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Guest Columnist Senator Tammy Nichols on Home Ownership

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Observer Staff
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April 27, 2026

Idaho Rejects “Own Nothing and Be Happy”

By: ID Senator Tammy Nichols

ID Senator Tammy Nichols (Photo Credit: Tammy Nichols)

There has been a lot of discussion about two housing bills passed this session that I co-sponsored: S1352a (Starter Home Subdivisions) and S1354a (Accessory Dwelling Units). Some people have claimed these laws take away local control or will dramatically change Idaho communities. I believe much of that concern comes from misunderstanding what these bills actually do.

These are not sweeping mandates. They are a light-touch response to a real housing challenge facing Idaho families, seniors, and young adults.

For years, Idaho has seen rising home prices, shrinking inventory, and fewer options for working families trying to buy their first home. At the same time, many of our children are growing up here, graduating here, and then leaving because they cannot afford to stay.

That should concern all of us.

My first home in Meridian was in a starter-home subdivision. It was a modest 3 bedroom, 2 bath home, just over 1,000 square feet, and I purchased it for $80,000 in 1996. It was not fancy, but it was attainable, and it was a sacrifice that we were excited, yet scared to make. It was a starting place, and it helped build a future. Too many young families today do not even have that kind of opportunity.

S1352a creates a path for starter-home subdivisions in larger cities. These are smaller, more affordable homes designed to help first time buyers enter the market. Just as important, the law still protects cities by allowing them to condition or deny approval if roads, water, sewer, or other infrastructure cannot support the project.

That means cities still have authority to manage growth responsibly.

S1354a is also modest and practical. It allows one accessory dwelling unit per lot, either inside the main home or one small, detached unit in the backyard, subject to setbacks. This could be a mother-in-law suite, basement apartment, garage conversion, or backyard cottage.

That is not overdevelopment. That is common sense.

These housing options can help seniors stay near family, help young adults get started, provide space for caregivers, or help homeowners offset rising costs. They create gentle growth without large apartment complexes or massive subdivisions.

Meanwhile, apartments are already being built across Idaho at much higher density, yet many critics say little. But when we talk about smaller homes, ownership opportunities, or a modest backyard cottage, concerns suddenly grow.

What Idaho families are facing is a growing housing squeeze.

Homeownership has always been part of the American Dream, the chance to build stability, raise a family, create equity, and own something of your own. Yet more Americans are missing out on that opportunity.

Today, only about 12% of Americans are married and own a home by age 30, compared with 52% in 1960. Here in the Treasure Valley, median home prices often range from the mid $400,000s to over $500,000 depending on location. For many young families, that dream feels farther away every year.

Because of that, many young couples delay marriage, delay children, or move elsewhere in search of affordable housing.

We see it in Idaho as many of our own kids leave because they cannot afford to stay. Seniors on fixed incomes are struggling as well. We cannot keep kicking the can down the road while the next generation loses opportunities previous generations once had.

These bills also align with President Trump’s recent executive order focused on increasing housing supply and affordability.

Idaho rejects the growing global mindset captured in the phrase, “You will own nothing and be happy.”

We still believe in private property, homeownership, strong families, and the freedom to build a future.

These laws are not about changing Idaho. They are about preserving what made Idaho strong in the first place, a place where ordinary people can still own a home, raise a family, and build a life.

These two bills are not the only answer. We also need lower taxes, reduced regulations, responsible growth planning, infrastructure investment, and an economy where wages can keep up with costs. But we cannot keep kicking the can down the road while the next generation loses opportunities previous generations once had.

In Liberty,

Sen. Tammy Nichols

Guest Column from Stop Idaho RINOs: The Map Is Red. The Votes Are Purple.

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Observer Staff
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April 26, 2026

The Map Is Red. The Votes Are Purple.
Why are RINOs squirming?

By: Stop Idaho RINOs

It’s been pretty fun seeing many of the RINOs squirm over the past several weeks because of the results of our “Votes With Dems” scorecard.

Several Idaho legislators are pushing back with their own spin. The arguments are nearly identical, almost like they had a Zoom workshop together. Same complaints, same percentages, same misdirection.

Here’s our response. Once. For everyone.

What this scorecard actually measures

Idaho is called a red state. The map says so. The registration numbers say so. The presidential results say so.

The voting record inside the Capitol tells a different story.

Bills that conservative voters expect their Republican representatives to support are dying or getting watered down because Republicans are crossing over and voting with Democrats (or are essentially Democrats themselves). Not occasionally. Not on close calls. Often enough that conservative legislation routinely fails in a state with a Republican supermajority.

The map is red. The votes are purple. This scorecard exists to show voters the difference.

That’s it. That’s the whole project. We’re not measuring party loyalty. We’re not measuring how nice someone is in caucus. We’re measuring whether the people Idaho elected to represent conservative values are voting like they actually hold those values.

How the scorecard is built

Before we get to their arguments, one thing needs to be clear, because every rebuttal we’ve seen depends on misunderstanding it.

This scorecard includes every single bill that received a recorded vote this session. Every single one. We didn’t pick favorites. We didn’t curate. We didn’t sort bills into “ones that count” and “ones that don’t.” We took the entire session.

Then we removed the unanimous votes from the percentage calculation, because a vote where every Republican and every Democrat agreed isn’t measuring anything ideological. More on that in a second.

That’s the entire methodology. Take every vote. Remove the ones where there was nothing to disagree about. Show voters how their legislator voted on the rest.

Their three arguments, and why all three fall apart

Argument one: “You should include unanimous votes.”

A bill that every Republican and every Democrat votes for isn’t a partisan bill. It’s a road name. A license plate design. A technical fix to existing code. There’s nothing conservative or progressive about it.

Asking voters to judge their legislator on those votes is asking them to evaluate a candidate based on bills with no ideological content at all. You can’t measure where someone stands on issues by counting votes that aren’t about issues.

There’s also something worth noticing here. Including unanimous votes in the calculation also raises their own “Votes with Dems” percentage. Democrats voted for those bills, too. The math doesn’t actually help them. They just hope nobody runs the numbers.

Argument two: “Compare Republicans to Republicans, not Democrats.”

This is the most popular line right now, and it’s also the most revealing.

It sounds reasonable until you think it through. Under this methodology, 40 Republicans could vote with Democrats on a bill, and all 40 would still score as loyal Republicans, because they voted together. The Democrat position won. The bill became law. The scorecard would say everyone passed.

That’s not a scorecard. That’s a participation ribbon. It lets the entire caucus drift left without consequence as long as they drift together. Voters aren’t that easy to fool, and they shouldn’t be.

Argument three: “Democrats only influenced the outcome a few times.”

This argument moves the goalposts from how someone voted to whether their vote changed the result. Those are not the same question.

“My vote didn’t change the outcome” is not an explanation of why you voted that way. It’s an excuse for voting the wrong way and getting away with it. A vote is a public statement of position. It is on the record forever. The bill passed or failed for a thousand reasons, but the only thing on a legislator’s record is how they personally voted.

If “outcome influence” became the standard for accountability, no Idaho legislator would ever be accountable for anything, because the math will usually work out one way or the other. That’s the goal of the argument, and that’s why we reject it.

The 5% problem

Some legislators are now publishing their own numbers. One representative announced he was “only against my party 5% of the time” and “95% with my party majority.” Others are running the same math on themselves and getting similarly flattering results.

Here’s how the trick works.

That 5% is calculated against every vote of the session, including the unanimous ones. When you put 237 road names and technical fixes in the denominator, every legislator’s “against the party” percentage gets crushed toward zero by simple arithmetic. On the contested votes that actually measure ideology, the same legislator’s numbers can be ten or twenty times higher. That’s not a coincidence. That’s the entire reason they’re presenting the math this way.

The same legislators are also pointing at Democrats who voted against the Democratic majority and saying, “See, even Democrats break with their party, so it doesn’t mean anything when Republicans do it.” Of course, Idaho Democrats sometimes vote with Republicans. They live in Idaho. They represent Idaho districts. Their constituents pull them rightward. That’s gravity, not equivalence. The fact that Idaho Democrats occasionally cross over doesn’t validate Idaho Republicans crossing over. It just confirms that Idaho is a conservative state, which is the whole point of measuring whether Republican legislators vote like it.

Some are closing with a rhetorical question: “How much against the Republican majority is allowable before we question whether someone belongs in a different party?” That’s the wrong question. The right question is: how often can a Republican vote against conservative bills before voters question whether they should be representing a conservative state?

And every number in this scorecard is auditable. Every bill is public. Anyone with a spreadsheet and an afternoon can check it. The legislators publishing their own counter-numbers are asking voters to trust their math instead of ours. Voters don’t have to. They can run it themselves.

What they’re actually doing

Notice what these legislators are not doing.

Not one of them has said “I voted against this bill, and here’s why I think conservatives should agree with my reasoning.” They’re not defending the votes. They’re attacking the math.

When someone changes the subject from “what did I do” to “how are you measuring what I did,” that’s the tell. The bills on this scorecard aren’t a hand-picked list of greatest hits. They’re all the recorded votes of the session. If a legislator has a problem with what’s being measured, the problem isn’t with us. The problem is that they don’t want their entire voting record made public.

There’s another giveaway. Their own arguments are full of contested-vote math. They tell us “Democrats only influenced 17 outcomes.” They tell us “Republicans were split 198 times.” Both of those numbers are about contested votes. The same kind of votes we’re measuring. They’re using contested-vote analysis to defend themselves while telling us we shouldn’t use contested-vote analysis to score them. Pick one.

Who they’re really talking to

The conservative base voter does not need an essay on methodology to know that voting with Democrats on contested bills is a problem.

The legislators making these arguments aren’t trying to convince conservative primary voters. They’re trying to convince donors, moderates, and the comfortable middle that this scorecard is unfair. They’re hoping the people who already weren’t going to vote for them in a primary will side with them in a public spat.

It’s a tell about who they think their real constituency is. And it should tell voters something, too.

The bottom line

We published every vote. The bill list is the entire session. The methodology is one sentence long: take every vote, remove the ones where nobody disagreed, and show voters the rest.

The legislators pushing back the hardest are the ones at the top of the scorecard. The “good Republicans” they’re holding up as examples are the same names that have been flagged as crossover voters for years. They are the same names that score poorly on every conservative scorecard out there, every session. Two metrics, same answer. They’re trying to relabel “moderate” as “loyal” and hope nobody notices.

Idaho voters can read.

That’s what this is really about. Not methodology. Not percentages. Not unanimous votes. It’s about whether the people elected to represent a conservative state are willing to be measured against their entire voting record.

If the answer is yes, the scorecard is a tool they should welcome. If the answer is no, voters deserve to know that too.

The map is red. The votes are purple. We’ll keep publishing the difference.

US Partnership Aligns Drone Innovation for National Security

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Observer Staff
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(Idaho National Laboratory Press Release, April 28, 2026)

From the skies over Ukraine to the southern U.S. border, drones are transforming the nature of global conflict and domestic security. Unauthorized unmanned aerial systems, and efforts to detect, track, identify and mitigate them, shape homeland security operations daily.

Drone-delivered kinetic attacks perfected in war zones are increasingly used to threaten critical infrastructure and mass gatherings at special events. At U.S. borders, transnational criminal organizations use UAS to transport illegal items and monitor law enforcement activities.

During the last six months of 2024, more than 27,000 drones were detected within 500 meters of the U.S. southern border, as reported in a recent Senate hearing on law enforcement, drone use and public safety. Further, interference from UAS operations – both intentional and unintentional – impacts safety and efficiency at airports.

A strategic alliance with national impact

A new partnership aims to ensure America is leading in UAS/counter-UAS capabilities even as the technology and corresponding threats rapidly evolve. In November, West Virginia University, Summit Point Training Facility and the Idaho National Laboratory signed a memorandum of understanding to create a collaborative framework uniting academia, national laboratory expertise and industry.

This partnership will establish a hub to develop, test and train UAS and counter-UAS technologies for national security.

The new collaboration will drive solutions focused on:

  • Early-phase UAS/counter-UAS system evaluations
  • High-fidelity data for smarter algorithms
  • Advanced sensor integration for real-time threat detection
  • Controlled, multi-environment testing to validate performance
  • Ensuring interoperability and readiness across systems
  • Border security applications
  • Air-based technology testing for layered defense

A national-scale effort

Together, WVU, SPTF and INL align the UAS/counter-UAS technology life cycle from early discovery at WVU, to applied science, engineering and validation at INL, to operational evaluation and industry engagement at SPTF.

Oversight and rigor: INL’s National and Homeland Security Testing Facilities, managed by Battelle Energy Alliance, support a wide variety of research, analysis, testing and validation opportunities for defense, federal and industrial collaborators.

“INL’s collective unmanned aerial system capabilities encompass a diverse range of UAS platforms with varying payload capacities,” said Bob Schumitz, director of INL’s Defense Systems Division. “The 8,000 square miles of airspace provide an opportunity to conduct comprehensive and integrated research, development, testing and evaluation of solutions.”

INL’s co-located test beds allow exploration of commercial and military drone platform integration with advanced sensors for radiation detection, hyperspectral imaging and encrypted communications. The site supports simulating congested and contested communications environments, and testing transmission, distribution and cybersecurity systems with the safety methods, rigor, data integrity controls and mission-risk focus of a national lab.

R1 Academic Research: As an R1 research institute — the highest classification of research activity in higher education — WVU’s department of mechanical and aerospace engineering brings nearly two decades of expertise in UAS research to the collaboration. Across five specialized groups focused on applied aerodynamics, flight control, flight safety, autonomous navigation and cooperative robotics, the department is shaping the autonomy science narrative and standards participation for the field.

Operations Readiness: Just over an hour from Washington, D.C., SPTF brings a unique blend of proximity to the capital region, infrastructure and operational readiness to the partnership. SPTF’s secure, adaptable range, unrestricted airspace, autonomous testing systems and connection to industry for quick solutions make it a go-to authority for government-sponsored live flight operations for homeland security applications.

“SPTF doesn’t require years of planning,” said National Security Programs Director Michael Norman. “It just requires a green light.”

The facility supports every phase of research, development, testing and evaluation. SPTF ensures swift technology transfer and intellectual property development from lab to field, accelerating solutions for the nation’s most pressing security challenges.

The partnership combines a DOE national laboratory’s test infrastructure, an RI research university’s autonomy expertise and a D.C.-proximate operational range to accelerate field-ready UAS and counter-UAS solutions.

Securing the skies

The partnership is positioned to deliver innovation in response to policy directives, technological advancement and imminent historic events. Recent federal executive orders related to drone technology advancement, airspace sovereignty and state and local preparedness underscore the urgency for states and interagency partners to strengthen UAS and counter-UAS capabilities. State, local, tribal and territorial governments are on the front lines of protecting critical infrastructure and must be equipped with tools to monitor and secure their airspace against evolving threats.

The Department of Homeland Security’s newly established Program Executive Office for Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems is supporting investment at all levels with industry engagement, expanded authorities for enforcement partners and rapid grant deployment to develop capabilities.

This imperative coincides with a historic wave of innovation driven by artificial intelligence, which is transforming both technology and regulatory frameworks, enabling proactive security measures while introducing new creative risks.

Looking ahead, major national events, including the FIFA World Cup, America’s 250th anniversary and the 2028 Olympics, will demand cutting-edge solutions to ensure safety and resilience. Investing in drone research and development today positions the United States to meet these challenges, securing its skies and its future.

“Outside of defense applications, which are primarily focused on overseas threats, the partnership between WVU, SPTF and INL, combined with government investment, is the most significant coordination of UAS/C-UAS efforts in support of domestic national security we’ve ever seen, said INL’s Chief Homeland Security Advisor Ollie Gagnon. “This is a great opportunity to deliver impact at an important and exciting time for our country.”

About Summit Point Training Facility | Summit Solutions Group
Summit Point Training Facility and its expeditionary division Summit Solutions Group (SSG) are a premier training, testing, and operational support platform serving government and commercial partners. Located an hour outside of Washington D.C., SPTF provides a uniquely scalable environment for tactical training, emergency response, mobility and driver training, and applied technology evaluation. With extensive ranges, specialized training venues, and diverse terrain, SPTF/SSG delivers integrated solutions that combine mission-focused expertise, operational realism, and responsive support for complex homeland security, defense, and public safety requirements.

About West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public land-grant research university located in Morgantown, West Virginia. Founded in 1867, it offers over 350 undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs across 13 colleges and schools.

About Idaho National Laboratory
Battelle Energy Alliance manages INL for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy. INL is the nation’s center for nuclear energy research and development, and also performs research in each of DOE’s strategic goal areas: energy, national security, science and the environment. For more information, visit www.inl.gov. Follow us on social media: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.

Paula Mason Appointed Executive Director for Idaho Educational Services for the Deaf and the Blind

By
Observer Staff
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(ID Department of Education Press Release, April 27, 2026)

Paula Mason

(BOISE) – The Idaho Educational Services for the Deaf and the Blind (IESDB) Board announced today that Paula Mason has been named Executive Director after filling the role on an interim basis following long-time Director Brian Darcy’s departure in April of last year.

Mason’s appointment comes in the wake of a year-long search for an administrator who combines a track record of providing effective support for student success with the specialized education and skills needed to lead daily operations at one of a handful of schools nationwide offering residential services for students who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or low-vision.

As Director, Mason will transition from her interim leadership position for IESDB, the agency that provides statewide services for students with vision and hearing loss and impairment, including those with co-occurring conditions. She will also head up the Idaho School for the Deaf and the Blind, whose residential campus in Gooding has served students in pre-K through grade 12 since 1906. The school proudly calls itself the “Hogwarts of Idaho” for its unique residential setup and close-knit community of faculty, staff, and learners.  It is the only school called out for establishment in the state constitution.

In her nearly two decades serving Idaho schools and students in various leadership roles, Mason has built a reputation as an administrator willing to put the time and effort in to ensure that success is within reach for everyone around her. She graduated from Idaho State University with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education before going on to earn her master’s degree in education of the deaf/hard of hearing and her specialist degree in educational leadership. She began her teaching career in the Twin Falls School District in 1998 before taking a role at the Idaho School for the Deaf and the Blind in 1999. Since then, Mason has served the school and organization in both teaching and administrative roles, including Post-secondary Transition Coordinator and Director of Outreach.

Her leadership position at IESDB represents one of the most unique education roles in Idaho – and beyond. She plans to make the most of the opportunity to make a direct, daily difference for students and the wider deaf and blind community statewide. For Mason, the opportunities that come with this important role are significant.

“It is an honor to serve as Director of Idaho Educational Services for the Deaf and the Blind,” she said. “This role carries both responsibility and purpose. I will continue to work alongside families, educators, and communities to ensure every student who is deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or low vision has real access to a high-quality education, meaningful communication, and the tools they need to thrive. I’m committed to listening closely, learning continuously, and working across Idaho to strengthen services and expand what’s possible for every student.”

“Not only does Paula have a track record of serving some of Idaho’s most vulnerable students with skill and compassion, she has also spent years fostering trusted relationships with parents, the community, and state partners,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield. “Ultimately, Paula brought everything to the table we needed to hire with confidence, and I’m pleased that she’ll continue to serve her students and community in this leadership role.”

More than anything, Mason says she’s excited to continue to serve a community she cares for deeply with dedication, passion, and strong leadership skills.

The Simpson Standard: D.C. News, Remembering Gov. Kempthorne

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Observer Staff
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(U.S. Representative Mike Simpson, April 26, 2026)

First and foremost, Kathy and I join Idahoans in mourning the passing of former Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne. Dirk was one of my best friends and a true public servant. You can read my full statement below.

I mentioned last week that appropriations season is underway, and we carried the busy work into the next week. This week, the appropriations subcommittee I chair welcomed Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to Capitol Hill, where he testified on fiscal year 2027 budget priorities before the House Appropriations Interior and Environment Subcommittee.

Also, in appropriations news, the full committee voted to advance the Fiscal Year 2027 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill. I was proud to support this advancement. This bill champions America’s veterans by fully funding veterans’ health care programs and benefits. This legislation also supports military families, strengthens America’s defense, and supports the Trump administration’s policy initiatives. You can read more about this legislation below.

You already knew this, but America’s new nuclear era starts in Idaho. I recently wrote an op-ed in The Washington Times regarding Idaho’s nuclear energy role on the world stage. You can read the full op-ed here or below.

Honoring Dirk Kempthorne

Dirk Kempthorne was one of Idaho’s most distinguished public servants and my dear friend of over 40 years. Dirk’s career was a testament to selfless dedication, from the halls of local government as Mayor and Governor to national service as Senator and Secretary.

I join Idahoans in mourning the loss of Dirk, but also feel immense gratitude for his decades of service, loyalty, and the lasting impact he has had on Idaho and America. I am grateful for Dirk’s service to our state and nation, as well as his friendship all these years. To Patricia, his wife, and their children, Kathy and I extend our deepest condolences. May he rest in peace.

Hearing with Secretary Burgum

It was a pleasure to see Secretary Burgum again before the House Appropriations Interior and Environment Subcommittee. We had a productive conversation regarding our brave wildland firefighters, protecting access to public lands, and fulfilling our trust and treaty obligations to our nation’s Tribes.

I applaud Secretary Burgum’s efforts and continued commitment to improving the Department of the Interior in the service of all Americans. I look forward to working together in the fiscal year ahead.

Fully Funding Veterans’ Health Care

One of my top priorities in Congress is supporting our troops and veterans. By fully funding veterans’ health care programs and benefits, investing in mental health services, prioritizing funding for military family housing, and so much more, this legislation fulfills our promises to those who have sacrificed so greatly for our country.

This is a must-pass bill each year to honor the brave men and women who have courageously served. I look forward to seeing this bill cross the finish line.

America’s New Nuclear Era Starts in Idaho

America has finally decided to get serious about nuclear energy again.

President Donald Trump’s executive orders launching a nuclear energy emergency and directing federal agencies to dramatically accelerate advanced reactor deployment signal a turning point. After decades of hesitation, America is once again treating nuclear power as the strategic asset it has always been —  essential to energy security, economic strength and global leadership. We are at the beginning of a new nuclear era, and Idaho is at its center. Read my full op-ed here.

Senator Risch: The Gem of the Fleet Returns

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Observer Staff
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(From the Desk of Senator James E. Risch, April 25, 2026)

Today [Saturday, April 25], I have the honor of attending the commissioning of the USS Idaho SSN 799, the fifth Navy vessel to bear the name of the Gem State.

Little do most know that Idaho is the birthplace of the nuclear Navy.

Since 1951, our state has been at the epicenter of every class of nuclear-powered submarines and continues to host two of the Navy’s premier installations: the Naval Reactors Facility and the Acoustic Research Detachment.

The new USS Idaho will also carry another important piece of Idaho with her.

Its Engine Room – the heart of the ship – is named after my dear friend and former Governor of Idaho, Dirk Kempthorne, whose leadership was integral to commissioning this vessel.

I have full confidence that the USS Idaho and its submariners will continue this proud legacy as it takes its place as the Navy’s “Gem of the Fleet.”

Congratulations to our U.S. Navy on the successful commissioning of the USS Idaho.

Esto Perpetua – Let it be forever!

For the latest press releases and constituent services visit risch.senate.gov.

To receive email updates on what I’m working on as your Senator, click here.

To connect with me on Twitter, visit my Twitter page.

To connect with me on Facebook, visit my Facebook page.

Guest Columnist Idaho Senator Brian Lenney: The Men Stopping a Modern Day Slave Trade at the Arizona Border Offered Idaho a Blueprint That Works…but the Idaho’s Sheriffs Association Went to Boise and Said “No Thanks”

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Observer Staff
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April 26, 2026

The Men Stopping a Modern Day Slave Trade at the Arizona Border Offered Idaho a Blueprint That Works…but the Idaho’s Sheriffs Association Went to Boise and Said “No Thanks”
Two days at the Arizona-Mexico border with a room full of sheriffs from across the country who all flew in to learn from a model that works.

By: Idaho Senator Brian Lenney

I just got back from two days at the Arizona-Mexico border with some of the most experienced law enforcement people in the country.

The Federation for American Immigration Reform put the trip together. I bought my own plane ticket and went with a few other Idaho legislators. Sheriffs and law enforcement officers from across the country were there with us, all for the same reason: somebody had to actually go see this rather than read about it in a press release.

Our shepherds for the trip were Sheriff Mark Dannels of Cochise County and his team, including Detective Cody Essary, who walked us through the desert personally and showed us what their surveillance network captures every single day. Sheriff Mark Lamb, formerly of Pinal County and now working with FAIR on border security full time, was there too, as well as Art Del Cueto (who spent decades working the border). Between these men you’re talking about decades of combined law enforcement experience and thousands of hours working this specific problem from ground level.

Every single one of them used the same words.

Modern day slavery.

That’s the operational reality as described by a 42-year law enforcement veteran who chairs border security for the National Sheriffs Association and sits on the Department of Homeland Security Advisory Council. Sheriff Dannels has personally briefed RFK Jr., Dr. Phil, Tom Homan. When he used those words it carried the weight of someone who’s been watching this happen from 83 miles of the most trafficked border terrain in the country for over a decade.

I filmed what gets left behind.

The debris field out there tells the story better than any press release ever could. Physical evidence of human beings moved through that landscape like freight, because to the cartels running this operation, that’s the accurate description of what they’re doing.

Cody told us how cartels charge $10,000 to $30,000 crossing fee for every single person who makes the trek.

He didn’t get that number from a government report. He got it from the people themselves, in the field, in real time. He’s worked that desert long enough to have seen this end every way it possibly can. He’s been at scenes where people didn’t make it out, where evidence of what they paid and what they still owed was scattered around them in the heat. When Cody describes what these crossings actually cost and what the debt does to people afterward, he’s pulling from conversations he’s personally had with human beings in the worst moments of their lives.

Here’s what that debt actually means in practice:

The cartel controls every inch of the Mexican side of the border and nobody… not ONE PERSON crosses without authorization.

Can’t pay upfront? You cross on credit and that balance follows you into the interior. Now you’re here illegally and owe $15,000 to an organization that knows where your family lives back home, and surfacing to any authority risks everything.

What happens next is pedictable…

You do whatever the cartel needs done.

Sex trafficking. Prostitution. Running drugs. Labor. Whatever they need that week, that’s your life now because the cartel owns you and everyone you love. Don’t comply? They know your mother’s address back home. Your kids’ school. Noncompliance isn’t a negotiation, it’s a death sentence, and sometimes they make an example out of the people closest to you first just to make sure you understand how serious they are.

And the debt never quite clears either, because something new always gets tacked on. These guys have watched this play out enough times that they can finish the story before you ask him how it ends.

They walked us through the mechanics of the crossings too.

Cartel scouts sit on nearby mountains with binoculars guiding movement by radio. The crossers get outfitted in cartel-supplied camouflage with carpet shoes designed to wipe their tracks, and in some cases they drag blankets to erase the trail completely.

The Cochise County SABRE program (Southeastern Arizona Border Regional Enforcement) runs over 1,000 hidden cameras throughout that desert, solar-powered and built into fake rocks so smugglers can’t locate and destroy them. Dannels started this in 2017 with game cameras and rancher partnerships. Since then SABRE has detected over 116,000 illegal crossings and put roughly 437 drug smugglers in custody. All with only six deputies running the whole operation, fixing their own equipment in a garage because sending cameras to the manufacturer means weeks offline they simply can’t absorb.

People who make it through get ferried to cartel stash houses in Phoenix and moved north into the American interior. Whatever the local network needs that week, 25 to 30 percent of everything they earn goes back south to the cartel. Sometimes the business owner genuinely has no idea because the manager is the cartel’s person. In a lot of destination towns there’s a restaurant or a storefront functioning as a cash collection point where workers hand over their cut.

The children are the hardest part to sit with.

They’ve documented around 5,000 cases of children being drugged and cycled through fake family units specifically because families move through processing more easily. They get recycled back into Mexico and inserted into a new fake family for another run. The cartels have no regard for human life and children in this system are a rentable asset, nothing more.

Years of building the political and legal case against enforcement created the operating environment the cartels needed.

The court filings, the sanctuary policies, the sustained campaign to make federal immigration enforcement as difficult as possible at the local level, all of it fed a system the cartels were happy to exploit.

Biden’s autopen halted wall construction within an hour of taking office.

What followed was a dark and deliberate unwinding of everything that made that border functional (e.g. surveillance equipment going dark, processing centers absorbing the agents who should have been in the field), and Dannels standing there with six deputies and a camera network built from donated dollars because the federal government had functionally abandoned that desert.

So when you see a construction bid come in mysteriously low, undercutting every legitimate competitor, or produce on a shelf priced below what it honestly costs to grow, that gap has to come from somewhere.

It comes from someone with a cartel debt working with zero ability to complain to anyone about anything, ever. So when a business association lobbies against border enforcement and packages it as concern for workforce needs, understand what pipeline they’re actually running defense for.

Arizona has been trying to fight this for fifteen years.

SB 1070 passed in 2010.

Governor Brewer signed it and Obama’s DOJ filed suit almost immediately, taking it all the way to the Supreme Court. By 2012 three of the four main provisions were gone. One survived, a single requirement that officers check immigration status of people they’ve already lawfully arrested, out of everything the law originally contained.

Then in November 2024, Arizona voters passed Proposition 314 directly at the ballot, going around a governor who’d vetoed every enforcement measure her legislature sent her. More carefully drafted this time, written around people caught in the act of crossing rather than anyone present in the state (it’s contingent on a parallel Texas case surviving federal court and that fight isn’t resolved). Fifteen years of work, and people dressing cartel protection up as civil rights advocacy have litigated most of it into nothing.

Just this month, Idaho had a chance to look at that history and do something with it.

But it didn’t happen and this wasn’t the first time.

I carried the harboring bills on the Senate side. House Bill 764 this session, along with nearly every other immigration enforcement bill in 2026, was mine or a bill I was directly involved in pushing.

What these bills would have done is give Idaho law enforcement the same basic authority Arizona built its entire enforcement model around, making it a state crime to knowingly assist someone unlawfully present in the United States.

But the House Judiciary Committee killed HB 764 without a floor vote. In 2025, our almost identical bill died in that same committee. The 2026 session wrapped up this month and every single immigration enforcement bill either failed or never got a hearing. Every one in a Republican supermajority, in one of the reddest states in the country.

The Idaho Sheriffs Association lobbied against these bills. ISA went into the capitol and argued against giving their own members tools that Sheriff Dannels has spent fifteen years refining, tools that drew sheriffs and law enforcement from across the country to Arizona to study firsthand.

That needs a straight answer…

What exactly is ISA protecting here?

Dannels built SABRE with game cameras and rancher handshakes and it became a nationally recognized enforcement model that law enforcement from around the country fly in specifically to study. Lamb’s years running anti-smuggling operations in Pinal County gave him a ground-level view of this pipeline that nobody sitting in a statehouse committee room is ever going to get from a briefing document. We stood in that desert alongside sheriffs and LEOs who flew in from across the country, and the reason every single one of them made the trip was sitting right in front of us the whole time.

The Idaho’s Sheriffs Association spent this session making sure their own members couldn’t follow that lead. While I was carrying these bills in the Senate, ISA was in the building arguing the other direction.

Crazy, right?

Even still, it’s worth knowing that morale from those actually working the border is genuinely high right now. Sheriff Dannels and everyone we interacted with said it directly.

The agents feel like they’re finally being allowed to do the job they signed up for.

The cartels still own the Mexican side of that fence though. A cartel scout sat on a mountain watching us through binoculars, same way he watched when Trump visited during the 2024 campaign. The machine kept running at lower volume, and cartels have a patience for this work that outlasts any administration. They’re counting on the fact that legislatures don’t have that same patience.

Idaho just burned another session.

Sixty miles of terrain in Cochise County alone sits without a wall. Steel posts intended for Trump’s original build are stacked out in that desert right now. The window is open. Someone in our state needs to find the spine to do something permanent with it before the next cycle closes it again.

Anyone making the case for continued legislative inaction needs to explain, with some specificity, how their position differs from anyone who’s ever looked at a slave trade and decided the economics were worth defending.

Still waiting on that answer from ISA.

Guest Columnist Brian Parsons: Integrity In Affiliation?

By
Observer Staff
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April 22, 2026

Integrity In Affiliation?

By: Brian Parsons

The person who agrees with you 80 percent of the time is a friend and an ally – not a 20 percent traitor.” — Ronald Reagan

What does it mean to affiliate? We affiliate every day in some capacity: in churches, in schools, in sports teams, in professional and fraternal associations. Some may use the words “associate,” “identify,” and “affiliate” interchangeably. Identity is a big deal in the postmodern world. Many wear their identity in their email signatures, on name badges, and on ballots.

What does it mean to affiliate? Our affiliations are those people and organizations that share common bonds and work toward common goals. We affiliate with a church because we agree on doctrine or theology. We affiliate with a non-profit because we share a vision for good, and with political organizations and platforms because we share policy solutions.

Affiliating with a party’s platform is not remotely controversial.  Party platforms arose in the 1830s in the infancy of the United States.  At a time when mass media was not a thing, party platforms allowed voters to identify with ideas rather than with unseen and distant individuals.

In 2018, tasked with weeding out political candidates who affiliate with the Republican Party but otherwise work against its common interest, the Idaho Republican Party reinstituted the Integrity in Affiliation pledge. First instituted in 2011, this pledge tasks the Chair of the Idaho GOP with sending a brief survey to every Republican candidate for Federal, State, or Legislative office and asks for their voluntary affirmation of the main tenets of the US Constitution, the Idaho Constitution, and the Idaho Republican Party Platform. Candidates are given the opportunity to identify any exceptions they may take, and many do.  The objective is that, at a minimum, candidates should read and understand their responsibilities to represent their voters and then commit to follow through.

The 2026 Idaho Republican Party Integrity in Affiliation pledge has been published, and you can view it and the candidates’ exceptions at https://idgop.org/integrity26/.  Candidates from US Senator Jim Risch, Governor Brad Little, Lt. Governor Scott Bedke, Secretary of State Phil McGrane, Superintendent of Schools Debbie Critchfield, seventy-five percent of the Republican legislature, and nearly one-hundred percent of candidates for the Republican Primary signed the Integrity in Affiliation pledge. The question now for voters is who did not, and why?

When discussing conservative politics, you’ll often hear Ronald Reagan’s quote that Republican is an 80/20 label.  We most often agree on 80% of issues and disagree on the remaining 20%.  The twenty percent is typically the exception you’ll find noted in the survey responses above. What then can a Republican voter expect from their elected representatives?  Can they expect at least 80% alignment with party values and policy objectives?

If you’re a voter in East Idaho, the answer to your question is, NOTHING.  You can’t expect your elected representatives to agree with you eighty percent of the time, because that’s what they’re telling you. While the vast majority of elected Republicans and candidates in Idaho take no issue with affiliating with the Idaho Republican Party Platform, a handful of East Idaho Republicans refuse. That’s not a moral position.  It’s not a blood oath that binds your vote to a set of beliefs.  Nobody wants you to change your vote to align with a party platform. Voters ask that you self-identify your agreement with the platform, so that if you don’t, we can find someone who does.

The problem with politicians who identify one way for electoral benefit and vote another way is the resulting managed decline of the nation.  Despite exceptionally politically popular ideas like voter ID, which enjoy polling support from upwards of 84% of Americans, politicians refuse to make it a priority.  The American people are left to believe that making voter ID a priority would result in those politicians’ removal from office.

Now the question arises, how then should Republican voters respond when “Republican” politicians electively decline to associate with their voters?  The voters should acknowledge their voluntary disaffiliation and then part ways. I’m looking at you, East Idaho.

Brian Parsons is a locally and nationally published columnist and the current vice chair of the Bannock County Republican Party. He’s a proud husband and father, saved by Grace, and an unabashed paleoconservative. You can follow him at WithdrawConsent.org or find his opinion columns at the American Thinker, in the Idaho State Journal or in other regional publications.

Early Voting Is Now Open in Bannock County; the Primary Election is May 19

By
Observer Staff
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(Bannock County Press Release, April 27, 2026)

BANNOCK COUNTY, Idaho – The Bannock County Elections Office is preparing for the Primary Election on Tuesday, May 19. Knowing your party affiliation and polling place is the best way to ensure your voice is heard.

Polls will be open on May 19 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Residents can find their assigned polling locations at bannockcounty.gov/elections.

Early voting is available from Monday, April 27 to Friday, May 15 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Elections Office (141 N 6th Ave, Pocatello). Voters cannot cast ballots in the Elections Office on Election Day and must use their assigned polling place.

Absentee ballots must be requested online at voteidaho.gov before 5 p.m. on Friday, May 8. Completed ballots must be returned to the Bannock County Elections Office before 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Because the upcoming election is a Primary, voters party affiliation will determine the ballot they use at the polls.

Idaho uses a primary system where political parties decide who can vote in their elections. The Republican, Libertarian, and Constitution parties have closed their primaries to only their registered members. The Democratic Party allows any registered voter to participate in their primary. Non-partisan ballots featuring judicial candidates and local measures are available to all voters regardless of party.

Idaho residents who are not yet registered to vote can register to vote until May 8, 2026, at voteidaho.gov. If you miss the pre-registration deadline, you can still register at the polls on Election Day with an Idaho photo ID and proof of residence.

For more information about voting in Bannock County, visit bannockcounty.gov/elections.

Idaho Secretary of State: Idaho’s Commitment to Easy, Secure, and Accurate Voting

By
Observer Staff
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(Idaho Secretary of State’s Office Press Release, April 24, 2026)

Voting should be easy. Voting should be secure. Voting should be accurate.

None of these statements is controversial. Yet making them a reality requires intention, effort, commitment, and constant vigilance. In Idaho, these aren’t just aspirations; they are the foundation of how we administer elections. They are the principles of Idaho’s Elections.

In 2024, leading up to the presidential election, I joined clerks from across the state to formally announce these 12 principles of Idaho Elections. All 44 county clerks in Idaho signed a letter affirming their shared commitment to upholding these standards. Now, in 2026 and ahead of the May 19 Idaho Primary Election, we continue working every day in counties across the state to ensure you can access voting, that your vote is secure, and that your vote is counted.

12 Principles of Idaho’s Elections

VOTING IS EASY

1. Register to Vote

All Idaho citizens age 18 and older can easily register:

  • Online at VoteIdaho.gov
  • At your county clerk’s office
  • On Election Day at your polling location

You must provide proof of residence and proper identification.

2. Voter Information

  • A voter pamphlet is mailed to every Idaho household
  • Personalized sample ballots are available at VoteIdaho.gov

3. Vote

Every option to meet your situation:

  • Election Day: Polls open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
  • Early in-person voting at designated locations
  • Absentee voting: Request online at VoteIdaho.gov (by request only)

VOTING IS SECURE

4. Voter ID Required

Voter ID is required to register and to vote.

Accepted forms include:

  • Idaho Driver’s License or Free ID
  • Passport or Federal ID
  • Military ID
  • Tribal ID
  • Concealed Weapons Permit issued by an Idaho County Sheriff

No out-of-state ID accepted.

5. Voter Roll Maintenance

Voter rolls are systematically validated against records from the Idaho Division of Motor Vehicles, Social Security Administration, Vital Statistics, Department of Corrections, and Department of Homeland Security.

6. Paper Ballots

All votes are recorded on paper ballots:

  • The paper ballot serves as the official record
  • Creates a fully auditable document

7. Signature Verification

100% of absentee ballot signatures are verified against voter registration and driver’s license records.

8. No Internet Connection

Voting tabulation systems are never connected to the internet.

VOTING IS ACCURATE

9. Voting System Testing

All voting systems are tested and certified for use by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission and the Idaho Secretary of State.

10. Public Testing

Public logic and accuracy testing is conducted on all voting systems before each election.

11. Post-Election Audits

Random audits of precincts and counties are conducted after every primary and general election.

12. Hand Count Audits

  • All audits are conducted via hand count of the paper ballots
  • A sample hand count is compared to voting equipment results in all recounts

These 12 principles are more than a list. They are a commitment to Idahoans. They reflect the care, professionalism, and accountability that go into every election.

As you make your plan to vote this May, know that Idaho elections are accessible, secure and accurate. We are grateful for the opportunity to serve, and we remain committed to earning your confidence in every election we administer.

ABOUT SECRETARY PHIL McGRANE

Phil McGrane was elected Idaho’s twenty-eighth Secretary of State and took office on January 2, 2023. McGrane served as elected Clerk of Ada County from 2019-2022.McGrane holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, a juris doctorate, and a Master of Public Administration. As a fourth-generation Idahoan, Phil has dedicated his career to making elections in the state of Idaho accessible, secure and transparent.

 

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The Pocatello Chubbuck Observer seeks to be a fair and objective portal, where readers can find the local, regional and national news, recent facts and entertainment.
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