Remember when Americans were told that the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare) would lower health care costs and that if you liked your doctor, you could keep her? How things have changed over the past 15 years. Health care costs continue to rise faster than inflation and millions of Americans have discovered that Read More…
Our region boasts three states in the top 10 for having the most competitive tax structure, according to the Tax Foundation. The latest numbers show that Wyoming is the most taxpayer-friendly state, Montana is sixth, and Idaho is ninth. While this is impressive, Washington coming in near last at 45th is cause for concern. The Read More…
The 2021 American Rescue Plan Act – which was sold as temporary help during the challenges of COVID-19 – expanded Affordable Care Act subsidies in a way that reshaped who the program serves and who profits from it. New enrollments were concentrated in states that had previously declined the federal government’s offer to expand Medicaid, fearing Read More…
At the end of the 2025 legislative session, Democrat leaders praised a massive tax-shift bill, which they helped pass despite objections from conservative Republicans. The bill was rushed and broken, but Democrats and a handful of self-identified “Republicans” got it over the finish line at the last minute, ignoring warning after warning from fiscally responsible Read More…
This episode of the Utterly Moderate Podcast deals with liberal bias in higher education and what to do about it, with a specific focus on the field of sociology. According to Gallup, a strong majority (68%) of Americans believe that higher education is headed in the wrong direction. Barely more than a third (36%) of Americans Read More…
With the federal government facing a debt of $36 trillion and realizing that 49 out of 50 states have to balance their budgets, Americans are losing patience with the ability of Congress to enact meaningful fiscal discipline. This is why resolutions have been introduced in Idaho, Montana, Washington and Wyoming this year calling for a Convention of the Read More…
Prospects for a federal wealth tax could be nil in the Trump era, but states – specifically blue states – may be tempted to take up that cause, demonstrating the devastating effect that policy would have on citizens, businesses and the economy. Massachusetts went first, adopting a “millionaire tax” in 2022 that imposes a 4 Read More…
The United States is falling behind in energy and infrastructure development, and the culprit is our own federal bureaucracy. This can change if Congress implements significant permitting reform, repeals decades of senseless and duplicative regulations, and restores regulatory order by returning power to the states as our founding fathers intended. While states like Texas can Read More…
Housing affordability is a real concern, but Washington lawmakers are proposing a deeply flawed solution: rent control. While Argentina reaps the benefits of repealing its disastrous rent control law, Washington legislators are hurling headlong down the path of ruinous third-world housing policy. House Bill 1217 would limit rent increases to 7% per year, prohibit any increases during a Read More…
Once a relatively popular, if ineffective, public official, Marc Racicot has reappeared on Montana’s political scene after a near 20-year absence. But rather than returning as a statesman, he comes back as a shameless shill of a liberal judiciary that has routinely overstepped its authority. Once trusted with Montana’s highest office, Racicot’s transition from public Read More…
I’m a busy parent. My wife and I juggle the schedule for four kids (three in the Noblesville, Indiana, school system) on top of work, church and fun activities when we can squeeze them in. And like many Hoosier parents, when it comes down to learning about school board candidates, we often find ourselves cramming Read More…
The mostly friendly state battle for tax competition and economic competitiveness is alive and well in our region. Except for some states on the left coast (looking at you Washington), prioritizing additional tax relief is front and center in state capitals across the country. This includes major income tax reduction proposals in Idaho and Montana. Read More…
“The more absolute the hush, the more shocking the thunderclap. Our masters have not heard the people’s voice for generations, and it is much, much louder than they can remember.” – Alan Moore The term “silent majority” has been used for centuries, referring to an unspecified large group of people or group who do not Read More…
While there has been no shortage of attention on many of the dubious last-minute actions by the Biden administration, the latest shoe to drop might just take the cake. Last week, a bombshell report from The Information revealed that Lina Khan, the leftist ideologue Biden installed as the chair of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Read More…
Governor Greg Gianforte’s bold tax cut proposals represent a significant step toward financial relief and long-term economic growth for Montanans. By reducing income tax rates and implementing a homestead rate cut, the governor’s plan will put more money back into the pockets of hardworking families and small business owners, fostering prosperity across the state. Since Read More…
A new report reveals a disturbing trend of self-censorship on our nation’s college campuses, particularly among conservative faculty. While many of our universities have long been viewed as liberal echo chambers, the latest annual report from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) reveals just how one-sided the classroom debate has become. The report Read More…
America is separating into two nations with two different experiences of reality itself: Red America and Blue America. As Robert Talisse, Vanderbilt University political theorist and today’s Utterly Moderate podcast guest, writes: “[O]ur everyday social environments are increasingly segregated along partisan lines. It is no exaggeration to say that in the United States today, opposing Read More…
As the Attorney General of Montana, it is my duty to protect the safety of all Montanans, and protecting our kids is my top priority. Among the biggest threats to our kids today is China. From fentanyl, to TikTok to illicit vapor products, make no mistake China is targeting our kids. China is the primary Read More…
Typically, courts provide clarity. They do not exist to make or enforce law but rather interpret what the law says. Nothing more, nothing less. But a week of tumultuous rulings in Montana has, in many ways, upended the state’s legislative authority and made an overall mess of the policy-making process. It’s an unwanted Christmas gift Read More…
Montana, earning the chance to serve you as your next U.S. senator is truly the greatest honor of my life. To those who voted for me, thank you. To those who did not, I’m ready to serve you, too. In the military, I took an oath to serve all Americans, and on Jan. 3, I’ll Read More…
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) has let some much-needed sunlight into the opaque corridors of federal bureaucracy. Thanks to this landmark 1967 legislation, any person or organization has the right to request access to federal records and receive a response within 20 business days. The Taxpayers Protection Alliance Foundation (TPAF) had a banner year Read More…
For a nation that has long hallowed freedom of speech, we Americans spend an awful lot of time telling each other to “shut up.” This preoccupation isn’t limited to family fights, angry neighbors, or competing protestors. Governments – federal, state and local – don’t like being criticized. Neither do major corporations. Neither like seeing their Read More…
The 2024 presidential election is over and the American people spoke loud and clear about who they wanted to lead the country. With a 312-to-226 victory in the electoral college and a 2.6 million vote advantage in the popular vote, a rare but illustrative feat, former and soon-to-be President Donald J. Trump enters the White Read More…
The United States Postal Service is in dire fiscal straits. America’s mail carrier recently announced that it lost $9.5 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2024, up from $6.5 billion in FY 2023. Things clearly aren’t looking good for any organization that needs “aggressive actions” to keep 10-year losses limited to “only” $70 billion instead of Read More…
By the looks of it, the socialist movement in the United States has petered out after the rapid rise of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in the 2016 Democratic presidential contest. While it’s true that Sanders ran and nearly won again in 2020, many political pundits have since written off the American socialist movement as Read More…
In recent opinion pieces, Evan Barrett, a longtime Democratic consultant, and Mike Jopek, a former Democratic legislator, have repeatedly provided their “simple solution” to our high property taxes in Montana: just lower the residential property tax rate to 0.76%. If it truly was that simple, both Democrat and Republican legislators would have already done it. Read More…
From all of us at the Connors Institute at Shippensburg University, we thank you for listening and hope you have a truly Happy Thanksgiving! Wherever you spend the holiday and whoever you spend it with, we hope you have lots to be thankful for and good people to be thankful with. People are also reading… Read More…
Back in the 1980s, the last time that Congress was able to agree on changes to Social Security, U.S. Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-NY) coined a pivotal axiom about consensus building: You are entitled to your own opinion, but not your own set of facts. That principle has long since been abandoned in the discussion Read More…
Working for the Bureau of Land Management as an initial attack firefighter during my summers in college, you would learn pretty fast how to properly move the hose to quickly fight the flame. During my last summer, our engine had a firefighter on our crew whose only experience was digging lines and not moving water. Read More…
Idaho is one of 17 states that requires a fiscal impact statement for a proposed ballot measure. While this is an important transparency tool to help provide voters with details on the potential fiscal cost of citizen initiatives, the debate surrounding the recently defeated Proposition 1 demonstrates the need for reforms to this process. Here Read More…
Austin Knudsen has been a steadfast defender of Montana’s sovereignty against federal overreach, and that’s why I fully support his reelection as Attorney General. Since taking office, he has sued the Biden-Harris administration more than 55 times, standing up for Montanans on critical issues like border security, energy independence, gun rights, and the fight against Read More…
As the demand for wireless services continues to grow, many consumers may not realize that they are facing significant financial burdens due to the taxes and fees imposed on these services. Wireless taxes can take various forms, including privilege taxes, license fees, and user taxes, and they are often added to your monthly wireless bill. Read More…
Montana’s Commission on Practice is the regulatory body of the legal profession here, tasked by the State Supreme Court with overseeing the ethical and professional conduct of attorneys’ practice of law in the state. Its enforcement arm is the Office of Disciplinary Counsel (ODC), which investigates and decides whether to prosecute complaints of unethical conduct Read More…
Kimberly Wehle, a constitutional law expert at the University of Baltimore’s School of Law, joins the Utterly Moderate Podcast to discuss her new book, Pardon Power: How the Pardon Power System Works—and Why. Wehle and host Lawrence Eppard discuss a variety of topics, including: How the pardon power looms large in the current presidential election.Why Wehle believes Read More…
The brave Americans who registered voters in the Jim Crow South during the Civil Rights Era endured violence, in some cases even death. Since then, maximizing voter participation has been widely considered a public good worthy of charity status. But the IRS has clear rules prohibiting charities that register voters from favoring political parties or Read More…
When debating legislation, legislators are always looking for unintended consequences. If you are pro-life or pro-choice, CI 128 must be a major concern. Hidden in the text of the initiative is language that gives blanket immunity to abortion providers for malpractice, incompetence or outright criminal behavior. In the complete text of CI 128 it says, Read More…
On this episode of the Utterly Moderate Podcast, the authors of the brand new book, The Poisoning of the American Mind, talk about the book and its implications for America. So what is their argument? A significant amount of research suggests that most people seek out news and information sources that mirror their worldviews, avoid ones Read More…
The U.S. Supreme Court recently wrapped up its 2023-2024 term and will be in recess until October 2024. During this term, the Court heard a number of cases that will have a significant impact on small businesses and the Main Street economy. NFIB filed amicus briefs in 12 of the cases presented. Of those, five Read More…
The Montana Supreme Court and several district court judges have become completely unmoored from the plain text of the Montana Constitution and the separation of powers among our three branches of government. Here’s a quick recap of just some of their most egregious recent actions: The Supreme Court overturned four common sense election integrity laws Read More…
There is no denying that homelessness is a complex issue. There are compounding factors that can lead to a person finding themselves on the streets – making it difficult for them to get back on their feet. Because of this complexity, there is no single solution for homelessness. Still, there are many ways our communities Read More…
What would you most like to see Mississippi’s elected lawmakers do during the current legislative session? Action to eliminate the reams of red tape holding our state back, maybe? Further tax cuts, perhaps? With so many other southern states moving ahead with school choice, you might wish that our lawmakers would do something similar. I Read More…
“Equal justice under law” is such a foundational principle in our constitutional republic that the phrase is carved in stone above the entrance to the United States Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C. Unfortunately, here in Montana, it appears that justice is not applied equally. In fact, at the Montana Supreme Court, there are two Read More…
The reintroduction of gray wolves to Yellowstone National Park and other parts of America since the 1990s has resulted in mistrust and hostility between wolf advocates and ranchers. The reintroduction of wolves in Colorado in December 2023 brought the issue into the spotlight once again and raised tensions even further. Ranchers point to wolf attacks Read More…
By Iain Murray | Competitive Enterprise Institute The Department of Labor is stuck in the 1930s. That’s the most likely explanation for its new rule that could lead to thousands of freelancers losing their livelihoods. The department is propping up a century-old model of what work should look like at a time when technology is Read More…