As Idaho’s November election season takes shape, data centers have emerged as a flashpoint issue — and at least some political observers are asking whether candidates’ positions on the technology facilities could move voters at the ballot box. The question reflects growing tensions across Idaho over proposed and existing data centers, which have sparked debate […]

A University of Idaho law student has turned a personal policy goal into proposed legislation, drafting a bill that would ban the sale of human remains in Idaho. Desalyn Swank told the Times-News protecting the deceased from exploitation has been a driving motivation since she enrolled in law school. She told the Magic Valley that […]

The Idaho Secretary of State’s Office has resolved a technical problem with its online voter look-up tool after residents reported last week that the site was failing to return registration results. Reports of the glitch began surfacing on social media around August 10, with users accessing the site on cellphones running into the most trouble. […]

Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador announced Thursday that his office is appealing a federal district court ruling that carved out exceptions to the state’s near-total abortion ban for cases involving the mother’s health or the risk of death from self-harm. Labrador is simultaneously asking the federal appeals court to block the lower court’s decision while […]

With more than three-quarters of Idaho currently experiencing drought conditions, researchers at Idaho State University are investigating whether underground barriers could help the state hold onto water that would otherwise flow away — a concept already proven in Japan but untested in the United States. Bruce Savage, professor and chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering […]

Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador has appealed a federal court ruling that blocked enforcement of portions of the state’s near-total abortion ban, simultaneously asking the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to pause the decision while the case moves forward. U.S. District Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill had ruled that the 14th Amendment shields a right […]

Idaho Republican Congressman Mike Simpson recorded 20 roll call votes in the U.S. House during a five-day stretch spanning May 14 through May 21, according to his official congressional voting record. What Simpson Voted On The votes covered a range of legislation and procedural matters. Simpson supported passage of several bills, including H.R. 1000, H.R. […]

Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador formally urged the federal government this week to remove grizzly bears from Endangered Species Act protections and transfer greater management authority to the states. Labrador’s comments were submitted in response to a Trump administration proposal issued July 17 that would revise the Endangered Species Act’s “4(d) rule” as it applies […]

Ada County launched its candidate filing period Monday for several local offices appearing on the November 3, 2026 ballot, giving prospective candidates less than two weeks to submit their paperwork. The Ada County Clerk is accepting declarations of candidacy through 5:00 p.m. on August 28, with filing having opened at 8:00 a.m. on August 17. […]

Two competing sets of polling data are shaping dramatically different narratives in Idaho’s U.S. Senate race this fall, where Sen. Jim Risch, a Republican who has held the seat since 2009, faces an unusual challenge from Todd Achilles, a former state legislator running as an independent. Achilles, who previously served in the Idaho Legislature as […]

Idaho’s 1st Congressional District race is shaping up as a multi-candidate contest with sharply different visions for healthcare affordability and agricultural labor, as incumbent Republican Rep. Russ Fulcher heads into the November general election against three challengers: Democrat Kaylee Peterson, independent Sarah Zabel, and Constitution Party candidate Brendan Gomez. The district spans the Idaho panhandle […]

Residential Facility Oversight Moving Forward The Idaho Legislature’s Joint Legislative Oversight Committee received a progress report Friday from the Office of Performance Evaluations on the state’s oversight of children’s residential care facilities — finding significant headway on a slate of 2025 recommendations while flagging several items still requiring legislative action. Of 19 recommendations issued in […]