Idaho’s legislature approved a slate of education changes set to take effect July 1, 2026, reshaping policy on artificial intelligence, virtual school oversight, parental notification requirements, and the relationship between school districts and teacher unions. AI and Virtual School Accountability The new laws establish frameworks governing generative AI use in schools while imposing stricter accountability […]

A one-year congressional ban blocking Medicaid reimbursements to Planned Parenthood for non-abortion services is set to expire July 4, allowing federal and state Medicaid funds to once again flow to the organization’s clinics for routine healthcare. The lapse comes as Republican lawmakers work to extend the prohibition but have been unable to do so before […]

A wave of new Idaho laws took effect July 1, 2026, touching everything from how cities zone residential neighborhoods to how social media platforms handle children’s accounts — and making Idaho the first state in the nation to designate the firing squad as its primary method of execution. The changes come out of a 2026 […]

The Trump administration has sharply narrowed the definition of “medically frail” under new Medicaid work requirements, forcing states to implement stricter eligibility standards by January 2027 that healthcare advocates and Democratic-led states say will create administrative chaos and strip coverage from vulnerable populations. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services published interim guidelines on June […]

The mayor of Spencer, Idaho is facing felony insurance fraud charges after a preliminary hearing this week resulted in his case being bound over to district court, where he will stand trial on allegations that he submitted false documents to inflate the value of a damaged boat during an insurance claim. Who Is Involved David […]

Idaho will receive $49.6 million in Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) funding for 2026, with 44 local governments across the state benefiting from the annual federal allocation announced Tuesday by U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch. PILT payments compensate counties and municipalities for the presence of federal lands within their borders that cannot […]

A Custer County judge dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed by Idaho businessman and federal official Michael Boren on Friday, ruling that the case had sat dormant too long under state court rules and that Boren’s legal team had no valid excuse for the delay. The Ruling Judge Darren Simpson ordered the dismissal after finding that […]

More than 350 laws passed by the Idaho Legislature during the 2026 session take effect Tuesday, July 1, making this the most productive legislative year in at least five years in terms of bills signed into law. The new statutes span a broad range of policy areas, including execution methods, housing policy, protections for children […]

Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador joined officials from four Treasure Valley cities Monday to alert residents about a fraud scheme targeting people who have applied for planning and zoning permits, warning that scammers are sending convincing fake invoices designed to extract quick payments. How the Scam Works Criminals are pulling public records from municipal planning […]

Bipartisan legislation led by U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) to renew a federal breast cancer education program aimed at women under 40 cleared a key Senate committee this week, moving one step closer to a full Senate vote. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee approved the reauthorization of the Breast Cancer Education and […]

Governor Brad Little signed an executive order Monday granting eligible Idaho state employees two additional paid days off to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary, creating an extended Independence Day holiday around the official state observance. The Order Executive Order 2026-06, signed June 22, designates Thursday, July 2 and Monday, July 6 as additional paid leave […]

The Trump administration is advancing a broad set of changes to federal grazing regulations on public lands across the American West, drawing praise from livestock producers while raising questions about the federal government’s capacity to manage more than 240 million acres already stretched thin by staffing reductions. Modernizing Rules Unchanged Since 1995 The overhaul targets […]