The Neal Larson Show

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Today’s show was a true “turn on a dime” mix of DC and local-life—starting with us rolling out a just-for-fun Neal Larson Show March Madness bracket group (text **BRACKET** to join), because honestly we all need a little relief from politics and the legislative session. From there we dug into the Senate fight over the **SAVE Act**, where Democrats are calling it everything from “voter suppression” to an existential threat to democracy, while we’re sitting here thinking: the whole point is simply that only American citizens should vote in American elections. We also touched on the realities of the Senate math (including why a talking filibuster isn’t the magic solution people think it is), and how getting Democrats on record opposing election integrity could matter even if the bill doesn’t make it through.

Congressman **Russ Fulcher** joined us to talk about the SAVE Act’s uphill climb in the Senate, the ongoing DHS-related shutdown impacts (TSA and FEMA getting hit while ICE enforcement remains a political target), and what’s coming online this tax year from the “big, beautiful bill”/working-family tax changes—bigger deductions, no tax on tips and overtime, and a higher child tax credit. Later, we pivoted back home to Idaho with a heated look at **House Bill 542**, the Stop Harm from Addictive Social Media Act, and the tension between protecting kids and avoiding overreach—especially as Facebook/Meta pushes amendments that would strip parents’ ability to sue. We also hit a quick but meaningful LDS Church update: women can now serve in **ward Sunday school presidencies**, which sparked a real conversation about what actually improves programs at the local level.

### Highlights
- Neal Larson Show **March Madness bracket challenge** launches (men’s or women’s bracket options; bragging rights only).
- SAVE Act debate: claims of “suppression” vs the basic premise of **citizens-only voting**; filibuster math reality check.
- **Rep. Russ Fulcher** on border fallout, election integrity, DHS shutdown impacts, and new tax changes kicking in this year.
- Idaho’s **HB 542** and Big Tech influence: Meta-backed changes would limit enforcement to the AG and remove parents’ private right of action.
- LDS Church handbook update: **women may serve in ward Sunday school presidencies** (all-female or all-male presidency structure).

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Today’s show had that classic “welcome to Idaho politics” whiplash—in the best way. Neal Larson and Julie Mason dug into a high-profile cultural bill moving through the Idaho House: a “biological sex bathroom” policy meant to stop intentional use of the opposite-sex restroom in public settings. They walked through why they see it as basic common sense, why they think some of the “no” arguments (including Rep. Handy’s) don’t hold up under scrutiny, and why the intentional/knowing language matters. They also clarified a key detail from the vote record: Marco Erickson didn’t personally vote no—his substitute, Kirk Larson, did—and the official journal notation shows that distinction.

From there, the conversation widened into bigger accountability questions: how substitutes should vote, what it really means to “hold legislators accountable,” and why Neal’s updated Party Cohesion Index is meant to be a measuring tool—not a “tribunal.” They called out what they see as a pattern of East Idaho lawmakers underperforming conservative alignment compared to the rest of the state, urged listeners to engage ahead of the May 19 primary, and took some heat from a listener who wanted a more confrontational approach. And because it was also St. Patrick’s Day *and* Julie’s birthday, the show balanced all that intensity with community fun—birthday shoutouts, Duck Donuts, and a big “Julie birthday special” from Todd Larson and Scott Murdoch at Advanced Window Products: $3,000 off 10+ windows (prorated), with a lifetime warranty and local manufacturing.

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### Highlights
- Breakdown of the Idaho House “biological sex bathroom” bill and why some lawmakers voted no  
- Clarification from the official record: Erickson’s “no” was a substitute vote (Larson)  
- Neal’s updated Party Cohesion Index, plus debate over what real “accountability” looks like  
- East Idaho representation concerns and a push for stronger conservative turnout by May 19  
- Julie’s birthday + St. Patty’s Day celebration, Duck Donuts, and the Advanced Window Products $3,000-off special

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Neal Larson and Julie Mason kick off the week already feeling like it should be Thursday, bouncing between birthday banter and real frustration with how things are going—especially at the Idaho Legislature. They dig into the Senate’s blow-up over a major budget, agreeing Senator Doug Ricks is one of the few who shows up the same way in every room, and pushing back on the idea that one dramatic floor speech “changed everything.” In their view, the speech mostly raised the emotional temperature without offering a path forward, and now JFAC is stuck trying to find enough Senate votes without alienating the ones they’ve already got. From there, they pivot to a broader complaint: lawmakers and agencies kicking hard problems down the road, including the ongoing fight over ending automatic teacher union dues deductions—something they argue should be straightforward if lawmakers are actually in charge.

The show then swings national, reacting to the Iran conflict (Operation “Epic Fury”), skepticism of media narratives that lean on Iranian claims, and Caroline Leavitt’s criticism of anonymous-source reporting and subsequent “corrections.” They talk through divisions on the right, the weird incentives in political coverage, and why they see national security as worth short-term pain (including gas prices). Back home again, they call out loaded language in coverage of a bill requiring schools/health professionals to inform parents about transgender identification requests, arguing parents aren’t the villains and kids don’t have “privacy rights” from mom and dad. They also revisit oversight issues at Idaho Health and Welfare (and the AG’s authority to investigate COVID-era childcare grants), then close with a warning that a medical marijuana petition drive is using the same “compassion campaign” playbook as Medicaid expansion—and they think it could work.

**Highlights**
- Why the Senate budget fight isn’t about one speech—and why JFAC is now negotiating in a minefield  
- Media vs. Iran narratives: distrust of Iranian “reporting,” anonymous sources, and why corrections matter  
- “Outing” vs. “informing parents”: the loaded language battle over schools and parental rights  
- Idaho Health and Welfare oversight concerns and the ongoing authority fight for investigations  
- Medical marijuana petitions: the “compassion” pitch, and why they think it may pass

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Idaho’s budget fight is getting real, and it feels like we’ve backed ourselves into a corner: big tax cuts, an economic forecast that isn’t exactly inspiring confidence, and now lawmakers are acting surprised that the math is tight. We walked through what happened after Senator Guthrie’s floor speech—genuine, humble, and persuasive in tone—even if the behind-the-scenes vote count may have already been headed for a no. Either way, it changed the temperature in the building and kicked JFAC back into problem-solving mode, where every tweak to win a few senators risks losing a few reps. We also kicked around the political reality that “what I want government to be” and “what can actually pass with 104 other lawmakers” are two different things—especially when rainy day funds are sitting there tempting people who want to soften cuts without committing to long-term spending.

Then we shifted into the other pressure points driving listeners nuts right now: Democrats calling House Bill 93 a “voucher” while praising the Launch program (which, by their own definition, sure starts to sound like a college voucher scheme), plus frustration with media narratives that pin individual tragedies directly on budget decisions without proving the dots connect. We also had some fun and community in the middle of it all—hosting the 22nd Street Jazz band live in-studio for “Fly Me to the Moon”—before circling back to practical fixes: whether to use rainy day money (and how to guarantee it’s truly one-time), where to cut bloat (commissions and “nice-to-haves”), and why small cuts still matter if you’re serious about treating taxpayer dollars like your own budget.

**Highlights**
- Senator Guthrie’s budget speech shook up the Senate vote and forced JFAC back to the drawing board  
- The core fight: ongoing programs vs one-time money, and whether to tap Idaho’s rainy day fund  
- “Voucher” language battle: House Bill 93 tax credit vs the Launch program comparison  
- Media accountability debate over headlines tying deaths directly to Medicaid funding changes  
- Live in-studio performance: 22nd Street Jazz plays “Fly Me to the Moon”

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Julie was out today, so Neal Larson took the mic solo and covered two big threads: election integrity at home and Iran abroad. First up was a conversation with Senator Jim Risch about the SAVE Act—requiring proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections. Risch called it obvious, broadly popular, and worth fighting for, but he also laid out the political reality: Democrats are unified against it, and a few Republicans won’t get there either, largely on states-rights grounds. They also dug into the filibuster confusion—Risch argued people talk about it like it “passes” bills when in reality it’s more of a tool to slow or try to stop them, and even then it rarely works the way folks imagine. After the interview, Neal expanded on why the Strait of Hormuz is such a choke point—narrow lanes, Iranian islands with strategic value, and the insurance/shipping risk dynamic that can “close” the strait in practice even without an official blockade.

The hour also included a listener call with references to *2000 Mules* and a book about election manipulation narratives, which Neal used as a springboard into why he believes Democrats fight so hard against tighter voter verification and border enforcement—arguing it’s tied to power, apportionment, and long-term political viability. Later, Neal interviewed Idaho Democratic Party Chair Lauren Necochea about the strained Idaho budget, her criticism of tax cuts skewing toward higher earners, and her view that Idaho should tap rainy day reserves and revisit policies like the private-school tax credit (which she repeatedly framed as a “voucher”). She also defended bringing Tim Walz to Idaho, pitched him as a working-family governor, and pushed back on fraud criticisms by pointing to enforcement and accountability. Neal wrapped with commentary on political media dynamics—especially the growing rift between Ted Cruz and Tucker Carlson—and ended with a quick, pointed clip reacting to Jill Biden’s upcoming book and the revisionist framing of Joe Biden’s exit from the 2024 race.

## Highlights
- Senator Jim Risch on why the SAVE Act is “common sense,” but still short on votes in the Senate  
- Neal’s explainer on the Strait of Hormuz: geography, Iranian leverage, and why insurance can halt shipping  
- Idaho Dem Chair Lauren Necochea on budget cuts, rainy day funds, tax policy, and the “voucher vs. tax credit” fight  
- Tim Walz in Idaho: Necochea says the crowd enthusiasm was real; Neal presses on fraud and political fit  
- Neal’s take on Tucker Carlson vs. Ted Cruz—and how media incentives can push figures into “weird swerves”  

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Neal Larson and Julie Mason start in their usual gear-shifting way—riffing on Utah potentially becoming a real-life Jetsons test lab for personal aerial vehicles (cargo first, people later) and the creeping reality of humanoid robots—before pivoting hard into an Idaho Legislature vote urging the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider *Obergefell* (the 2015 decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide). What makes the conversation stick is that it isn’t a simple “just undo it” take. They walk through the practical and political reality of trying to unwind a decade of contracts, taxes, insurance, property, and state laws built on that ruling—plus the electoral risk of re-litigating an issue that has become culturally embedded. They also debate the proper role of courts vs. legislatures, including a caller’s argument that courts shouldn’t be treated as ultimate lawgivers, and they push back on how quickly “ignore the courts” becomes a recipe for chaos.

In the second half, they dig into Idaho’s intraparty dynamics with Neal’s “Party Cohesion Index” (the “handy dandy data sheet”)—a metric tracking how often lawmakers vote with their party on true split votes. The goal isn’t to whip up hostility; it’s to give constituents something measurable to start better conversations with their representatives, especially when public messaging doesn’t match voting patterns. They also touch on concerns about Democrats encouraging crossover registration to influence Republican primaries, and they land on a simple response: conservatives can’t be apathetic—register, show up, and vote. Along the way they wrestle with the bigger philosophical question underneath the marriage fight: once government took ownership of marriage for secular benefits, did it inevitably invite government to redefine it?

### Highlights
- Utah as a testing ground for “Jetsons” transportation: high-speed electric aerial vehicles, cargo first, then people  
- Idaho’s memorial urging SCOTUS to revisit *Obergefell*—and why undoing it isn’t as clean as it sounds  
- Courts vs. legislatures: what happens if states decide Supreme Court rulings are “optional”?  
- The “Party Cohesion Index” as a transparency tool for spotting trends and prompting constituent questions  
- Closed primaries and crossover voting: the antidote is turnout and registration, not wishful thinking  

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Today’s show was a bit of a whirlwind, but it all circled around the same theme: people weaponizing narratives instead of dealing in reality. We dug into the spike (and quick drop) in oil prices tied to risk around the Strait of Hormuz—reminding everyone there’s not an “oil shortage” so much as speculation and shipping/insurance fear. From there we pivoted into politics, where we see the same knee-jerk energy: folks rooting for bad economic news just so they can score points against Trump, and Democrats getting giddy over flashy, radical candidates who feel exciting inside the bubble but don’t match what most voters will actually support.

The core of the episode, though, was Idaho’s legislature and accountability. Neal walked through a new “Party Cohesion Index” he built using AI + Legislative Scan data—only measuring truly split, high-stakes votes—to show who actually votes with their stated party when it counts. Democrats are highly unified; Republicans are not, and a chunk of East Idaho lawmakers who campaign as Republicans routinely vote with Democrats in these defining moments. We talked integrity: if you’re going to wear the party label for advantage, you should at least mostly align with it—or be honest and pick a different “home.” Calls reinforced the frustration (term limits getting overturned, lawmakers missing votes, crossover voting), and we tied it to a bigger national fight: the SAVE Act and voter ID. The numbers show overwhelming support for photo ID across race and party, and we called out the insulting argument that women somehow can’t handle the documentation process—something they already navigate constantly in real life.

**Highlights**
- Oil prices jumped on Hormuz risk/insurance pressure—not a true supply shortage—and quickly eased back down.
- Neal’s AI-built Party Cohesion Index tracks how often lawmakers vote with their party on split votes; Democrats are cohesive, Republicans are fractured.
- Strong warning about “strategic party affiliation” and crossover voting shaping East Idaho representation.
- SAVE Act talk: broad public support for voter ID and frustration with Senate theatrics/filibuster games.
- Notable media moment: ABC’s Jonathan Karl describing how unusually accessible Trump is by phone to reporters.

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This episode was a classic “big picture to local politics to cultural weirdness” Monday. We dug into the fast-moving U.S. operation against Iran and the debate over what powers the president has versus Congress—acknowledging why some people are wary, but also arguing the case that after decades of Iran using proxies (Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis, etc.) to kill and threaten Americans, patience isn’t the same thing as “justification.” We walked through what lawmakers like Lindsey Graham and John Kennedy are publicly signaling (heavy strikes, no ground invasion), talked about how media coverage seems to fixate on collateral narratives (like an oil refinery or a desalination plant) while ignoring the evil of the regime itself, and why we think this is designed to be decisive—not another years-long half-commitment.

Then we shifted to Idaho and the political theater closer to home: Tim Walz showing up for Idaho Democrats (and the question of what the ROI possibly was), plus the ongoing frustration with bills dying “in a drawer” at the legislature—especially E-Verify—while certain lawmakers or PACs run glossy, careful-worded ads claiming they’re tough on illegal immigration. We also hit a couple culture moments that feel like parody but aren’t: the State Department “queering the map” explanation, and the LA Marathon controversy where people stopping at mile 18 could still be labeled “finishers.” Our take: celebrate effort, sure—but don’t rewrite reality. Words mean things, and “finisher” is one of them.

**Highlights**
- Why the Iran operation is being framed as fast, surgical, and regime-focused—not a ground war  
- The “maps are too heterosexual” / “queering the map” moment and why it struck us as forced compliance, not inclusion  
- Idaho politics: Tim Walz visit, legislative bills dying in drawers, and PAC messaging games around E-Verify/immigration  
- LA Marathon “finishers” at mile 18—participation trophies for grown-ups, and runners calling it out  

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Today we dug into the Kristi Noem shake-up and the way everyone’s trying to spin it. Call it whatever you want—“reassigned,” “moved,” “Western Shield” whatever—this wasn’t a lateral move, and pretending otherwise doesn’t help. We talked about what likely set the stage for it, including the frustration that Homeland Security started looking like a personal branding vehicle (that self-deportation ad campaign being the clearest example). At the same time, we pushed back on the idea that this signals a collapsing Trump administration—polling shows Trump is still running extremely strong, especially with Republicans, and the broader media narrative doesn’t match what the numbers say.

Then we went hard at Idaho’s House Bill 745: no taxpayer-funded time, systems, or payroll support for union activity. The more we talked through it, the more it felt like a “how was this ever allowed?” moment—teachers doing union work while on the clock, districts not reimbursed, automatic dues deductions processed through payroll, unions using taxpayer-funded email systems, and paid leave for union business. We also called out the lawmakers who voted no and questioned how some of the loudest “not a dollar more” voices on education spending can shrug when education dollars effectively subsidize union operations. We wrapped with Open Phones Friday: listeners broadened the conversation into Iran history and foreign policy, union culture, and why the “protect your own” mentality can keep bad actors in place—plus, yes, we got surprise-delivered several bags of Bugles, which became its own unexpected subplot.

## Highlights
- Kristi Noem’s exit: why “reassigned” doesn’t pass the smell test, and what may have led to it  
- HB 745: ending taxpayer-supported union activity (on-the-clock time, payroll deductions, email systems, paid leave)  
- Trump approval: strong support within the GOP, and why the “everyone hates Trump” storyline doesn’t hold up  
- Open lines: Iran history, leadership failures, and union accountability debates  
- Studio for Covers: BYU–Idaho a cappella group **Musai** performed “The Weather” (Lawrence)

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Today’s show was a classic “all of the above” kind of morning. We started with a mix of Idaho politics and everyday-life tangents—everything from why the governor’s race is crowded while other statewide incumbents are basically unopposed, to Pocatello’s new Target and the excitement around Raising Caine’s. From there we jumped into a clip from the Senate floor where Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke enforced the rule about referring to the governor as “the gentleman on the second floor,” which turned into a broader conversation about how stiff and ritual-heavy legislative procedure can feel when all we really want is plain talk and straight answers.

The centerpiece was our conversation with Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane, who walked us through two competing bills to bring back Idaho’s presidential primary (after the frustrations of caucuses and low turnout). One proposal puts the presidential contest in early March; the other folds it into May and shifts Idaho’s state primary earlier for consistency and higher participation. We also dug into “dark money” flooding legislative races (McGrane cited $17.6 million spent), what transparency tools his office has built, and why Idaho is refusing a DOJ request for sensitive voter data—while still working closely with Homeland Security to verify citizenship and keep voter rolls clean. We closed with a listener flash-poll on March vs. May, a candid discussion about voter cynicism and election confidence, and—because it’s us—an unexpected spiral into weird ham radio signals and a full-on Bugles snack debate.

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### Highlights
- Phil McGrane explains the **two bills** to restore Idaho’s presidential primary: **March contest vs. May consolidation** (plus moving the May primary earlier).
- Discussion of **out-of-state dark money** in Idaho legislative races and the push for updated campaign finance transparency laws.
- Idaho’s stance on **protecting voter personal data** from a DOJ request, while still partnering with DHS to verify voter roll citizenship status.

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