The Weekly Political Potato: February 16

This week's Political Potato Update covers the attack on Medicaid expansion, Sen. Shippy’s anti-vaccine stunt, grocery tax relief, and a militia-driven push to weaken domestic terror laws

Political Hot Potato: The War on Medicaid Expansion Continues

In a narrow decision, the Idaho House Health and Welfare Committee advanced House Bill 138 with an 8-7 vote. This legislation, introduced by Rep. Jordan Redman (R-Coeur d'Alene), seeks to impose stringent conditions on Medicaid expansion, including work requirements, enrollment caps, and a three-year lifetime benefit limit for able-bodied adults. Critics argue that these provisions are nearly impossible to implement and could effectively lead to the repeal of Medicaid expansion, jeopardizing healthcare coverage for over 85,000 Idahoans.

With a dozens of testimonies from constituents loudly re-affirming why voters overwhelmingly supported the voter initiative to implement Medicaid expansion, as opposed to the IFF lobbyist and a few other far-right paid operative who opposed it. What was astounding was how any legislator in that room would have the audacity to refuse to listen to voters.

For years, the Idaho Freedom Foundation and its allies have worked to roll back Medicaid expansion, despite clear evidence that it has saved the state money and helped keep rural hospitals open. Each year they show us why they believe they deserve to override voters in order to pander to their dark money donors.

The bill now proceeds to the full House for consideration.

Political Sweet Potato: Grocery Tax Credit Bill Passes

The Idaho House passed HB231, increasing the grocery tax credit from $120 to $155 per person to offset the financial burden of sales tax on food. This is good news for Idahoans who have been footing the bill while the state profits from out-of-state tourists loading up on groceries.

The bad news? The Idaho Freedom Foundation’s most loyal foot soldiers in the House voted against it. Representatives Lucas Cayler, Clint Hostetler, David Leavitt, Kent Marmon, and Faye Thompson stood alone in opposition, proving once again that their allegiance lies with IFF’s anti-tax-at-all-costs agenda—not with everyday Idahoans. These bought-and-paid for legislators continue to prove why they are useless and should not be voted back into office next year.

For a group that constantly claims to be “for the people,” they sure seem intent on making it harder for working families to afford groceries. But hey, at least Ron and Maria Nate are happy they did what they were told to do.

The Grocery Tax debate did not go off without out IFF’s favorite pro-drug legalization partner pulling shenanigans.

lawmakers recently received a flood of emails purportedly from constituents demanding the repeal of the grocery tax. However, upon closer inspection, many of these messages were exposed as fraudulent, orchestrated by the American Action Fund (AAF), a political action committee linked to the Texas-based Young Americans for Liberty.

Rep. Rod Furniss (R-Rigby) discovered that one of the emails was falsely sent under his own name, stating, "In fact, one of those emails is from myself." Rep. Chris Bruce (R-Kuna) noted receiving an email from a woman he knew through church, who later confirmed she had never sent such a message.

YAL/AAF sent a message suggesting that lawmakers were simply lying about this because they would not repeal the grocery tax.

What Were They Thinking? Sen. Brandon Shippy’s Anti-Vaccine Stunt

When a Christian Nationalist conspiracy theorist beats an experienced and rational State Senator in a Republican primary by screaming “RINO” loud enough, this is what you get—dangerous, anti-science legislation that puts public health at risk.

This time, Sen. Brandon Shippy has outdone himself with Senate Bill 1036, which would ban mRNA vaccines in Idaho for the next 10 years by falsely labeling them as "gene therapy." The bill is so poorly written and scientifically illiterate that it could also ban other critical medical treatments that involve mRNA technology. Doctors, scientists, and even conservative lawmakers have called this bill reckless.

For those who forgot, mRNA vaccines do not alter human DNA—a fact that Shippy and his Telegram echo chamber seem unwilling to grasp. But instead of listening to actual medical experts, he’s chosen to take his cues from the same dark corners of the internet that convinced him all abortion is murder and Covid vaccines are a globalist plot.

This is not serious leadership. This is a Alex Jones-style YouTube video comment section come to life.

Thankfully, the bill is stalled in committee, where cooler heads may prevent Idaho from becoming the first state to ban life-saving vaccines based on conspiracy theories. But the fact that this bill was even introduced should be a red flag for every Idahoan who values science, personal freedom, and basic common sense.

Brandon Shippy has proven time and again that he’s unfit for office. The question now is: Will voters correct this mistake next election?

Rotten Potato: House Bill 184 – A Love Letter to Extremists

If you were wondering whether Idaho’s extremist militia movement still has influence in the Legislature, look no further than House Bill 184—a bill clearly designed to shield far-right anti-government activists from legal consequences.

This bill, which seeks to redefine domestic terrorism in Idaho law, is eerily similar to legislation previously pushed with the help of Eric Parker, the Bundy Bridge Sniper, and is now being championed under pressure from the LaVoy Finicum’s clan who now reside in here in Idaho. Finicum, for those who don’t remember, was shot by law enforcement after pulling a gun on officers during the armed occupation of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge.

The goal of this bill? To make it harder for law enforcement to hold violent anti-government actors accountable.

Supporters of HB 184 want to ensure that militia groups can operate freely without worrying that their actions—whether it’s threatening public officials, intimidating communities, or even engaging in armed standoffs—will actually get them in trouble.

This is what happens when elected officials pander to the fringes of Telegram groups and conspiracy-laden Facebook pages instead of the people they’re supposed to represent. Any legislator backing this bill should be asked: Are you afraid of these extremists, or do you actually support them?

Other Legislative Shenanigans Worth Watching

• Senate Bill 1096 proposes changes to education funding by moving to a weighted per-student allocation model. It’s being marketed as an effort to “fix” school funding, but critics warn it could disproportionately hurt smaller districts. Expect a fight.

• House Bill 83 targets undocumented immigrants by introducing new state-level crimes for illegal entry. The real-world effect? More racial profiling, unnecessary legal battles, and division in Idaho communities, all while ignoring any solutions to improve our immigration system.