The Neal Larson Show
Neal Larson is an Associated Press Award-winning newspaper columnist and radio talk show host. He has a BA from Idaho State University in Media Studies and Political Science. Neal is happily married to his wife Esther with their five children in Idaho Falls.
Julie Mason is a long-time resident of east Idaho with a degree in journalism from Ricks College. Julie enjoys reading, baking, and is an avid dog lover. When not on the air she enjoys spending time with her three children and husband of 26 years.
Together these two are a powerhouse of knowledge with great banter that comes together in an entertaining and informative show.
The Neal Larson Show
4.3.2026 - Sine Die, School Boundaries, Harriman Fallout
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
The session is finally signed sine die, and it feels like a relief—but also like we’re closing the book on a year that was all over the map. We walked through the rough spots (budget turbulence, cultural bills, and the frustration of basically nothing meaningful getting done on immigration), while also acknowledging a few wins—like ending the flow of taxpayer dollars to teachers unions. The biggest “wait, what?” moment was the viral clip of Janie Ward-Engle King saying, “When your children walk into our classroom, they become ours,” and we didn’t mince words about why that hits parents like a five-alarm fire in today’s context—especially with the ongoing fight over schools keeping secrets from parents around gender-related social transitioning.
We also reacted to a floor speech from Representative Rick Cheatham that left us with serious cognitive dissonance (urging a “no” vote while saying he’d vote “yes” because he couldn’t cross the NRA), and talked candidly about why we’ll critique any lawmaker’s record—even the ones we personally like. Then we shifted gears into what we do every Friday: Studio 4 Cover, with Ken Lee Twitchill Westover back in studio after years away, absolutely nailing Sara Bareilles’ “Gravity.” Later, we dug into the Harriman State Park controversy—why the process and lack of stakeholder communication matters, and how this could unnecessarily jeopardize a gift that’s meant to benefit Idaho long-term. We wrapped with a quick look at the Party Cohesion Index numbers, a little midterm/foreign-policy talk, and the reminder that we’re now pivoting hard into primary-election coverage and candidate forums.
**Highlights**
- Viral “they become ours” classroom comment sparks big parent/teacher boundary debate
- Rick Cheatham’s “vote no, but I’m voting yes” moment and what it says about influence and representation
- Harriman State Park bill fallout: why process matters, and how to avoid stepping on rakes
- Final Party Cohesion Index: East Idaho lawmakers trending more “purple” than their voters
- Ken Lee Westover returns for Studio 4 Cover with a standout performance of “Gravity”
Let’s talk advertising. When you want to advertise on the radio, you call the station, right? But what about Facebook, Instagram, Hulu, Disney+, Peacock, and other streaming platforms?
You could try clicking around, reading books, or taking online courses to figure it out—or you can let us handle it. At Sandhill Media Group, we’re your local experts in both radio and digital marketing.
Visit SandhillMediaGroup.com today.