"I'm Glad You Said That" - Jim Minnery Talks Faith & Politics

Going from fighting with Muslims in the Bosnian civil war along with a Pakistani militant group that ultimately had him being convicted and imprisoned for nearly 14 years on weapons charges for violating U.S. neutrality laws is not a background you'd expect for a recently appointed member of President Trump's White House’s Religious Liberty Commission.

But that is the story of Ismail Royer.

While in prison, Royer abandoned Islamist radicalism and now works with nonprofits to promote peace and combat religious extremism. As the Director of the Islam and Religious Freedom Action Team for the Religious Freedom Institute, Royer was instrumental in galvanizing Muslims and people of other faiths to stand up to the Montgomery County School District in Maryland that had refused to let parents opt their children out of LGBTQ indoctrination.

Ultimately, the case (Mahmoud v Taylor) went to the U.S. Supreme Court where they ruled in favor of the parents. 

Great precedent. Fascinating story.

Hope you can join us for my discussion with Ismail.

Support the show

Former Legislator Ben Carpenter is on the show today to discuss how Grand Juries in Alaska are being prevented from a Constitutional duty they have been given.

The Alaska Constitution grants grand juries broad powers to investigate public welfare and safety matters, but a 2022 Alaska Supreme Court ruling introduced restrictions on these powers, limiting their ability to investigate corrupt officials.

This is a big issue. And it's time to shed light on it.

Hope you can join us.

Support the show

Hillsdale College could and should be what you see when you look up the word exemplary. They are...on every level. If you haven't heard of this school, I can't recommend highly enough that you check them out and subscribe to Imprimis - their free monthly publication with nearly 7 million readers.

If you are a Hillsdale enthusiast, you'll be thrilled to know a Hillsdale-affiliated K-6 school is making roots in Anchorage. Thomas More Classical Academy will be opening in the Fall of 2026. From their website -  "Embracing the time-tested classical education model, intellectual rigor, and strong Christian values, we strive to be the preferred school for families in Anchorage who appreciate education’s true purpose: to train students in virtue. By cultivating the gifts and charisms of each student and fostering a culture of excellence and faith, Thomas More will stand out as a beacon of hope and quality in Anchorage’s educational landscape."

On today's "I'm Glad You Said That", I'm privileged to chat with Sarah Spaulding, the recently hired Headmaster of Thomas More Classical Academy.  Mrs. Spaulding has a remarkable track record in education and we're blessed as a community and state to have her join us as an Alaskan resident.

Support the show

John Stonestreet loves a fine cigar coupled with deep dives into theology, philosophy and the meaning of life. I've had the distinct pleasure of enjoying both with him in year's past.

As head of the Colson Center, John will be on the show today to chat about how to "Go beyond inviting Jesus into your life, to taking your place in His."

John is an intellectual on a grand scale and will also be discussing the Colson Center's latest project in partnership with Focus on the Family called Truth Rising. 

He is a much sought-after author and speaker on areas of faith and culture, theology, worldview, education and apologetics. John is the daily voice of BreakPoint, the nationally syndicated commentary on the culture founded by the late Chuck Colson and is also the voice of the Point, a daily one-minute feature on worldview, apologetics and cultural issues.

What a thrill to have him on the show today. I hope you can tune in.

Support the show

Dr. Deena Bishop, Commissioner of Education and Early Development in the Dunleavy Administration, is on the show talking about what's good and what's bad in the current educational environment in Alaska.

With the recent override of Dunleavy's veto by a crazy number of Republicans who voted to disregard accountability, this is a hot topic. Tune in and stay informed.

Support the show

Time To Get Rid of Ranked Choice Voting For Good !

Bethany Marcum is on the show today talking about the 2nd effort to repeal the highly political and disturbingly complicated ranked choice voting method that Alaskans approved in 2020 after millions of dollars of dark outside funds poured into the state to confuse voters.

The former head of Alaska Policy Forum and Americans for Prosperity in Alaska, Marcum has extensive political capabilities and experience having served as legislative aide for then-Sen. Mike Dunleavy, was appointed by Gov. Dunleavy to serve on the Alaska Redistricting Board and was a delegate to the Republican National Convention from Alaska.

An avid hunter, Marcum is also a master sergeant in the Alaska Air National Guard and has worked in the corporate world for several years as a business systems analyst for AlaskaUSA Federal Credit Union and at MAC Tel.

In her new role leading up the effort to repeal ranked choice voting, CLICK HERE for more info on that group, Marcum will be engaged with a battle-tested electorate that nearly shot down RCV the first time it was challenged losing only by a few hundred votes despite being outspent $15 million to $150,000. 

Let's get it done this time.

I hope you can tune in.

Support the show

U.S. Supreme Court Affirms Parental Rights
Plaintiff in Mahmoud v Taylor Case on Show Today

In 2022, a Washington, DC public school district told parents they were introducing a bundle of LGBTQIA+ affirming books to students to be more "inclusive."

One of the books tasked three- and four-year-olds to search for images from a word list that includes “intersex flag,” “[drag] queen,” “underwear,” “leather,” and the name of a celebrated LGBTQ activist and sex worker.

Turns out the school district kicked a bee hive and droves of parents took advantage of a Maryland law allowing them to opt their kids out.

The school district then decided to double down and take another kick at the hive by refusing parents their right to opt out.

Parents sued and lower courts stood with the school district's intent to "advocate a child-knows-best approach to gender transitioning, telling students that a decision to transition doesn’t have to “make sense” and that doctors only “guess” when identifying a newborn’s sex anyway." and "suppress free speech and independent thinking by having teachers tell students they are “hurtful” if they question these controversial ideologies."

Ultimately, the United States Supreme Court took up the case (Mahmoud v Taylor) and on June 27, 2025, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that the parents have the right to opt their children out of the storybooks. In the Court’s decision, Justice Alito writing for the majority said, “Today’s decision recognizes that the right of parents ‘to direct the religious upbringing of their’ children would be an empty promise if it did not follow those children into the public school classroom.”

Jeff Roman, one of the plaintiffs in this historical parental rights legal victory, is on the show today..

In a declaration, Roman noted that “We believe that much of what is taught via the pride storybooks is false religiously and scientifically. Issues of sexuality and gender identity are complex and sensitive. Our son is not old enough to be thinking about many of the issues presented in the books MCPS is requiring him to read, and would find them confusing.”

I hope you can tune in.

Support the show

Abortion Has Just Changed
ADF Attorney Denise Burke on the Show Today

A decision recently from the U.S. Supreme Court allows states to redirect taxpayer dollars away from abortion facilities like Planned Parenthood. In Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys represented the director of the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. The high court’s ruling means that the state can direct Medicaid funding—funds intended to help low-income individuals obtain necessary medical assistance—to comprehensive health care rather than entities that exist primarily to perform abortions.

What that means in Alaska is complicated by the fact that the Supreme Court here, one of the most radical in the country, has consistently manufactured a "right to abortion" in our State Constitution. That being said, there is still a road map to protecting unborn and their mothers. The Medina case provides great leverage for employing strategies to redirect the State portion of Medicaid, which is a Federal/State collaborative program, toward real community health care centers that outnumber Planned Parenthood in Alaska 88 to 2. Don't believe the lies about less access to healthcare. What this really means is less access to abortion.

On the Legislative front, the Big Beautiful Bill, that narrowly passed the U.S. Senate with a tie-breaking vote from Vice President J.D. Vance, has, for the first time in history, stripped Planned Parenthood of some $500 million. The BBB still has to go back to the U.S. House for a vote on the changes made by the Senate. The provision, originally proposed as a ten year measure to defund the abortion giant, was modified to just one year but it is a phenomenal first step in redistributing Federal funds to the more than 8,800 federally qualified community health care centers around the nation.

Today, I have the pleasure of chatting with Denise Burke at Alliance Defending Freedom on these two critical measures that have changed the pro life landscape. As senior counsel Denise is a member of the Center for Public Policy at ADF. In this role, her efforts are directed toward protecting life from conception to natural death and defending the conscience rights of healthcare professionals.

Prior to joining ADF, Burke served as vice president of legal affairs for Americans United for Life, where she routinely advised legislators, policy groups, and state attorneys general on life issues. 

I hope you can tune in.

Support the show

I'm privileged to chat with my friend Chloe Cole on the show today.

We'll discuss the recent landmark victory for children’s health and science-based medicine when the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Tennessee’s law protecting minors from harmful and life-altering drugs and surgeries.

From personal experience, Chloe has become the leading voice for protecting minors and families from having to go through the trauma of so called "gender affirming care." She is a very special person and her intellect, curiosity and passion have helped her to become a transformative voice in our nation and beyond.

Her recent full conversion to faith in Christ has given her even more perspective and motivation to keep pressing. As the Board of Medicine in Alaska continues looking at strategies to put an end to this practice in the Great Land, Chloe will continue to be a treasured asset and resource.

Support the show

Parents need all the help they can get to raise resilient, God-honoring, community-contributing kids.

In 2010, Eleanor Rodriguez, an elementary school principal in Santa Ana, California, reached out to community leaders for help. Rising poverty, gang violence, drugs, and other high-risk behaviors were impacting the education and well-being of the city’s children. The city’s youth were being lost. Parents and leaders were desperate for long-term solutions.

Ultimately, out of her desire to change the trajectory of her own little slice of earth, Rezilient Kidz was formed.

Today on the show, I get to converse with David Frush who helps communities throughout the West Coast establish Rezilient Kidz programs to give parents the tools needed to help their children stand up and take responsibility for themselves and those around them. He hopes Alaska will be the next state.

Support the show