A few thoughts on a few, somewhat random, topics...

Proposition 1 — Horse racing/gambling — is a battle between gambling interests. The highest dollar race in Idaho this year is the horse race/gambling initiative. It is now clear who is funding both sides. The pro side’s funder is the Les Bois Park folks in Garden City who shut down in 2015 when the Legislature terminated slot machines-disguised-as-horse-betting.

The opponents have lots of Mormons from East Idaho and some other figures around the state out front, but the anti effort is being paid by the Coeur D’Alene tribe, presumably to avoid competition for their casino.

The question is which gambling group’s pocketbook will prevail with Idaho voters in a few weeks?

Proposition 2 — Medicaid Expansion — is lopsided. So far, opponents of expansion are being outspent roughly 20-1. The big source of funding on the pro side is Idaho hospitals and other medical providers.

But opponents have some deep-pocketed businessmen. Will they open their wallets wide in the last few weeks to try to close the gap? Reports of polling from multiple sources shows supporters with a substantial lead.

Insight into Paulette Jordan’s campaign? Many have speculated why the Democratic gubernatorial candidate's campaign has seen so much turmoil. The latest financial report provides some insight into what may be the source of some of the angst.

Her campaign has focused on two things when it comes to spending campaign contributions. The first emphasis is apparently national online fundraising. Her report has a large number of donors with a disproportionate share from outside Idaho. That is a positive for her.

The second part is massive, ongoing travel. There are 37 expenditures on Alaska Air, 23 on Delta, United landed 13 payments and 10 on American Airlines. A travel agent is listed 48 times. I can identify trips to New York, Washington, D.C., New Orleans, Marina Del Ray, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Paul and Albuquerque. This is all since the primary.

There is additional travel in Idaho (some limited portion of the air travel above may be in Idaho) which can be justified as a chance to reach voters. It appears a primary purpose of the Jordan campaign is to fund trips, not persuade voters.

In fact, the spending on communicating with Idaho voters by the Jordan campaign is virtually non-existent. No television, radio or direct mail, and any online effort is limited. Jordan has only one-third of the funds Republican candidate Brad Little has remaining. She will be buried by Little when it comes to persuading voters.

It is apparent to me that Jordan has betrayed both her voters and her contributors by focusing on things besides winning her race.

The Khashoggi disappearance and Sen. Jim Risch. Recently there's been plentiful media coverage about the Oct. 2 disappearance of Washington Post columnist and U.S. permanent resident Jamal Khashoggi. He went into the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, to obtain paperwork to be married. Turkish authorities may have tapes of him being snatched, beaten, killed and then dismembered by a 15-member Saudi team. Khashoggi was a critic of the Saudi crown prince.

Risch has been low key publicly on the issue, but he is one of a bipartisan group of 22 senators who signed a letter triggering an inquiry by the Trump Administration “to determine whether a foreign person is responsible for an extrajudicial killing, torture, or other gross violation of internationally recognized human rights.”

This is called the Magnitsky Act and it gives 120 days to determine what happened and impose appropriate sanctions. Risch deserves kudos for his concern.

If Republicans hold the U.S. Senate, as is likely, Risch will probably be the new chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, and a key issue will be the impact of this brutal act on U.S.-Saudi relations. Watch for him to play a leading role.

Steve Taggart is an Idaho Falls attorney specializing in bankruptcy with considerable real estate experience. He was previously a political consultant and ran a congressional office in Washington, D.C.