Fiscal Fridays: The Five Most Ridiculous Ways Idaho Spent in 2024

The proper role of government is fundamentally rooted in the protection of life, liberty, and property.
This Lockean principle underpins western philosophy of government and shaped our founders’ vision for our Republic.
But it doesn’t take much scrutiny to see that our government, both at the state and federal levels, has abandoned this limited view of their role in our lives.
Case in point: the latest iteration of Idaho’s state budget.
Countless programs receive millions of dollars sourced from your paychecks to support things they never should be doing in the first place.
This is money you could be spending on your own family to make ends meet.
On this week’s episode of Fiscal Fridays, we decided to list the top five most ridiculous spending items from the 2024 legislative session.

Sources
Intro: 00:00
1. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/locke-political/#:~:text=Locke%20used%20the%20claim%20that%20men%20are%20naturally,comfortable%20enjoyment%20of%20their%20lives%2C%20liberty%2C%20and%20property.
2. https://legislature.idaho.gov/lso/bpa/pubs/lbb/

Idaho Roadways: 01:02
3. https://idahofreedom.org/house-bill-770-idaho-transportation-department-supplementals-fy24-and-appropriations-fy25/
4. https://idahofreedom.org/senate-bill-1189-transportation-department-appropriations-fy24-and-supplementals-fy23/

School Food Education: 01:45
5. https://idahofreedom.org/house-bill-762-state-department-of-education-appropriations-fy25/
6. https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2021-03/Estimated_Budgetary_Effects_of_HR_1319_as_passed_0.pdf

Open Source Research Funding: 02:27
7. https://legislature.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/sessioninfo/2024/standingcommittees/240304_sedu_0300PM-Minutes_Attachment_2.pdf
8. https://www.nic.edu/elearning/open-education-resources-/
9. https://www.cato.org/testimony/most-college-cost-fixes-miss-root-problem
10. https://idahofreedom.org/senate-bill-1455-health-and-welfare-public-health-services-appropriations-fy25/
11. https://youtu.be/HnjaJepIWvM?si=PgtR4tfIYZqLZ-8h

Gov Approved Parenting: 03:47
10. https://idahofreedom.org/senate-bill-1455-health-and-welfare-public-health-services-appropriations-fy25/
11. https://youtu.be/HnjaJepIWvM?si=PgtR4tfIYZqLZ-8h

No Farming Funding: 04:33
12. https://swc.idaho.gov/home-2/what-we-do/conservation-programs-2/conservation-reserve-enhancement-program/
13. https://www.fsa.usda.gov/Assets/USDA-FSA-Public/usdafiles/Conservation/PDF/2023/CRPMonthlyDecember2023WithPageNumbers.pdf

Outro: 05:47
https://idahofreedom.org/24index/