2025 Legislative Session News
Democratic Senators Walk Out of JFAC: Sens Wintrow, Ward-Engelking protest lack of rules governing budgets
BOISE (March 12, 2025) – Idaho Senate Minority Leader Melissa Wintrow (D-19) and Sen. Janie Ward-Engelking (D-18) walked out of the Joint Finance & Appropriations Committee (JFAC) today to protest what they called “the budget chaos” that puts the state’s finances...
Idaho’s Women’s Safety on the Line as Trump Administration Abandons Emergency Abortion Protections
BOISE (March 4, 2025) — The Idaho Joint Democratic Legislative Caucus released the following statement regarding the Trump administration’s decision to abandon the federal lawsuit that has been the only legal safeguard ensuring pregnant women in Idaho can receive...
Gov. Little Caves to Billionaire Lobbyists on Subsidizing Private Schools
BOISE (Feb. 27, 2025) — The Idaho Joint Democratic Legislative Caucus released the following statement regarding Gov. Brad Little’s decision to sign House Bill 93, the Idaho parental choice tax credit, despite significant public opposition. According to Idaho...
Democrats Oppose House Bill 176 to Dismantle WWAMI; WWAMI Strengthens Idaho’s Healthcare Industry & Alleviates Physician Shortage
BOISE (Feb. 21, 2025) – The Idaho Democratic Legislative Caucus has issued the following statement in support of the University of Idaho’s partnership with WWAMI Medical Education to train more physicians in-state and encourage them to practice here. The caucus...
Democratic Caucus: ‘Don’t Deputize Genital Vigilantes’; GOP continues its assault on LGBT community at taxpayer expense
BOISE (Feb. 21, 2025) – The Democratic Caucus of the Idaho Legislature has released the following statement regarding several bills aimed at criminalizing and harassing the LGBT community. “This bill would allow anyone to accuse your son of not being a boy or your...
‘A Dark Day in Idaho Legislative History’; Democratic Caucus denounces passage of H138 and H93
BOISE (Feb. 19, 2025) — Idaho's Democratic Caucus issued the following statement after House Bill 138 passed on the House floor on a 38-32 vote. It now moves to the Senate. H93 passed on the Senate floor 20-15 and now moves to Governor Brad Little’s desk. “Today marks...
GOP legislators are ignoring the people on H93
BOISE (Feb. 17, 2025) — The Idaho Joint Democratic Legislative Caucus has released the following statement regarding House Bill 93. The bill was endorsed by President Donald Trump over the weekend. Please note that the data cited regarding the number of people who...
Democrats Denounce Efforts to Repeal Will of the Voters on Medicaid: House Bill 138 passes 8-7 in H&W committee
BOISE (Feb. 12, 2025) — The Democratic Caucus issued the following statement after H138 passed out of the House Health and Welfare Committee today on an 8-7 vote, despite 265 Idahoans, including healthcare professionals and business leaders, signing up to testify...
Democratic Caucus Calls Out Voucher Scheme as H93 Advances
BOISE (Feb. 12, 2025) — After a 6-3 vote in the Senate committee this afternoon, the Democratic Caucus released the following statement on House Bill 93. “Idahoans have been very clear that they are not interested in subsidizing their neighbors’ private or religious...
Democratic Caucus Issues Statement on Anti-Union Legislation
BOISE (Feb. 10, 2025) – The Idaho Legislature’s Democratic Caucus has issued the following statement on H98, which passed the House State Affairs Committee this morning. Democratic lawmakers strongly oppose it. “House Bill 98 is another example of an out-of-state...
Joint Statement on Ballot Initiative Bills to Limit People’s Power
BOISE (Feb. 7, 2025) – The Democratic caucus has issued the following joint statement in response to SJR 101 passing out of committee today. If it becomes law, it would undermine the citizen-led ballot initiative process. “Idaho’s ballot initiative is the only...
Bipartisan Speakers Respond to the H93 Voucher Scheme: ‘Stop Government Handouts for Private & Religious Schools’
Conservative, rural Idahoans join Democrats for press conference on fiscal irresponsibility of ‘refundable tax credits’ BOISE (Feb. 7, 2025) – The Idaho House of Representatives took up H93 this morning, Rep. Wendy Horman’s (R-Idaho Falls) bill to subsidize private...
Democratic Caucus Issues Statement on House Bill 93
BOISE (Feb. 5, 2025) — After an 8-7 vote in committee this morning, the Democratic Caucus released the following statement on House Bill 93: “HB 93 is another budget-busting voucher scheme being pushed on Idahoans by out-of-state special interests. Proponents argue...
Idaho Democrats Highlight Flaws in Proposed Tax Cut
BOISE (Jan. 30, 2025) — House Democrats have issued the following statement on the Republican-backed tax cut proposed today: Once again, majority party leaders in the Idaho Legislature are giving a huge tax break to corporations and the most wealthy Idahoans while...
House Minority Leader on Proposed Property Tax Cut
BOISE (Jan. 28, 2025) — House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel has issued the following statement on the property tax cut proposed by Republicans: “Idaho Democrats support meaningful property tax and grocery tax reductions to address the rising costs of housing and food....
Democratic Caucus Statement on Grocery Tax Credit
BOISE (Jan. 27, 2025) — House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel and Senate Minority Leader Melissa Wintrow have issued the following statement on the grocery tax credit proposed by Republicans. “Idahoans deserve a meaningful break on their grocery bills. Yet Republicans are...
Democratic Legislators Unanimously Oppose Same-Sex Marriage Ban
HJM1 passes Idaho House of Representatives 46-24 BOISE (Jan. 27, 2025) — A joint memorial to ask the United States Supreme Court to overturn marriage equality – the law of the land since 2015 – passed the Idaho House of Representatives 46-24 during the 11 a.m. floor...
OP-ED: Common-sense birth control policy is doing what the ban didn’t: reducing abortions
As a state legislator and lifelong advocate for women’s health, I was proud to see my bill, Senate Bill 1234, pass the Idaho Legislature last session. Starting this month, women across our state will have access to up to six months of prescription birth control at a...