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WHAT WE COVER


WHAT WE COVER
Free
Markets
First.



JOIN JUDGE JEANINE IN COEUR D'ALENE APRIL 11TH!

Madilynne Clark
Aug 31, 20233 min read
Free market agriculture weeds out excessive regulations
As a small farmer starting from scratch, there comes a point when it is necessary to hire someone to work on your operation. A few years...


Chris Cargill
Aug 16, 20232 min read
Banning plastic bags is not an effective environmental policy
The Cheyenne, Wyoming city council is considering joining a popular, but ineffective environmental fad. Lawmakers are proposing banning...


Sebastian Griffin
Jul 20, 20233 min read
Twitter vs. Threads: A Clash with a Free Market impact
Two prominent figures in the tech world, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, have launched their own social media brands.


Chris Cargill
Jun 27, 20232 min read
Six years after the end of "net neutrality" - the sky didn't fall
They predicted the internet would slow down. Some said the internet would end. Neither has happened.


Jason Mercier
Jun 20, 20232 min read
Don’t sour on the next generation of entrepreneurs
Occasionally there is a great story about lemons, lemonade, balance sheets, and encouraging kids to become entrepreneurs.


Chris Cargill
Jun 9, 20231 min read
Federal regulations surge, but Mountain States lead by example
It's a very different story at the local level. In fact, Idaho is the least regulated state in the country.


Jason Mercier
Jun 5, 20232 min read
Idaho celebrates small businesses
One of the Mountain States Policy Center’s top priorities is to protect the ability of small businesses to thrive.


Chris Cargill
May 24, 20232 min read
Moving truck prices tell policy story
Idaho's quality of life, low tax burden and booming economy make it incredibly attractive.


Paige Thibaut
Mar 7, 20231 min read
How competition can lower worker’s comp costs and improve outcomes
Workers' compensation is defined by the United States Centers for Disease Control as, “systems [that] were established to provide partial...


Chris Cargill
Feb 13, 20232 min read
Right to work is right for Montana
There will be a hearing this Friday, February 17th on the "Worker Freedom Act" in Montana. House Bill 448 would make Montana a right to...


Chris Cargill
Feb 12, 20236 min read
Legislative session checklist: policies introduced, policies waiting
Legislative sessions in Idaho, Montana and Washington are more than a month old, and we are getting a rough idea of what could be in play...


Chris Cargill
Feb 7, 20232 min read
Union membership - the lowest on record
Unions are not what they used to be. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has released its latest data on union membership in the United...


Chris Cargill
Jan 31, 20232 min read
Yes, employees can be hurt by a minimum wage hike
Raising the minimum wage is one of the many policy ideas peppered with tradeoffs, but one of the few that have such a direct impact on...


Chris Cargill
Jan 30, 20231 min read
Where should you retire?
A new WalletHub survey has once-again rated the Mountain States has one of the best places to retire. Wyoming ranked 4th, Idaho ranked...


Charlotte McKinley
Jan 24, 20231 min read
Red tape relief push in Helena
The three most prominent bills for Gov. Greg Gianforte’s red-tape relief push was heard before the House Business and Labor Committee on...


Madilynne Clark
Jan 24, 20232 min read
The policies and politics of COVID-19 in the Mountain States
Starting in January 2020, reports of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) entering the United States were a reality, and no longer an international...


Bob Pishue
Jan 19, 20231 min read
The Path - Responsible transportation policy in the Mountain States
Transportation systems are the backbone of a strong local economy, allowing people and goods to move efficiently and effectively. At its...


Bob Pishue
Jan 18, 20232 min read
Preview: Key recommendations for transportation in our region
Transportation systems are the backbone of a strong local economy, allowing people and goods to move efficiently and effectively. At its...


Chris Cargill
Jan 16, 20231 min read
Will Wyoming pull plug on electric vehicle sales?
Call it the opposite approach. As some states (California and Washington, for example) move to ban the sale of gas-powered vehicles in...


Chris Cargill
Jan 9, 20231 min read
Governor Little focuses on education, taxes in state of the state address in Boise
Governor Brad Little welcomed members of the Idaho State Legislature today with his state of the state address, pressing a theme of...
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