The Ranch Podcast

Carter Niemeyer is a wildlife biologist, author, and famously part of the wolf reintroduction to Yellowstone National Park in the mid 1990s. He is publishing a third book titled, The Other Ten Wolves, following a relocation within the state of Montana of ten wolves that had become a problem for locals. He is a wealth of knowledge, and I also appreciate what I learn when speaking with him. Enjoy! T...

Monica Church is a District 19 Representative and a deep, deep lover of Idaho’s wildlands. She has profound ties to these wide open spaces that Idaho is so blessed with, and she is concerned that the tide is changing with views and perspectives on these state treasures. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast Legislative Session episodes are supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organization...

Representative Jason Monks came in to speak about a number of things, including Tax Cuts for Idahoans to the tune of $400+ Million, our new school choice law, and more. I greatly appreciate him making the time! 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.theRanchPo...

Josh Tanner is a District 14 Representative who has been working intensely throughout the session on many bills and priorities. He came in to speak about a few, including Capital Punishment for Child Sex Offenders. We also spoke about prices of housing and the state of the economy that makes the American Dream more of a dream and less of a reality in Idaho. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast Legislative Ses...

Brian Brooks is the VP of Advocacy at the American Bird Conservancy and has been traveling back to DC regularly to meet with many people regarding wildlands, wetlands, birds, and conservancy projects. Our waterfowl populations are maintained by massive international cooperative agreements that produce healthy, predictable migration habitats and patterns. Brian came in to speak about DOGE and the a...

David Claiborne is an Idaho attorney very familiar with the issues around immigrant labor and illegal residents. There are several bills in the legislature right now that would introduce more power and responsibility to Idaho law enforcement with detection, detaining, and deporting illegal immigrants, but there are also several problems with this from a legal standpoint. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast L...

Camille Blaylock is the District 11 Senator and apparently did not understand the nature of the “family dog” until she was in college. Much of Senator Blaylock’s area is becoming more urbanized which brings with it shifting culture and ways of life, and it was great hearing her perspectives on this change. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast Legislative Session episodes are supported by Truth In Media Founda...

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...

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 ho...

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 Legisla...

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 pro...

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 forc...

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...

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...

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 Medi...

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 L...

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...

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...

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 amaz...

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,...

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...

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 unbias...

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 Sessi...

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 Le...

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 kno...