The Ranch Podcast

Cory Stambaugh is the Garden City Chief of Police and very concerned about the state of our Department of Corrections. He brought in lots of pieces of information that gave me pause, ranging from things like state owned and paid for vehicles for inmates to drive around to bounce houses and family parties in prisons. I am obviously not in corrections and know nothing about the systems in place, but...

Jon Weber is a District 34 Representative concerned with the ever increasing stranglehold that the developer controlled HOA systems in Idaho have over residents. In current law, HOAs are under the control of the developer until the development is all but completed. In some areas of the Treasure Valley, for instance, there are developments that will take decades to complete, so the residents who ow...

Tracy Basterrechea is a current chief of police and former president of the Idaho Police Chief Association. He came in to speak on several bills that have either passed or failed in this legislative session, including the Bolter-Stall bill, the mandatory minimum for a second DUI involving a death, and child predators. Crime in Idaho is incredibly low, especially when compared to our surrounding st...

Monica Church is a District 19 Representative and recently attended a rally for public lands put on by the Conservation Voters of Idaho. She spoke at the engagement on the origins of Idaho’s public lands and why they’re so important to the state. Every time I speak with someone about public lands, I learn more about how fundamental they are to our state from an industry, identity, and individual c...

Jeff Simmons is the Superintendent for the Idaho Digital Learning Alliance, a state funded organization offering digital education to Idaho students. This is an incredible resource for people looking to supplement their existing public education, for homeschool families, for private school families, or those looking for alternative education models. This is yet another program provided by the stat...

Megan Egbert is a District 17 Representative and came in to speak on the SNAP program modifications and restricting illegal immigrant services. She is concerned that making it more difficult for stores to work with the SNAP program will reduce options for Idahoans who use the program, and she’s also worried about young people and soon to be born Americans that will be removed from social help, lik...

Jeff Ehlers is a District 21 Representative and came in to speak about the Gangster Tax and reducing licensing roadblocks for service providers. The Gangster Tax is in response to the BLM introducing projects into the state of Idaho that do NOT fit with our state, do NOT have public backing, and are NOT wanted by anyone living here. It would levy an excise tax onto those projects that could double...

Josh Lustig is an Idaho grown success story. After dropping out of college in four months, he went to work in the insurance field, but he inserted innovation and leveraged social media marketing to become a decamillionaire before 30. This type of out of the box thinking is what we will fundamentally need in our upcoming generations as technology shifts the employment landscape. More than anything,...

Rick Naerebout is the CEO of the Idaho Dairymen’s Association and came in to speak on the bird flu that is wrecking the poultry industry. The bird flu can infect many mammalian species, including cattle and humans, but it has a drastically different effect on us than it does in poultry. It is also very easily killed in the pasteurization process. For any dairy consumer, this was important informat...

Jeff Cornilles is a District 12 Representative, which includes the Nampa area where the infamous Pride Festival was held last year. There was a problem at the festival with two specific individuals who appeared to be males with plastic surgery to give them female breasts. The existings laws in Idaho at the time prevented police or other law enforcement from charging these two individuals with lewd...

Stephanie Mickelsen is a District 32 Representative and is very concerned about government overreach with Idaho businesses. One bill in particular removes businesses’ ability to refuse service to individuals, something that has classically been very cherished by conservative lawmakers who value religious freedoms. We also spoke on Ag. labor myths and political transparency. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcas...

Jerald Raymond is a District 31 Representative who has been engaged in Ag his entire life. We spoke at length about issues around protecting Idaho children from vaping and illegal products, water resources, and the preservation of Idaho history and culture. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast is supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organization committed to unbiased, Idaho focused media...

Debbie Critchfield is the State Superintendent of Education and came in to speak about the effects of closing the Federal Department of Education. Many programs coming from that department are utilized by many Idaho families, and there was a large concern amongst Idahoans that this closure would delay or completely stop some of these programs. Superintendent Critchfield came in to explain what we...

John Shirts is a District 9 Representative, a JAG officer, and a wool grower. He worked throughout this session to bring many bills forward related to law enforcement and was successful getting many across the line. Idaho is a safe place to live because we overwhelmingly believe in law and order, and Rep. Shirts worked for months to ensure that our state has the best tools available to continue pu...

John Oppenheimer works for the Idaho Conservation League and has a fantastic knowledge of Idaho, its wildlands, its policies, and where it’s headed. There are so many moving pieces, especially as we approach the end of the 2025 legislative session, that the question was really, “where do we start?” I greatly enjoyed the conversation centered around public lands, water, and local control. This is t...

Ty Jordan is a BSU Student, Political Intern, and an avid BJJ practitioner. As happens with most young men, he found himself in a dark, lost moment in life, but with the help of his jiu-jitsu team, he was able to correct his life and purpose and is now thriving. His story is one I have heard many times over and, in fact, experienced myself. Enjoy! www.theRanchPodcast.org The Ranch Podcast is the p...

Jordan Redman is a District 3 Representative and came in to talk about a multitude of things, including Soda on the SNAP program, Medicaid Expansion Reform, Medicaid for Illegal Immigrants, and DOGE in Idaho. We cover a lot of ground. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast is supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organization committed to unbiased, Idaho focused media.  www.theRanchPodcast....

Ilana Rubel is a District 18 Representative and came in to speak about a broad swath of legislation that passed or is passing this year, including public land sales, criminal prosecution reform, and cancer screening. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast is supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organization committed to unbiased, Idaho focused media.  www.theRanchPodcast.org The Ranch Podc...

Alexis Morgan is the Idaho State PTA president and also works with school communities to bridge the gaps between administration, teachers, and parent groups. She came in to speak on a few topics but specifically address the trauma the West Ada School District is experiencing right now. She frequently travels the state, speaking with all stakeholders in our education system, and I greatly appreciat...

Galen Lee is a lifelong Idaho farmer. He grows many crops and agreed to come in to speak about current best practices with herbicides and pesticides, what farmers have classically done, what chemicals are used now, and how technology is affecting this. There is a line of thinking that asks, why can’t we just grow things like we used to prior to the invention of RoundUp. Well, Galen answers that qu...

Mike Crapo is one of Idaho’s US Senators and came in to speak about a myriad of things, including taxes, Medicaid/Medicare, land management and ownership, federal funding, labor forces, and more. I greatly appreciate his time and willingness to come and speak with me, especially in the midst of protests and turmoil in the area. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast is supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a...

Dr. Andrea Christopher is an Idaho physician deeply concerned about and engaged in improving our Idaho Medical Education System. She is a huge supporter of the WWAMI program that offers Idaho students spots at the world class medical school in Washington, and is working to improve residencies and understanding around what is needed to bring Idaho up from the bottom of the barrel with Physician to...

Dr. Phil Gore is the Chief Learning Officer for the Idaho School Board Association. He has studied education and the administration thereof for decades and came in to expressly share the fundamental value proposition of public education. The “WHY” is public education is a question that has come into the public conversation as of late, and Dr. Gore answered it better than anyone I have ever heard....

Dr. Jaclyn Kettler is a professor of Poli-Sci at BSU and teaches state politics in the spring semester. She came in to speak about the mechanics and happenings of the 2025 session as well as out of state funding, motivations for bills, and who even constructs most of the bills we see. It is always a pleasure speaking with her. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast is supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a n...

Alicia Purdy is part of the Idaho State teachers union but appeared on the show representing herself and her personal views. The problems in West Ada have grabbed national attention, and we need community leaders to help us navigate out of this mess in one piece. I greatly appreciate Alicia taking the time to come in. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast is supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit...