Saturday, August 15, 2026 · Off-Session

Idaho Politics

Independent Political Coverage
HomeLawmakersBillsElectionsLegislatureGovernorCommentaryArchive
Legislature

Notus-Parma Highway District #2 Sets August Hearing on FY2027 Spending Plan

Notus-Parma Highway District #2 has proposed its budget for fiscal year 2027 and scheduled a public hearing for residents who wish to weigh in before the plan is adopted. The hearing will take place on August 25, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. at the District Meeting Room, located at 106 S. 4th Street in Parma. The […]

By Idaho Politics Staff · August 14, 2026
Legislature

Idaho Opens Fiscal Year With $14 Million Revenue Surplus in July

Idaho collected $14 million more than projected in July, the first month of the new fiscal year, according to a report released by the state Division of Financial Management on August 13. The surplus signals a stronger-than-expected start to fiscal year 2027, though a single month’s performance is rarely treated as a definitive indicator of […]

By Idaho Politics Staff · August 14, 2026
Legislature

Justice Robyn Brody Set to Lead Idaho Supreme Court This Fall

Justice Robyn Brody will become chief justice of the Idaho Supreme Court on Oct. 1, the Idaho Judicial Branch announced Thursday. She succeeds Chief Justice G. Richard Bevan, who is set to retire Oct. 30 after leading the court since 2021. A Historic Appointment Brody will be only the second woman to hold the chief […]

By Idaho Politics Staff · August 13, 2026
Legislature

Southern Idaho Faces Record Water Demand as Farmers Absorb Deep Cuts This Season

A Crisis by the Numbers Southern Idaho is confronting its most severe water shortage on record this summer, with state calculations showing spring water demand reached nearly 140% of the historical average — a figure the Idaho Department of Water Resources has never previously recorded. The strain is falling hardest on agricultural users who depend […]

By Idaho Politics Staff · August 12, 2026
Legislature

Idaho Abortion Advocates Use Licensing Data to Counter OB-GYN Loss Study, But Doctors Say the Numbers Mislead

As Idaho voters prepare to weigh in on Proposition 1 — a citizen-led initiative to repeal the state’s strict abortion ban — a Christian advocacy group and several Republican state legislators are promoting licensing data they say disproves a peer-reviewed study finding Idaho lost 35 percent of its OB-GYNs since 2022. Medical professionals and their […]

By Idaho Politics Staff · August 12, 2026
Legislature

Idaho Officials Say Accepting Pocatello Hospital’s Rate Demands Would Have Raised State Employee Health Costs by 7%

A legislative working group examining health insurance practices in Idaho heard testimony this week that accepting a Pocatello hospital’s reimbursement rate demands would have driven up costs for the roughly 65,000 state employees and family members covered under the state’s health plan. Working Group’s First Meeting The Idaho Legislature’s Health Insurers Working Group held its […]

By Idaho Politics Staff · August 11, 2026
Legislature

Idaho Students Face New 50-Question Civics Exam Beginning in 2027

A New Civics Standard for Idaho High Schoolers Idaho high school students will soon face a revamped civics exam that supporters say sets a higher bar for civic knowledge. The new test, created under Senate Bill 1366, takes effect during the 2027-28 school year and replaces an older 100-question citizenship test with a more focused […]

By Idaho Politics Staff · August 11, 2026
Legislature

Idaho Housing Authorities Weigh Federal Work Requirement Push with Mixed Response

A federal proposal that would tie public housing assistance to employment conditions is drawing a cautious, uneven response from Idaho’s public housing authorities, with some signing onto a voluntary coalition supporting the framework while others hold off. The Federal Proposal The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development earlier this year unveiled the Work and […]

By Idaho Politics Staff · August 10, 2026
Legislature

Idaho Corrections Budget Grew by $33 Million While Public Defender Office Saw Cuts, Report Finds

A new fiscal policy analysis has found that Idaho lawmakers steered significantly more money toward incarceration infrastructure during the 2026 legislative session than toward programs aimed at reducing the prison population in the first place — a pattern the report’s author describes as prioritizing prisons over prevention. The Idaho Center for Fiscal Policy released the […]

By Idaho Politics Staff · August 10, 2026
Legislature

Flock License Plate Readers Spread Across Idaho Cities, Sparking Legal Challenges and Privacy Debate

A standing-room-only crowd packed the Caldwell City Council chambers on July 6, with attendees spilling into hallways and out the door — a turnout that reflected growing public unease over automated license plate reader technology deployed by police departments across Idaho. The gathering centered on the Caldwell Police Department’s use of Flock Safety automated license […]

By Idaho Politics Staff · August 6, 2026
Legislature

Idaho Lawmakers Launch Health Insurance Task Force After Portneuf-Regence Network Dispute

Idaho’s Republican legislative leaders have established a new interim working group to examine health insurer practices across the state, with the effort prompted by a contract breakdown between Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello and the Regence health insurance network. Origins of the Task Force House Speaker Mike Moyle and Senate President Pro Tempore Kelly Anthon […]

By Idaho Politics Staff · August 5, 2026