Latest news with #TheSunrise
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Idaho Capital Sun wins 13 Idaho Press Club awards at annual banquet
The Idaho Capital Sun staff at the Idaho Capitol Building in Boise. From left to right are reporter Mia Maldonado, editor-in-chief Christina Lords, reporter Kyle Pfannenstiel and senior reporter Clark Corbin. (Pat Sutphin for the Idaho Capital Sun) The Idaho Capital Sun took home 13 awards — including four first-place finishes — in the Idaho Press Club's Best of 2024 Awards contest. The winners were announced at the press club's annual banquet, held Saturday at the Boise Centre. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Idaho Capital Sun reporter Mia Maldonado took home two first place awards: one for her Spanish-language news coverage as well one award in the serious feature report category. Idaho Capital Sun editor-in-chief Christina Lords took home first place awards in the editorial writing category as well as the best newsletter category for The Sunrise. Reporter Kyle Pfannenstiel took home second place in the competitive reporter of the year-publication category. In addition, Kelcie Moseley Morris, a reporter for the Idaho Capital Sun's parent nonprofit States Newsroom, took home two awards. The Sun, part of the nonprofit States Newsroom network with news outlets and news partnerships to cover state government in all 50 U.S. states, celebrated its four-year anniversary on March 31. To sign up for the Capital Sun's free morning newsletter, go to or to donate to continue to support its award-winning work, go to Here is the full rundown of the Idaho Capital Sun and States Newsroom awards: Christina Lords, Best Newsletter – All Media category: The Sunrise Christina Lords, Editorial – Daily category: 717 bills have been drafted. Not one fixes the disenfranchisement of thousands of Idaho voters Mia Maldonado, Series Feature Report – Daily category: Idaho librarians contemplate leaving work — and the state — as a result of proposed legislation Mia Maldonado, Best Spanish-Language Media Award – Publication category: Various stories Clark Corbin, Series – Daily category: State of Idaho's Luma business system transition Christina Lords, Special Purpose Publication – Online Only category: 2024 Voter Guide Mia Maldonado, Elections Report – Daily category: Hundreds of thousands spent in support and opposition of Idaho's Proposition 1 Mia Maldonado, Kyle Pfannenstiel, Political Report – Daily category: 'We are not getting rid of books': How libraries across Idaho are implementing new materials law Kelcie Moseley-Morris, General News Story – Daily category: Idaho's pregnant patients airlifted to other states without EMTALA protection Kyle Pfannenstiel, Reporter of the Year – Publication, All Media category Kyle Pfannenstiel, Health/Medical Report – Daily category: Idaho removed 185,000 people from Medicaid. Over a fifth have re-enrolled Becca Renk, Opinion – Daily category: In Idaho, education spending falls short. Here are lessons we can learn from Nicaragua Heath Druzin, Religion Report – Daily category: Trump's Defense secretary nominee has close ties to Idaho Christian nationalists Mia Maldonado, Education Report – Daily category: Federal grants offer Idaho prison students a second chance at college education Kelcie Moseley-Morris, Serious Feature Report – Daily category: U.S. Supreme Court urged to protect ER abortions ahead of arguments Staff, Best Website – All Media category: SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Legislative Notebook: Governor signs major bills – including one Idaho has already been sued over
Idaho Gov. Brad Little gives his annual State of the State address on Jan. 6, 2025, on the House floor at the Statehouse in Boise. (Pat Sutphin for the Idaho Capital Sun) In an effort to help Idahoans follow major bills, resolutions and memorials through the legislative process, the Idaho Capital Sun will produce a 'legislative notebook' at the end of each week to gather information in one place that concerns major happenings in the Legislature and other news relating to state government. To receive the full extent of our reporting in your inbox each day, sign up for our free email newsletter, The Sunrise, on our website at Here is our quick rundown of the major happenings during the 12th week of the Idaho Legislature's 2025 session. At 9:10 a.m. on Thursday, Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed into law House Bill 83, as amended. By early Thursday evening, a federal judge temporarily blocked the new immigration law from taking effect after the ACLU of Idaho sued the state – upholding its promise to do so from earlier in the 2025 legislative session. The bill allows law enforcement to record a person's documentation status if they are suspected of a crime. Modeled after a controversial 2023 Texas law, the legislation creates Idaho immigration crimes 'illegal entry' and 'illegal reentry,' targeting individuals who do not have proper immigration authorization and those who have already been deported from coming to Idaho. Law enforcement would only be able to convict someone of those crimes if they are suspected for a different crime. The law also creates the crime of 'trafficking a dangerous illegal alien,' or knowingly transporting an unauthorized immigrant who has previously been convicted of a crime in the U.S. or another country. The law grants immunity to law enforcement, meaning they are protected from lawsuits that could arise from the damages and liability they cause while enforcing the law. The ACLU and the multiple plaintiffs in the case say the law is unconstitutional in several ways, including violating the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which establishes that federal law overrides state law, including in immigration matters. Bill sponsors have said the bill's purpose is to curb unauthorized migration and prevent dangerous unauthorized immigrants from entering Idaho. However, ACLU of Idaho legal director Paul Carlos Southwick said the bill clearly does not just target criminals. 'You do not have to have any criminal conviction in order to be arrested, detained or prosecuted for these crimes,' he said in a press conference. 'Law enforcement merely needs suspicion that you have engaged in some kind of independent crime.' Because the bill had an emergency clause, it went into effect immediately after the governor signed it. The court's temporary restraining order issued Thursday evening will prevent the law's enforcement for 14 days. A preliminary injunction hearing in the case is scheduled at 10 a.m. April 10 at the federal courthouse in Boise. Little also signed into law a bill that cuts property taxes and bolsters school districts' bond issues and levies. Joined by Idaho Republican legislative leaders at a livestreamed news conference in a Boise neighborhood on Wednesday, Little signed House Bill 304. The new law reduces Idaho's state tax revenue by $100 million every year, shifting funds in two ways: It transfers $50 million to a state fund to reduce property taxes for Idaho homeowners. And it sends another $50 million to a state fund that helps pay off school districts' bond issues and levies. The bill is the third major tax cut bill the Idaho Legislature passed this year, totalling $403 million in annual reductions to Idaho's state revenue. House Bill 40 reduces the corporate and individual income tax rates from 5.695% to 5.3% and reduces state revenue by $253 million per year. When Little signed the bill, the governor's office described the bill as the largest income tax cut in state history. House Bill 231 increases the grocery tax credit used to offset the sales tax Idahoans pay on food to $155 per year. To increase the grocery tax credit, House Bill 231 reduces state revenue by $50 million every year. Another new law this year, House Bill 93, provides a refundable tax credit for education expenses for families, including tuition at private, religious schools. That bill reduces the state's revenue by $50 million – bringing total revenue reductions from those four bills to $453 million. Little also signed into law a bill to deregulate child care centers that the bill's sponsors said will help ease Idaho's child care shortage crisis. House Bill 243 loosens state-set minimum child-to-staff ratio standards. The bill also preempts local governments from having more stringent child care regulations than issued by the state. Idaho's existing child-to-staff ratios are the 41st lowest in the nation, compared to all 50 states and the District of Columbia, a report by Idaho Voices for Children found. In other words, Idaho's existing state-set child care standards let individual staffers care for more children at a given time than most states. The new law will leave Idaho with the 45th least stringent child-to-staff ratios in the nation, Idaho Voices for Children Executive Director Christine Tiddens previously told the Idaho Capital Sun. The law takes effect July 1. Little signed into law on Wednesday a bill to make people who sexually abuse young children in Idaho eligible for the death penalty. House Bill 380 will allow the death penalty in a new criminal charge the bill creates: aggravated lewd conduct with children age 12 and younger. The bill also would add mandatory minimum prison sentences for cases of aggravated lewd conduct with minors that don't meet the bill's proposed criteria for death penalty eligibility. The new crime would only apply to abuse of children age 16 and below. Little signed the bill Wednesday morning, according to the governor's office legislation tracker. He told the Idaho Capital Sun in a written statement that he signed the bill 'because heinous sex crimes against children destroy lives, and the perpetrators deserve the ultimate punishment.' The law takes effect July 1. Idaho will become the 41st state with a media shield law, which protects sources who provide confidential information or documents to journalists. Little signed House Bill 158 into law Thursday after it passed the full Legislature unanimously, following a rise in legal threats across the state that sought to force journalists to reveal their sources. Idaho is one of 10 states without a journalism shield law, according to the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. The new law takes effect July 1. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE House Bill 290: Sponsored by Rep. Dori Healey, R-Boise, the bill would transfer decision-making authority about vaccination requirements for children attending day cares and schools from the Department of Health and Welfare to the Idaho Legislature. The governor signed the bill Wednesday. Senate Bill 1046aa: Sponsored by Sen. Tammy Nichols, R-Middleton, and Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, the bill requires Idaho public schools to provide human growth and fetal development instruction via ultrasound video and computer-generated renderings for students in grades 5 through 12. The governor signed the bill Wednesday. ProgressRpt Senate State Affairs Committee House Bill 398: Sponsored by House Speaker Mike Moyle, R-Star, and Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa, the bill would update the state's lobbying laws by separating lobbying reporting from campaign finance reporting and increase the frequency of reporting by registered lobbyists during and outside legislative sessions. It also updates the definition of lobbying to spell out direct and indirect efforts to influence policymaking are considered lobbying. The bill is scheduled to receive a public hearing on Monday. Senate Bill 1186: Sponsored by Sen. Doug Okuniewicz, R-Hayden, the bill would require a political action committee, or PAC, that intends to make certain election expenditures to disclose direct and indirect individual contributors who give $1,000 or more to the Secretary of State's Office before that PAC can spend money to support or oppose a candidate in Idaho. The bill is scheduled to receive a public hearing on Monday. Senate Bill 1125: Sponsored by Sen. Dan Foreman, R-Moscow, and Rep. Vito Barbieri, R-Dalton Gardens, the bill would allow a local government that has been sued in federal court, in a case challenging the constitutionality of a state statute, to request assistance from the State of Idaho Constitutional Defense Council to respond to the constitutional challenge. The bill is scheduled to receive a public hearing on Monday. 'Water is the lifeblood of our state. Water is the lifeblood of my legislative district. There is no more urgent issue in the immediate term or in the medium term or in the long term to the state of Idaho than water. And in my view, House Bill 445 is one of the most important bills to come through this session. And I urge unity. I urge the state to join together on this issue for the betterment of Idaho and for the protection of Idaho water going forward.' — Rep. David Cannon, R-Blackfoot, while debating in favor of House Bill 445, which provides $30 million in new funding for water infrastructure projects across the state. The House voted 56-13 on Thursday to pass the bill, which provides the funding for the budget of the Idaho Department of Water Resources. It now heads to the Senate for consideration. How to follow the Idaho Legislature and Idaho Gov. Brad Little's work during the session Here are a few tools we use to track the Legislature's business and how to let your voice be heard in the issues that matter most to you. How to find your legislators: To determine which legislative district you live in, and to find contact information for your legislators within that district, go to the Legislative Services Office's website and put in your home address and ZIP code. Once you've entered that information, the three legislators – two House members and one senator – who represent your district will appear, and you can click on their headshots to find their email address and phone number. How to find committee agendas: Go to the Idaho Legislature's website, and click on the 'all available Senate committee agendas' link and the 'all available House committee agendas' link on the right side of the website. How to watch the legislative action in committees and on the House and Senate floors: Idaho Public Television works in conjunction with the Legislative Services Office and the Idaho Department of Administration through a program called 'Idaho in Session' to provide live streaming for all legislative committees and for the House and Senate floors. To watch the action, go to and select the stream you'd like to watch. How to testify remotely at public hearings before a committee: To sign up to testify remotely for a specific committee, navigate to that committee's webpage, and click on the 'testimony registration (remote and in person)' tab at the top. How to find state budget documents: Go to Legislative Services Office Budget and Policy Analysis Division's website How to track which bills have made it to Gov. Little's desk and any action he took on them (including vetoes): Go to the governor's website You can scroll down to the bottom of the site and enter your email address to get alerts sent straight to your inbox when the page has been updated. Reporting from Idaho Capital Sun journalists Clark Corbin, Mia Maldonado and Kyle Pfannenstiel contributed to this legislative notebook.
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Legislative Notebook: Governor signs bill making major changes to Idaho Medicaid
Idaho Gov. Brad Little gives a press conference after delivering his annual State of the State address on Jan. 6, 2025, in the Lincoln Auditorium in the Idaho Capitol. (Pat Sutphin for the Idaho Capital Sun) In an effort to help Idahoans follow major bills, resolutions and memorials through the legislative process, the Idaho Capital Sun will produce a 'legislative notebook' at the end of each week to gather information in one place that concerns major happenings in the Legislature and other news relating to state government. To receive the full extent of our reporting in your inbox each day, sign up for our free email newsletter, The Sunrise, on our website at Here is our quick rundown of the major happenings during the 11th week of the Idaho Legislature's 2025 session. Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed into law a bill that proposes sweeping policy changes to control Medicaid's costs. House Bill 345 calls for the state to seek work requirements for able-bodied Idahoans on Medicaid, and to give Idahoans eligible for Medicaid expansion access to tax credits to buy insurance on the state's health care exchange. In both chambers of the Idaho Legislature, the bill passed on party-line votes, with all 90 Republican state lawmakers supporting it and all 15 Democratic state lawmakers opposing it. 'We want Idahoans to become as self-sufficient as possible. House Bill 345 reinforces that goal while reasonably reeling in Medicaid spending so taxpayers are not overly burdened by this program in the outyears,' Little said in a written statement. Opponents of the bill argue that most people in the Medicaid expansion population are already working, and that the requirements will add burdensome hurdles that will prevent Idahoans from accessing health care. 'Governor Little and every Republican legislator just ripped health coverage away from thousands of Idahoans,' Idaho Democratic Party Chairwoman Lauren Necochea said in a written statement. 'Voter-enacted Medicaid expansion largely covers working Idahoans, but it's also a lifeline for those who lose jobs, have hours cut, or need to care for a sick family member. These so-called 'work requirements' do nothing to help find jobs, but they will take away insulin, cancer treatment, and mental health services.' The bill takes effect immediately through an emergency clause. Little also signed into law a bill that prevents health care professionals and entities from being forced to participate in nonemergency procedures that would violate their sincerely held religious or moral beliefs. Sen. Carl Bjerke, R-Coeur d'Alene, and Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa, co-sponsored House Bill 59, dubbed the Medical Ethics Defense Act. The bill takes effect immediately, through an emergency clause. 'Health care providers shall have the right of conscience and, pursuant to this right, shall not be required to participate in or pay for a medical procedure, treatment, or service that violates such health care provider's conscience,' the bill states. Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates Idaho's director Mistie DelliCarpini-Tolman asked Little to veto the bill, saying 'it gives health care workers a license to discriminate.' The bill 'will undermine medical standards, put patients' lives at risk, and create legal chaos for Idaho's entire health care system,' DelliCarpini-Tolman said in a written statement. 'No one should be denied care because of someone else's personal beliefs. Health care must be driven by medical expertise, not ideology.' House Bill 243: Co-sponsored by Reps. Barbara Ehardt, R-Idaho Falls, and Rod Furniss, R-Rigby, the bill would repeal Idaho law that allows city and local governments to set more rigorous child care oversight than the state. The bill was amended by the Senate to relax requirements on child-to-staff ratios. The amendments were passed by the House on Wednesday. It now heads to the governor for final consideration. Senate Bill 1101: Sponsored by Sen. Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, the bill clarifies and adds guidance to Idaho coroners' roles in death investigations. The governor signed the bill into law on Wednesday. House Bill 83: Sponsored by Senate Pro Tem Kelly Anthon, R-Burley, the bill would allow local law enforcement to work with federal authorities to regulate the presence of unauthorized immigrants in Idaho. The bill would also allow law enforcement to record a person's documentation status only if they are already detained or under investigation for a crime. If an individual involved in a crime is found to be living in Idaho without legal authorization, they would face a misdemeanor charge for 'illegal entry,' a new crime under the bill. A second offense would result in a felony charge, and a conviction would lead to deportation, under the bill. The House passed the bill 61-9 on Wednesday. It now heads to the governor for final consideration. House Bill 290: Sponsored by Rep. Dori Healey, R-Boise, the bill would transfer decision-making authority about vaccination requirements for children attending day cares and schools from the Department of Health and Welfare to the Idaho Legislature. The Senate voted 23-11 on Wednesday to pass the bill. It now heads to the governor for final consideration. House Bill 41: Sponsored by Rep. Ted Hill, R-Eagle, and Sen. Tammy Nichols, R-Middleton, the bill would prohibit flags in public schools 'that represent a political viewpoint, including but not limited to flags or banners regarding a political party, race, sexual orientation, gender, or a political ideology.' The governor signed the bill into law on Wednesday. House Bill 380: Sponsored by Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa, the bill would allow prosecutors to seek the death penalty for a new criminal charge the bill creates: aggravated lewd conduct with children age 12 and younger. The House voted 63-0 on Monday to pass the bill. The Senate Judiciary and Rules Committee advanced the bill with a do pass recommendation, and it is now on the Senate's third reading calendar. It may be considered in the coming days of the session. Senate Bill 1046aa: Sponsored by Sen. Tammy Nichols, R-Middleton, and Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, the bill requires Idaho public schools to provide human growth and fetal development instruction via ultrasound video and computer-generated renderings for students in grades 5 through 12. The House voted 63-6 to pass the bill on Tuesday. It now heads to the governor for final consideration. House Bill 158: Sponsored by Reps. Barbara Ehardt and Marco Erikson, both R-Idaho Falls, the bill would create a media shield law protecting sources who provide confidential information or documents to journalists. The Senate voted 35-0 to pass the bill. It now heads to the governor for final consideration. ProgressRpt (3) Senate State Affairs Committee House Bill 339: Sponsored by Reps. Brandon Mitchell, R-Moscow, and Brent Crane, R-Nampa, as well as Secretary of State Phil McGrane, the bill requires the secretary of state to request information from various government agencies, such as the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare and the Idaho Transportation Department, to help maintain accurate and up-to-date voter rolls. It is scheduled for a full public hearing before the committee on Monday. House Bill 148: Sponsored by Reps. Chris Bruce, R-Kuna, and Todd Lakey, R-Nampa, the bill outlines the process for Idaho residents involved in legal proceedings with the federal government concerning grazing or water rights to request state assistance from the state's constitutional defense fund. The bill specifies the criteria and procedures for the Constitutional Defense Council to consider such requests and provides details on the type of assistance offered. It is scheduled for a full public hearing before the committee on Monday. Senate Education Committee Senate Bill 1142: Sponsored by Sen. Lori Den Hartog, R-Meridian, the bill would repeal the state's Empowering Parents Grant Program. It is scheduled for a full public hearing before the committee on Monday. 'We heard from libraries across the state – Moscow, Troy, Hailey, Potlatch, Elmore County, Genesee and beyond. They asked us – implored us – that we would reconsider based on the programs they intend to offer. We heard about computer classes ready to be offered to seniors teaching about cybersecurity and helping folks understand the danger of clicking on links from emails that maybe they don't know who the sender is. Telehealth for the rural communities. Computer access for veterans who want to access their VA services.' – Rep. Soñia Galaviz, a Boise Democrat, who made an unsuccessful motion to pass the Idaho Commission for Libraries budget with approval for a full $2.5 million federal grant, but she was overruled by the Republican supermajority, which allocated $1.23 million instead How to follow the Idaho Legislature and Idaho Gov. Brad Little's work during the session Here are a few tools we use to track the Legislature's business and how to let your voice be heard in the issues that matter most to you. How to find your legislators: To determine which legislative district you live in, and to find contact information for your legislators within that district, go to the Legislative Services Office's website and put in your home address and ZIP code. Once you've entered that information, the three legislators – two House members and one senator – who represent your district will appear, and you can click on their headshots to find their email address and phone number. How to find committee agendas: Go to the Idaho Legislature's website, and click on the 'all available Senate committee agendas' link and the 'all available House committee agendas' link on the right side of the website. How to watch the legislative action in committees and on the House and Senate floors: Idaho Public Television works in conjunction with the Legislative Services Office and the Idaho Department of Administration through a program called 'Idaho in Session' to provide live streaming for all legislative committees and for the House and Senate floors. To watch the action, go to and select the stream you'd like to watch. How to testify remotely at public hearings before a committee: To sign up to testify remotely for a specific committee, navigate to that committee's webpage, and click on the 'testimony registration (remote and in person)' tab at the top. How to find state budget documents: Go to Legislative Services Office Budget and Policy Analysis Division's website How to track which bills have made it to Gov. Little's desk and any action he took on them (including vetoes): Go to the governor's website You can scroll down to the bottom of the site and enter your email address to get alerts sent straight to your inbox when the page has been updated. Reporting from Idaho Capital Sun journalists Clark Corbin, Mia Maldonado and Kyle Pfannenstiel contributed to this legislative notebook. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Legislative Notebook: Idaho governor signs firing squad, grocery tax credit, and anti-SLAPP bills
The hallway of the Senate side of the garden level of the Idaho Capitol in Boise as seen on March 10, 2025. (Pat Sutphin for the Idaho Capital Sun) In an effort to help Idahoans follow major bills, resolutions and memorials through the legislative process, the Idaho Capital Sun will produce a 'legislative notebook' at the end of each week to gather information in one place that concerns major happenings in the Legislature and other news relating to state government. To receive the full extent of our reporting in your inbox each day, sign up for our free email newsletter, The Sunrise, on our website at Here is our quick rundown of the major happenings during the 10th week of the Idaho Legislature's 2025 session. The Gem State will become the only state in the U.S. to fatally shoot death row inmates as its main execution method, after Gov. Brad Little signed House Bill 37 into law on Wednesday. Both chambers of the Idaho Legislature widely approved the bill, with only three Republican state lawmakers joining all 15 Democratic lawmakers to oppose it. The Senate passed the bill on a 28-7 vote last week, a month after the House passed it on a 58-11 vote. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026. Nine people are on death row in Idaho, according to the Idaho Department of Correction. Only five states – Idaho, Utah, South Carolina, Oklahoma and Mississippi – allow firing squads for executions. But the firing squad isn't the primary death penalty method in any of those states, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Since 2023, Idaho has allowed firing squads as a backup execution method, behind lethal injection. Renovating Idaho's execution chamber to allow for firing squads will likely cost more than the $750,000 lawmakers previously appropriated, lawmakers say. But bill sponsor Rep. Bruce Skaug, a Republican from Nampa, has said any extra funds would come from money already in the Idaho Department of Correction budget. Sponsored by House Majority Leader Jason Monks, R-Meridian, and signed into law by Little on Thursday, House Bill 231 increases the tax credit most Idahoans receive on groceries from $120 to $155. 'I love the signal we send to Idaho families every year when we deliver even more tax relief while taking care of the needs of a growing state,' Little said in a written statement. 'As we continue to deliver historic tax relief, we must ensure our budget balances as the Idaho Constitution requires.' To pay for the expanded grocery tax credit, House Bill 231 reduces state revenue by $50 million per year. The grocery tax law is written so it took effect retroactively Jan. 1. That means Idahoans will be able to receive the full credit when they file their taxes next year. Sponsored by Sen. Brian Lenney, R-Nampa, and signed into law by Little on Monday, House Bill 1001 aims to protect free speech and curtail frivolous lawsuits. The law is designed to combat strategic lawsuits against public participation, or SLAPP lawsuits. The law would allow lawsuits to be put on hold if a party files an anti-SLAPP motion. The motion would freeze the case and allow a judge to quickly dismiss any lawsuit deemed to be frivolous. The law, which will take effect on Jan. 1, would let the winning party recover attorney fees. Anti-SLAPP laws are in place in 35 states and the District of Columbia, according to a 2023 report by the Institute for Free Speech. House Bill 345: Co-sponsored by Rep. Jordan Redman, R-Coeur d'Alene, and the chairmen of the Legislature's Health and Welfare committees, the bill would require the state to seek work requirements for able-bodied Idahoans on Medicaid, and to give Idahoans eligible for Medicaid expansion access to tax credits to buy insurance on Idaho's health care exchange. The Idaho Senate voted 29-6 along party lines Tuesday to pass the bill. It now heads to the governor for final consideration. House Bill 243: Co-sponsored by Reps. Barbara Ehardt, R-Idaho Falls, and Rod Furniss, R-Rigby, the bill would repeal Idaho law that allows city and local governments to set more rigorous child care oversight than the state. The bill was amended by the Senate on Wednesday to remove language that would have allowed child and day care centers to set their own staff-to-child ratios. It is on the Senate's third reading calendar and may be heard in the coming days of the session. Senate Bill 1101: Sponsored by Sen. Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, the bill would clarify and add guidance to Idaho coroners' roles in death investigations. The Senate voted 60-6 to pass the bill on Monday. It now heads to the governor for final consideration. House Bill 290: Sponsored by Rep. Dori Healey, R-Boise, the bill would transfer decision-making authority about vaccination requirements for children attending day cares and schools from the Department of Health and Welfare to the Idaho Legislature. The Senate Health and Welfare Committee passed the bill on Wednesday and sent it to the Senate floor with a do pass recommendation. It may be heard in the coming days of the session. House Concurrent Resolution 16: Sponsored by Rep. Jordan Redman, R-Coeur d'Alene, the resolution would create a legislative committee to study Idaho's property insurance market. The resolution, approved by the House Business Committee with a do pass recommendation on Tuesday, is in response to Idaho's destructive wildfire seasons and dozens of insurance companies pulling out of the state. The House may take it up in the coming days of the session. House Bill 362: Sponsored by Rep. Barbara Ehardt, R-Idaho Falls, the bill would prevent elected officials in state or federal positions from simultaneously serving in elected city, school or highway district positions, with some exceptions for rural areas. The House voted 43-27 on Tuesday to pass the bill. It was referred to the Senate State Affairs Committee and may be heard in the coming days of the session. House Bill 41: Sponsored by Rep. Ted Hill, R-Eagle, and Sen. Tammy Nichols, R-Middleton, the bill would prohibit flags in public schools 'that represent a political viewpoint, including but not limited to flags or banners regarding a political party, race, sexual orientation, gender, or a political ideology.' The House voted 60-10 on Tuesday to pass the bill. It now heads to the governor for final consideration. House Bill 380: Sponsored by Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa, the bill would allow prosecutors to seek the death penalty for a new criminal charge the bill creates: aggravated lewd conduct with children age 12 and younger. The House Judiciary, Rules and Administration Committee voted on Thursday to advance the bill with a do pass recommendation. It may be heard by the full House in the coming days of the session. House Bill 378: Sponsored by Rep. Stephanie Mickelsen, R-Idaho Falls, the bill would require all Idaho legislative officials to report out-of-state travel, paid by another individual or entity, that is 'reasonably related to a legislative or governmental purpose or to an issue of state, national, or international public policy.' The House voted 47-22 on Thursday to pass the bill. It was referred to the Senate State Affairs Committee and may be heard in the coming days of the session. Senate Bill 1046aa: Sponsored by Sen. Tammy Nichols, R-Middleton, and Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, the bill requires Idaho public schools to provide human growth and fetal development instruction via ultrasound video and computer-generated renderings for students in grades 5 through 12. The House Education Committee voted on Friday to advance the bill with a do pass recommendation, and it may be taken up by the full House in the coming days of the session. House Resources and Conservation Committee Senate Joint Memorial 103: Sponsored by Sen. Brandon Shippy, R-New Plymouth, and Rep. John Shirts, R-Weiser, the memorial encourages federal and state officials to ensure the Stibnite Gold Project in Valley County maintains its positive record of decision, and successfully enters into the development phase of the project. It is scheduled for a full public hearing on Monday. Senate Joint Memorial 101: Sponsored by Sen. Kevin Cook, R-Idaho Falls, the memorial urges federal and state agencies to study and develop additional water storage solutions for Idaho, including the potential reconstruction of the Teton Dam. It is scheduled for a full public hearing on Monday. House Bill 389: Sponsored by Rep. Judy Boyle, R-Midvale, the legislation would make it so any range or forest fire burning on federal land within Idaho is declared a public nuisance. The bill allows the governor to declare an emergency and direct state resources to immediately extinguish such a fire on federal land. The bill also directs the Idaho attorney general to recover related costs in a civil action. It is scheduled for a full public hearing on Monday. Idaho State Department of Agriculture to host ag day celebration at Statehouse The Idaho State Department of Agriculture will host a celebration for Idaho Agriculture Day from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday at the State Capitol Building in Boise. More than 15 agricultural organizations will participate in the event, providing displays that recognize Idaho agriculture on the second floor of the rotunda, according to a press release from the department. The event is open to the public to learn more about Idaho agriculture and the impact the state has on today's food system. Idaho's 23,000 farms and ranches produce more than 185 different commodities, contributing more $10.8 billion to the state's economy, according to the department. Idaho Agriculture Day celebrates and recognizes Idaho's farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers. 'Here is a list. You can't see it, but you can see there's a lot of bills here that need to be done. We've got a ton of work to do, and we can't go home – nobody can go home – until we get these done. So the more we can do to negotiate and come to a consensus so we can move them along here in JFAC, the better off we will all be so we can get the bills to the House and the Senate, and everybody will be happy – happy – that someday we will sine die.' – Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee co-chairman Scott Grow, R-Eagle, on the remaining budgets the Legislature's budget committee must still address before it can adjourn for the year How to follow the Idaho Legislature and Idaho Gov. Brad Little's work during the session Here are a few tools we use to track the Legislature's business and how to let your voice be heard in the issues that matter most to you. How to find your legislators: To determine which legislative district you live in, and to find contact information for your legislators within that district, go to the Legislative Services Office's website and put in your home address and ZIP code. Once you've entered that information, the three legislators – two House members and one senator – who represent your district will appear, and you can click on their headshots to find their email address and phone number. How to find committee agendas: Go to the Idaho Legislature's website, and click on the 'all available Senate committee agendas' link and the 'all available House committee agendas' link on the right side of the website. How to watch the legislative action in committees and on the House and Senate floors: Idaho Public Television works in conjunction with the Legislative Services Office and the Idaho Department of Administration through a program called 'Idaho in Session' to provide live streaming for all legislative committees and for the House and Senate floors. To watch the action, go to and select the stream you'd like to watch. How to testify remotely at public hearings before a committee: To sign up to testify remotely for a specific committee, navigate to that committee's webpage, and click on the 'testimony registration (remote and in person)' tab at the top. How to find state budget documents: Go to Legislative Services Office Budget and Policy Analysis Division's website How to track which bills have made it to Gov. Little's desk and any action he took on them (including vetoes): Go to the governor's website You can scroll down to the bottom of the site and enter your email address to get alerts sent straight to your inbox when the page has been updated. Reporting from Idaho Capital Sun journalists Clark Corbin, Mia Maldonado and Kyle Pfannenstiel contributed to this legislative notebook. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
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08-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Legislative Notebook: As tax cuts sail through Legislature, budget committee sets revenue forecast
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, the Idaho Legislature's powerful budget committee, meets daily during the legislative session. (Pat Sutphin for the Idaho Capital Sun) In an effort to help Idahoans follow major bills, resolutions and memorials through the legislative process, the Idaho Capital Sun will produce a 'legislative notebook' at the end of each week to gather information in one place that concerns major happenings in the Legislature and other news relating to state government. To receive the full extent of our reporting in your inbox each day, sign up for our free email newsletter, The Sunrise, on our website at Here is our quick rundown of the major happenings during the ninth week of the Idaho Legislature's 2025 session. Less than 24 hours after the Idaho Senate passed a major income tax cut bill that reduces state revenue by $253 million and weeks after the Idaho Legislature's budget committee passed the maintenance budgets for all state agencies, the committee ultimately decided how much money the state has to work with to fund departments and public services for fiscal year 2026. A projection for the state's revenue forecast was set Wednesday – the 59th legislative day of the 2025 session – by the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, or JFAC. The budget committee voted 16-2 to set the revenue projection for fiscal year 2026 at $6.4 billion, a 6.8% increase above the level in the current fiscal year 2025 budget. That's the same $6.4 billion revenue projection that the Idaho Legislature's Economic Outlook and Revenue Assessment Committee recommended in a Jan. 9 letter to JFAC members. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE But during the second week of the 2025 legislative session, JFAC members discussed and then voted down two proposed revenue projections on Jan. 16. Since then, JFAC set and passed bare bones maintenance of operations budgets that combine all state agencies and departments into about 10 bills. JFAC went on to consider dozens of other budget enhancements for state agencies, and Republican legislative leaders proposed tax cuts that, when combined, would reduce state revenue by more than $400 million. But until Wednesday morning, there was no revenue projection in place to show how much money the Idaho Legislature has to build its 2026 budget around. Idaho Legislature's budget committee openly feuds over new budget procedures The budget committee's cochairs, Rep. Wendy Horman, R-Idaho Falls, and Sen. Scott Grow, R-Eagle, said the senators and the representatives on the committee needed time to work through disagreements on the projections. 'As you know, we try to work things out – not just here on the floor – but try to get folks to agree to things,' Grow said during Wednesday's JFAC meeting. 'And we haven't had any success getting that agreement so we figured we just better go ahead (today) and try to give it our best shot and try to go for it.' A few minutes later, Sen. Janie Ward-Engelking and Senate Minority Leader Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, cast the only two votes against the revenue projection on Wednesday. 'This is the wrong way to do our budgets,' Ward-Engeking said. 'We've done a lot of actions in this committee. We've sent our maintenance budgets out. We've looked at tax reduction, or tax cuts and revenue reduction, before we set our revenue projection and I don't believe that's the right way to do budgets. I believe this revenue projection should have been set at the beginning of the session, and then we work towards that number in everything that we do and the spending and in the tax reductions or the tax cuts.' Legislators have set a target adjournment date for March 21, just two weeks from now. Sponsored by Sen. Brian Lenney, R-Nampa, and Rep. Robert Beiswenger, R-Horseshoe Bend, and signed into law by Idaho Gov. Brad Little on Tuesday, House Bill 32 prohibits local governments, health districts and school districts from mandating that an individual must wear a mask or face covering to prevent the spread of an infectious disease. The government mask mandate ban law has a few exceptions, allowing face mask requirements in certain job settings where masks are required and are needed 'to perform required job duties,' such as in health care, work with hazardous materials, or industrial settings 'where respiratory protection is vocationally required.' Little advocated for local control of mask mandates throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and never instituted a statewide mask mandate to combat the coronavirus. The bill takes effect immediately through an emergency clause. House Bill 345: Co-sponsored by Rep. Jordan Redman and the chairmen of the Legislature's Health and Welfare committees, the bill would require the state to seek work requirements for able-bodied Idahoans on Medicaid, and to give Idahoans eligible for Medicaid expansion access to tax credits to buy insurance on Idaho's health care exchange. The Idaho House voted 61-9 along on party lines Thursday to pass the bill. It now heads to the Senate State Affairs Committee and may be taken up in the coming days of the session. House Bill 243: Co-sponsored by Reps. Barbara Ehardt, R-Idaho Falls, and Rod Furniss, R-Rigby, the bill would repeal age-based child-to-staff ratios for child care facilities in Idaho law. The Senate Health and Welfare Committee advanced the bill on Wednesday to the full Senate for consideration with a recommendation that it pass. It is on the Senate's third reading calendar and may be taken up in the coming days of the session. Senate Bill 1101: Sponsored by Sen. Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, the bill would clarify and add guidance to Idaho coroners' roles in death investigations. The Senate Health and Welfare Committee advanced the bill on Thursday to the full Senate for consideration with a recommendation that it pass. It is on the Senate's third reading calendar and may be taken up in the coming days of the session. House Bill 290: Sponsored by Rep. Dori Healey, R-Boise, the bill would transfer decision-making authority about vaccination requirements for children attending day cares and schools from the Department of Health and Welfare to the Idaho Legislature. The Idaho House passed the bill 49-21 on Wednesday. It now heads to the Senate Health and Welfare Committee, where it may be heard in the coming days of the session. House Concurrent Resolution 16: Sponsored by Rep. Jordan Redman, R-Coeur d'Alene, the resolution would create a legislative committee to study Idaho's property insurance market. The resolution, introduced in the House Health and Welfare Committee on Thursday, is in response to Idaho's destructive wildfire seasons and dozens of insurance companies pulling out of the state. It may come before the committee for a full public hearing in the coming days of the session. House Bill 231: Sponsored by House Majority Leader Jason Monks, R-Meridian, the bill would increase the tax credit Idahoans receive on groceries from $120 to $155. The Idaho Senate voted 30-3 on Wednesday to pass the bill. It now heads to the governor for final consideration. Senate Bill 1001: Sponsored by Sen. Brian Lenney, R-Nampa, the anti-SLAPP (which stands for strategic lawsuits against public participation) bill aims to protect free speech and curtail frivolous lawsuits. The Idaho House voted 70-0 to pass the bill on Wednesday. It now heads to the governor for final consideration. House Bill 362: Sponsored by Rep. Barbara Ehardt, R-Idaho Falls, the bill would prevent elected officials in state or federal positions from simultaneously serving in elected city, school or highway district positions, with some exceptions for rural areas. The House State Affairs Committee advanced the bill Friday with a recommendation that it pass. It may be taken up by the full House in the coming days of the session. ProgressRpt Senate State Affairs Committee House Joint Resolution 4: Sponsored by Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa, the resolution seeks voter approval to amend the state constitution to give the Legislature exclusive authority to legalize and regulate marijuana and other drugs. The House voted 58-10 to pass the resolution on Wednesday. It now heads to the committee, where it is on the agenda for Monday for a full public hearing. Senate Bill 1141: Sponsored by Sen Codi Galloway, R-Boise, the bill bans unauthorized public camping or sleeping on public property in Idaho and prohibits political subdivisions from allowing it. It provides exceptions for designated recreational areas and certain state lands. It was introduced by the committee on March 3, and it is on the agenda for Monday to be back before the committee for a full public hearing. 'Idaho families and businesses need and deserve to keep more of their hard earned money. It is the right thing to do. Idaho's continued strength comes from our focus on good government and the Idaho taxpayer. I appreciate my partners in the Legislature for sharing our goal of prioritizing tax relief while taking care of the needs of a growing state. As we continue to deliver historic tax relief, we must ensure our budget balances as the Idaho Constitution requires.' – Idaho Gov. Brad Little, on signing the largest income tax reduction in state history into law through House Bill 40 How to follow the Idaho Legislature and Idaho Gov. Brad Little's work during the session Here are a few tools we use to track the Legislature's business and how to let your voice be heard in the issues that matter most to you. How to find your legislators: To determine which legislative district you live in, and to find contact information for your legislators within that district, go to the Legislative Services Office's website and put in your home address and ZIP code. Once you've entered that information, the three legislators – two House members and one senator – who represent your district will appear, and you can click on their headshots to find their email address and phone number. How to find committee agendas: Go to the Idaho Legislature's website, and click on the 'all available Senate committee agendas' link and the 'all available House committee agendas' link on the right side of the website. How to watch the legislative action in committees and on the House and Senate floors: Idaho Public Television works in conjunction with the Legislative Services Office and the Idaho Department of Administration through a program called 'Idaho in Session' to provide live streaming for all legislative committees and for the House and Senate floors. To watch the action, go to and select the stream you'd like to watch. How to testify remotely at public hearings before a committee: To sign up to testify remotely for a specific committee, navigate to that committee's webpage, and click on the 'testimony registration (remote and in person)' tab at the top. How to find state budget documents: Go to Legislative Services Office Budget and Policy Analysis Division's website How to track which bills have made it to Gov. Little's desk and any action he took on them (including vetoes): Go to the governor's website You can scroll down to the bottom of the site and enter your email address to get alerts sent straight to your inbox when the page has been updated. Reporting from Idaho Capital Sun journalists Clark Corbin, Mia Maldonado and Kyle Pfannenstiel contributed to this legislative notebook. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
