2025 Legislative Session News
Behavioral Health Council Honored for Mental Health Advocacy by NAMI Idaho
On Tuesday, the Idaho Behavioral Health Council was honored for its work to improve Idahoans’ access to mental health services. The state’s National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI Idaho) presented the council — which features members from each branch of government,...
“GOP Tax Policies Leave Working Families Behind” – by Reps. Lauren Necochea and James Ruchti
We came into this session with high hopes for what we could accomplish for Idahoans. Our strong revenues meant we could finally deliver broadly shared priorities that have been on the back burner for too long: reducing property taxes, repealing the sales tax on...
GOP Railroad “Reverse Robin Hood” Tax Cut through House
The GOP railroaded a lopsided tax proposal through the House that overwhelmingly benefits profitable corporations and people with the highest incomes. House Bill 436 passed and now moves to the Senate. All Democrats voted against the legislation, and instead advocated...
House GOP Fast Track Corporate Tax Cut Out of Committee
The GOP fast tracked a lopsided tax proposal out of committee Tuesday that overwhelmingly benefits profitable corporations and people with the highest incomes. The House Revenue and Taxation Committee forwarded House Bill 436 to the full body in a party-line vote...
GOP Adopt Lowball Revenue Estimate to Engineer Future “Surpluses”
The Economic Outlook and Revenue Assessment Committee met Thursday to adopt a revenue assessment. The committee’s recommendation was then accepted Friday by the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee (JFAC) for budgeting purposes. The Republican legislators on EORAC...
“Idaho Infrastructure: Invest Now” – by Sen. Michelle Stennett
In the upcoming session, it’s imperative we address the vast infrastructure needs facing our state, which continues to grow at an unprecedented rate. Idaho’s nearly $2 billion budget surplus and $1 billion from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (and more from the...
House GOP Rush to Introduce Lopsided Tax Cut
Idaho House Republicans introduced a sweeping tax bill on the third day of the 2022 session, carrying with it a huge price tag. The proposed one-time tax rebate increases with income level, so the higher one’s income is, the more money they will receive. The ongoing...
Little Appoints Bellevue Mayor to Open District 26 House Seat
Gov. Brad Little appointed Bellevue Mayor Ned Burns to the open District 26 House seat Thursday following the resignation of former Rep. Muffy Davis, who was recently selected to serve on the Blaine County Board of Commissioners. Burns, who will complete Davis’s...
“Leadership’s secret ingredient” – by Rep. Steve Berch
I worked for the Hewlett Packard Company in Boise for over 30 years. I retired when I was elected to the Idaho Legislature in 2018. A group of former HP employees were recently asked to recount their favorite Bill and Dave story (referring to the founders, Bill...
“An Open Letter to Scott Yenor: We Aren’t Going Anywhere” – by Sen. Melissa Wintrow
Dear Mr. Yenor, Words matter… Your recent divisive words mattered, but in a way you may not have expected — they actually united the very group of “medicated, meddlesome, and quarrelsome” women you hoped to segregate and diminish. People across Idaho are raising their...
Little Appoints Carrie Semmelroth to Open District 17 Senate Seat
On Wednesday, Gov. Brad Little appointed Carrie Semmelroth to the open District 17 Senate seat following Sen. Ali Rabe’s resignation after moving to a new district. Semmelroth, who will serve out Rabe’s remaining term for 2022, works in the College of Education at...
“Political malpractice” — by Rep. Steve Berch
One of my west Ada County legislative colleagues spilled the beans. Arguing against being too hasty, this colleague countered during floor debate: “We haven’t been hasty. We’ve been working on some of these bills since July.” Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you...
Dems Support House Vote, Ethics Committee Recommendation on Giddings Complaint
On Monday, the House voted to adopt the recommendation by the ethics committee to remove Rep. Priscilla Giddings from the Commerce and Human Resources Committee. Democrats issued the following statement on the decision: “Our caucus is supportive of today’s bipartisan...
Senate Democrats Against Legislature’s Return, Stress Need for Change in Priorities
During a news conference Friday, Senate Democrats pushed back against the Idaho Legislature’s return to the Statehouse next week. Sens. Michelle Stennett, Grant Burgoyne, and Janie Ward-Engelking raised concerns about the possible legal ramifications that could stem...
“Adding fuel to Idaho’s health care crisis” – by Sen. David Nelson and Rep. Chris Mathias
We serve on the Idaho Legislature’s interim federalism committee, which evaluates and monitors federal law and its impact on our state. In this context, there are many important issues we could work on: improving access to public lands, building better relationships...
“Charting a different path for Idaho” – by Rep. James Ruchti
“What’s wrong with the Idaho Legislature?” I’ve been asked that question often since leaving the Capitol in May. Prior to arriving in Boise in January, I was told to expect a vastly different environment than what I had experienced during my previous two terms in the...
“Our property tax crisis requires solutions, not scapegoats” – by Reps. Ilana Rubel, Lauren Necochea, and Sally Toone
We could not believe our eyes when we read a recent op-ed from Idaho House GOP leadership scapegoating local government for the property tax crisis created by GOP legislators themselves. We must set the record straight. While it may be county officials mailing you the...
Idaho Democrats Urge GOP Leaders to Mitigate COVID Crisis, Not Waste Taxpayer Money in Potential Federal Lawsuit
The Idaho Joint Democratic Caucus released the following statement Friday in response to GOP state leaders threatening a legal action against President Joe Biden for his vaccination plan: “At this historic moment, our state needs to come together to navigate the...