Idaho’s two U.S. senators are backing a new federal proposal that would hand greater management authority over grizzly bears to state agencies, following an announcement from the Interior Department on July 15. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Brian Nesvik announced a revised rule proposal that would transfer […]

Idaho Senator Jim Risch introduced legislation this week requiring the federal Bureau of Land Management to hold geothermal energy lease sales every year, moving to align the Senate with a companion measure that cleared the House unanimously last month. The CLEAN Act The bill, formally titled the Committing Leases for Energy Access Now Act, sets […]

U.S. Rep. Russ Fulcher (R-Idaho) launched an online survey this week asking constituents how they think federal land in Idaho should be managed, covering topics from recreation and wildlife to roads, permitting, and maintenance. A Large Footprint, a Contested Debate Federal agencies control nearly two-thirds of Idaho’s total land area, making public land policy one […]

Federal housing law got a significant overhaul this week when the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act was signed into law, with Idaho Senator Mike Crapo playing a central role in shaping and advancing several of its key provisions. Crapo, who chairs the Senate Finance Committee and serves as a senior member of the Senate […]

A retired Air Force major general who once called herself a Republican is mounting an independent bid for Idaho’s First Congressional District, taking on four-term incumbent Rep. Russ Fulcher in what would be an exceptionally rare upset if successful. Sarah Zabel, who moved to Idaho in 2020 after a three-decade military career and subsequent work […]

Idaho Senator Mike Crapo is urging community development lenders across the state to move quickly after federal grant application materials became available Tuesday for two key lending programs. The Office of Management and Budget released Notices of Funding Availability for the Bank Enterprise Award (BEA) and Small Dollar Loan (SDL) programs housed within the CDFI […]

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson issued a statement Monday welcoming the Supreme Court’s formal rulings in Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. B.P.J., calling the decisions a landmark moment for female athletes nationwide. “Today is a historic day for female athletes in America,” Simpson said. The second-district congressman added, “Men have no place in women’s […]

Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and more than 90 Republican colleagues in Congress have filed an amicus brief in support of Louisiana’s lawsuit challenging federal regulations governing chemical abortion drugs, with the filing landing on Sunday, June 29. The Lawsuit and the Brief Louisiana Attorney General Murrill filed the underlying lawsuit in October 2025 on behalf […]

U.S. Representative Russ Fulcher has scheduled a telephone town hall for Idaho’s First Congressional District on July 22, 2026, giving constituents a direct line to ask questions and hear updates from their congressman. The event begins at 6 p.m. Mountain Time (5 p.m. Pacific). Residents can join by dialing 833-998-1718. No registration is required. Fulcher […]

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a Hawaii law restricting where concealed carry permit holders could bring firearms was unconstitutional, handing a significant victory to Second Amendment advocates across the country. The case, Wolford v. Lopez, was decided 6-3. At issue was a Hawaii statute — widely nicknamed the “Vampire Rule” — that barred […]

Idaho’s two U.S. senators are backing legislation that would dramatically simplify how the National Guard tracks and categorizes service, replacing a patchwork of nearly 30 duty statuses with just four consolidated categories designed to standardize pay, benefits, and deployment readiness. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch, both Idaho Republicans, joined Kansas Republican Jerry Moran and […]

U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo’s office released the findings of a statewide housing survey Thursday, drawing on responses from more than 5,000 Idahoans to document the affordability pressures weighing on both renters and homeowners across the state. Renters Feeling the Squeeze The survey, conducted in 2025, found that renters at nearly every income level are stretching […]