked as a superintendent of a rural Idaho school district for over a decade and took it from the bottom quartile to the top quartile in a matter of years. He is intimately aware of the struggles of our rural schools and students, and is working to help bridge the gap between policy makers and educators to provide the best education possible for the children of Idaho. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast Legislative Ses...
Mar 05, 2025•32 min•Ep. 377
James Ruchti is the District 29 Senator and is very worried about childcare access in Idaho. There are many restrictions that attempt to make the safest possible environment for children and working parents. There is a bill that is working to reduce the restrictions to increase access, but Senator Ruchti feels these restrictions would decrease the quality of the service. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast Legislative Session episodes are supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organizat...
Mar 04, 2025•30 min•Ep. 376
Reid Stephan is on the Idaho Technology Council and working on developing digital literacy requirements for Idaho public schools. This is an incredibly complex curriculum to develop considering the pace of technology and changing industries world wide. Reid’s insights and the direction of the program blew my mind. 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.theRan...
Mar 04, 2025•38 min•Ep. 375
Alicia Purdy is a conservative Idaho educator running to represent Idaho with the National Teachers Union. She has been in education for decades and feels we need balance in representing our educators. 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 format interviews and information in the Treasure V...
Mar 04, 2025•38 min•Ep. 374
Kevin Cook is the District 32 Senator and is very concerned about Big Tech in Idaho. He has been working to increase safeguards with technology sold in this state, and for years has been getting hammered by the big tech companies coming to try to stop him. He’s also running a bill to make parents aware of the very real and severe risks that come along with school technology that is administered to over 100,000 Idaho children each year. He is truly a champion for our Idaho schools and families. E...
Mar 03, 2025•27 min•Ep. 373
Lee Flinn is the Director of the Idaho Crisis & Suicide Hotline. She has worked for the organization for over a decade and brings a wealth of knowledge about what Idahoans are going through and what is affecting our mental health. Bringing more awareness and support to this area is a never ending task, and speaking with Lee was both sobering and inspiring. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast Legislative Session episodes are supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organization committ...
Mar 03, 2025•30 min•Ep. 372
Lori McCann is a District 6 Representative. She is deeply concerned about the agriculture industry in the state of Idaho and the lack of functional labor programs for our varied industries. She is also extremely worried about our education system. 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 forma...
Feb 28, 2025•33 min•Ep. 371
Dr. Joseph Holmstead is a graduate of Idaho’s WWAMI program, a multi state collaborative program that helps create more Idaho doctors. Idaho leads the country in many areas, but access to medical professionals is not one of those places. In fact, Idaho ranks at the bottom for the number of specialists and second to last for primary care physicians per 10,000 residents. The WWAMI program is an amazing partnership working to correct this. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast Legislative Session episodes are s...
Feb 28, 2025•58 min•Ep. 370
Jack Nelsen is a District 26 Representative and is very focused on finding a way to address all of his constituents in his very mixed district. There are problems with schools and energy projects and communicating in public venues that plague his area. As a farmer, he’s looking for practical, functional solutions for all. 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. ww...
Feb 27, 2025•46 min•Ep. 369
Brennan Summers is the host of Main St Idaho Podcast, a show based out of east Idaho and focused on politics and main st politics. Brennan has hosted the show since the start and has traveled around the state to meet and connect with people. Similar to what I’m attempting to do, Brennan and Main St are trying to popularize a middle of the road approach to communication. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast Legislative Session episodes are supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organizati...
Feb 26, 2025•56 min•Ep. 368
Tammy Nichols is the District 10 Senator and is working on a few very specific things right now with Ag. She is the Chairwoman of the Ag committee and as such very concerned about the H5 Bird Flu and the effects of the disease. She’s also working to ensure that our valuable water resource that we all depend on is preserved with Cloud Seeding Transparency. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast Legislative Session episodes are supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organization committed to...
Feb 26, 2025•43 min•Ep. 367
Jordan Redman is a District 3 Representative and is bringing several impactful bills forward. We spoke extensively about the details of the Medicaid Expansion Reform bill, the SNAP program product restriction, and welfare benefits for illegal aliens. 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 fo...
Feb 26, 2025•28 min•Ep. 366
Jim Woodward is the District 1 Senator. He is deeply concerned about the basic level of services that we have in the state of Idaho, such as education and law enforcement. We, Idaho voters, are allowed to vote for or against different tax districts, but at some point, our organizations will not be able to increase efficiency and we’ll just receive a lower quality service. This is a hugely important thing to consider. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast Legislative Session episodes are supported by Truth In...
Feb 25, 2025•33 min•Ep. 365
Brandon Hoffner is a lifelong conservationist and Executive Director of the Henry’s Fork Foundation. Established in 1984, the Henry’s Fork Foundation (HFF) uses a science-based, collaborative approach to promote favorable streamflow, good water quality, healthy fish populations, and a positive fishing experience in the Henry’s Fork and South Fork Snake River watersheds. Brandon was a wealth of knowledge and $10 words. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast Legislative Session episodes are supported by Truth I...
Feb 25, 2025•43 min•Ep. 364
James Petzke is a District 21 Representative who is working on a number of great things, specifically cell phone free schools and non-motorized trail maintenance. Idaho, like most states, has an education system being swarmed by tech issues, and getting our schools to have distraction free policies is crucial. We also have the best trail system in the country for hunting, fishing, recreating, and travel, and maintaining these trails is an overwhelming good for the entire state and country. Enjoy...
Feb 24, 2025•35 min•Ep. 363
Nicki Reisberg is a national voice for the real dangers of tech in children’s lives. She has been sounding the alarm for years, and is leading a charge to hold tech companies, schools, and organizations accountable for the tech and inherent risks associated that people are forcing onto our youth. We are so lucky to have her fighting for all of our children. The Ranch Podcast Legislative Session episodes are supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organization committed to unbi...
Feb 24, 2025•45 min•Ep. 362
Whitney Hruza is an owner of a local gem, One Shot Charlie’s, in north Idaho. She is an outspoken advocate for preserving the things that have made Idaho unique and beautiful for decades. There are many places in this incredible state that have incredible history, culture, and traditions that are slowly being overtaken by people moving here that are not interested in understanding or preserving these things. Whitney’s insights were extremely valuable. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast Legislative Session...
Feb 24, 2025•42 min•Ep. 361
Brandy Furiani is the Executive Director of the Eagle Chamber of Commerce, and we recently attended the Idaho Chamber Alliance dinner where we enjoyed an evening getting to know Lt. Gov. Bedke and other state officials. We also are lining up to hit the Idaho Beef Council’s Burger BATTLE! What restaurants should we showcase?!?!?! Please let us know! www.theRanchPodcast.org The Ranch Podcast is the premier source for long format interviews and information in the Treasure Valley and great state of ...
Feb 24, 2025•43 min•Ep. 360
Mike Simpson is Idaho’s 2nd District US Congressman. He came in to speak on three very critical things in Idaho, namely consistent Ag labor, land management, and power supply. All of these three have very real ties to our federal government policies, and Rep. Simpson is fighting hard to get the best deal for Idaho. 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.theRa...
Feb 22, 2025•26 min•Ep. 359
Michael Angiletta works with Secure Idaho to consider different ways of protecting this incredible state. The ballot initiative process is something that concerns him because some feel it is very susceptible to outside funding and influence, making a direct democracy process dangerous. I learned a ton from this conversation. 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....
Feb 22, 2025•46 min•Ep. 358
Melissa Wintrow is the District 19 Senator and is very worried about parts of our state that are starting to fundamentally change. School choice, Medicaid reform, and even our local government capacity to fly flags that the community supports are part of her concerns. As a super minority leader, she speaks with many smaller groups of Idahoans that feel Idaho is unraveling in many ways. The Ranch Podcast Legislative Session episodes are supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media o...
Feb 22, 2025•26 min•Ep. 357
Jeff Ehlers is a District 21 Representative who sits on Idaho’s Artificial Intelligence committee. This group is tasked with considering the current and future applications of AI, the implications, the consequences, and the ways, if any, that Idaho needs to integrate this exceptionally powerful but complex technology. 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 21, 2025•37 min•Ep. 356
Shawn Dygert is a District 23 Representative, retired teacher, and champion for transparency in schools when it comes to safety. As it stands right now, misguided youth that are convicted of violent crimes can enroll in Idaho public schools without disclosing their pasts to the schools. This has and will continue to lead to unaware young men and women mixing with violent felons on school campuses. Rep. Dygert is fighting for transparency so that, at the very least, schools are informed about vio...
Feb 21, 2025•31 min•Ep. 355
Hillarie Hagen works with Idaho Voices for Children and came in to explain why the Medicaid Expansion Reform bill is really a repeal bill, and what that would do to Idaho. Medicaid Expansion is actually a net benefit financially to the state of Idaho because it covered many programs that filled the gap with uninsured and indigent populations as well as many other groups. It also is responsible for generating over $40 million in tax revenue for the state because it inserts roughly $900 million of...
Feb 19, 2025•35 min•Ep. 354
Britt Raybould is a District 34 Representative who is working to kill the market for sex work in the state of Idaho. Human trafficking is an ever increasing issue in the nation and the state, and sex work is commonly an end goal when people traffick in human beings. Rep. Raybould is trying to decrease the market for this kind of extortion, and thereby decrease the human suffering exacted on innocents who are trafficked. The Ranch Podcast Legislative Session episodes are supported by Truth In Med...
Feb 19, 2025•27 min•Ep. 353
