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 […]

The federal government unveiled a proposal Tuesday to shift day-to-day management authority over grizzly bears in the contiguous United States toward state and tribal wildlife agencies, marking a significant policy shift under the Trump administration. The announcement was made at a field south of Bozeman, Montana, with the governors of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming on […]

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 […]

The Idaho Attorney General’s Office has formally responded to a letter sent by the U.S. Department of Justice concerning the administration of state elections, according to information from the office. Federal Scrutiny of State Elections The DOJ’s outreach targeted state election officials in Idaho, prompting the Attorney General’s Office to step in and craft a […]

Ada County commissioners gave Dr. Ryan Cole another five years on the Central District Health board on June 16, voting without dissent to extend his service through June 2031. Cole, an Idaho pathologist who has been an outspoken critic of COVID-19 vaccines, had his first term expire earlier this summer. How the Re-Appointment Came Together […]

Idaho’s Secretary of State has approved the Reproductive Freedom and Privacy Act for the November ballot, setting up a direct confrontation between voters and the state’s near-total abortion ban that has been in effect since 2022. The certification follows a signature drive that produced more validated signatures than any other qualifying initiative in Idaho history. […]

The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality has awarded close to $9 million in combined drinking water funding to two small Idaho communities — Worley in Kootenai County and Malad City in Oneida County — to address aging infrastructure and expand water system capacity. The Awards Worley received the larger of the two packages, totaling $4.9 […]

Idaho’s criminal ban on transgender individuals using restrooms and changing rooms that do not correspond to their biological sex is now in effect, but law enforcement officials across the state say they still lack clear guidance on how to actually enforce it. House Bill 752, passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature earlier this year, creates criminal […]

Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane, a Republican seeking a second term, says no changes to the state’s voting rules are expected before the November election — even as the Trump administration intensifies pressure on states to restrict mail-in voting and tighten noncitizen voting enforcement. Federal Push to Reshape State Election Laws The U.S. Department […]

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 […]

The Idaho Transportation Department is moving forward with all active construction projects despite absorbing a $275 million reduction from its Strategic Initiatives Fund under Governor Brad Little’s “Enduring Idaho” budget plan — a cut that has pushed the department’s statewide unfunded project list past $2.7 billion. Projects Stalled, But Not Cancelled ITD has compiled what […]