Idaho Reports

The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee set this year's first supplemental and enhancement budgets on Friday morning. Divides over the new reduction process were apparent in the debate on restoring tuition assistance for Idaho National Guard members.

Six weeks into the session, and the budget fights continue. This week, College of Western Idaho president Gordon Jones sits down with Logan Finney to discuss how budget cuts will affect the college, and what the ripple effects might be. Then, Dr. Mary Barinaga of Idaho WWAMI and Kevin Richert of Idaho Education News join Melissa Davlin to discuss budgets, medical education, special ed, and more.

The ACLU of Idaho last week filed a class action lawsuit challenging the enforcement actions taken by federal, state, and local police agencies during an October raid at a horse racing track in Wilder, ID. Executive Director Leo Morales joins Logan Finney to discuss.

Idaho state lawmakers considered bills this week relating to religious schools and special education, public restrooms and a defunct women's commission. Plus, rats in Ada County.

Kristyn Herbert, Julie McConnel, Ned Fowkes, and Dana Gover – four Idahoans who rely on Medicaid programs for themselves or their children – discuss cuts to certain programs, including home and community-based services and therapies which help Idahoans with disabilities live independently, being proposed to balance the state budget.

It's a year filled with difficult decisions and some Idahoans are begging the state not to cut Medicaid any more than it already has. This week, Melissa Davlin sits down with four Idahoans who rely on Medicaid services to get their view on proposed budget cuts. Then, Sen. C. Scott Grow, Rep. Josh Tanner, Rep. Rod Furniss, and Rep. Brooke Green of the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee discuss.

House Appropriations Chairman Josh Tanner, Senate Finance Chairman Scott Grow, and joint committee members Rep. Rod Furniss and Rep. Brooke Green join Melissa Davlin to discuss proposed Medicaid program cuts and the broader budget picture for the 2026 legislative session.

Norway and roof rats have been found in the Boise metro area, and an infestation has the potential to spread diseases and cause problems for agriculture. Producer Logan Finney sat down with Sen. Tammy Nichols to discuss a bill that would designate the rats an invasive species and task the Idaho State Department of Agriculture and others with abating the problem.

Budget uncertainty is driving just about every conversation – on tax policy, on education, and definitely on health care. This week, producer Logan Finney discusses why tax conformity, often a formality, has become a real debate this session. Then, Kevin Richert of Idaho Education News talks about looming budget cuts and how they might affect public schools, higher education, and everything else.

Gov. Brad Little exempted K-12 public schools from 3% budget holdbacks earlier this year. But last week, the budget committee co-chairs directed all government sectors, including public education, to prepare plans for what any additional 1% and 2% holdbacks would look like. Logan Finney sat down with Quinn Perry, deputy director of the Idaho School Board Association, to discuss what additional budget holdbacks would mean on the ground in Idaho's public schools.

Looming budget cuts have already defined this legislative session, and stakeholders are weighing in on how saving a dollar today could cost state and local governments much more in the future. This week, Ivy Walker with Idaho Voices for Children, Sen. Julie Van Orden, Sen. Jim Woodward, and Nampa mother Trixy Ward discuss proposals to cut Medicaid costs, and how those might affect Idaho families.

The Idaho Supreme Court heard arguments last Friday on the Parental Choice Tax Credit, a policy that lawmakers passed last year allowing parents to write off up to $5,000 in private education expenses on their state taxes. Producer Logan Finney sat down after the hearing with Chris Cargill, president of the Mountain States Policy Center, to get his take on the court challenge.

Money is tight for every Idaho government agency, but when it comes to public education there are constitutional and legal requirements, particularly for special education students. Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield and State Board of Education executive director Jennifer White give us their takes on the public schools and higher education budget landscape this year.

In this tight budget-setting season, Gov. Brad Little has worked to shield K-12 public schools from cuts and holdbacks, but higher education has had no such luck. With increasing enrollment systemwide and an open president seat at Boise State University, Idaho's higher education institutions have a lot on their plate. Logan Finney sat down this week with Idaho State Board of Education Executive Director Jennifer White to discuss the budget picture and other higher education topics up for discussion this session.

Everyone is looking at the same revenue and budget numbers after the State of the State, but they're coming to some very different conclusions. This week, we take a look at the reactions to the speech, then producer Logan Finney talks about priorities for the session with two new members of House leadership, Assistant Majority Leader Doug Pickett and Minority Caucus Chair Monica Church.

Lawmakers are still trying to get their arms around the One Big Beautiful Bill, but one thing they don't have to consider yet is a transfer of federal lands to state management. Logan Finney sits down with Sen. Ben Adams to talk about a constitutional amendment he's working on that would govern how Idaho would handle such a transfer.

Extra: House Republican Leaders Respond to 2026 State of the State by Idaho Public Television

Extra: Idaho Democratic Leaders Respond to 2026 State of the State by Idaho Public Television

Gov. Brad Little delivers his 2026 State of the State Address. Then, Idaho Reports host Melissa Davlin is joined by Director Lori Wolff of the Division of Financial Management, Kevin Richert of Idaho Education News, and Dr. Stephanie Wit of Boise State University's School of Public Service to provide commentary and analysis of the governor's budget and policy priorities. Watch the Democratic response: https://youtu.be/IFB94ogZ0mg Watch the Republican response: https://youtu.be/GvbwPzW7chw

As we gear up for the 2026 legislative session, the budget is on everyone's minds. Former Rep. Wendy Horman gives us her take on Idaho's current budget situation, as well as her new role at the Office of Child Care at Health and Human Services. Kevin Richert of Idaho Education News, Dr. Jaclyn Kettler of Boise State University, and Senate Majority Leader Lori Den Hartog discuss the session ahead.

Rep. Wendy Horman, co-chair of the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, announced last month she would step down from the legislature to accept a job with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as the Director of the Office of Childcare. She joined us on Monday, her last day as a state legislator, to discuss her new role in the Trump administration and to share her take on the budget situation.

In 2025, President Donald Trump appointed Alex Adams to serve as the assistant secretary for the Administration for Children and Families at the Department of Health and Human Services. Idaho Reports producer Logan Finney sat down with Adams on December 23rd to discuss his new role.

Promo: Welcome back to the Idaho Reports podcast by Idaho Public Television

Idaho Reports is moving to Thursday nights at 8:30 pm. We're still bringing you updates and analysis from the legislature, plus interviews and in-depth discussions with policymakers on how decisions they make in Boise affect you. Watch Idaho Reports starting January 8th at our new time, Thursday nights at 8:30pm on Idaho Public Television, or stream it online at idahoreports.org or in the PBS app.

Nearly all of us will need help at some point in our lives with daily tasks, like bathing or housekeeping, whether it's because of aging or an injury. Some of us will be able to rely on family members for help, but not everyone has that luxury. That's where in-home caregivers come into play, but for years, Idaho has struggled to find enough workers to provide these essential in-home care services.

For years, the Idaho Reports team has brought you coverage on how public policy issues in the Gem State affect caregivers and the people who depend on them. This month, we bring you the latest, including recent legislative proposals on state and federal levels.

Idaho is one of the fastest-growing states in the country, but what does that mean exactly? Associate producer Logan Finney sits down with economist Liz Bageant to discuss a new report on state population change from the University of Idaho's McClure Center for Public Policy Research. VIEW THE REPORT: https://blog.idahoreports.idahoptv.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/MCCLURE0010-IAAG-PopChange2025-DIGITAL.pdf

How we care for vulnerable people changed a lot during the pandemic, and with the federal government reexamining how we pay for entitlement programs, more changes are on the way. This week, Idaho Capital Sun reporter Kyle Pfannenstiel discusses the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare's early end for the family personal care program, and we sit down with one Idaho family to talk about losing that lifeline.

Summer is back in Idaho, which means scammers posing as door-to-door sales representatives are back in our neighborhoods too. Associate producer Logan Finney sits down this week with Dan Estes, Director of the Consumer Protection Division in the Idaho Attorney General's Office, to talk about the warning signs Idahoans need to watch out for.

Local elections have the lowest voter turnouts, but some of the biggest impacts on your property taxes and the services your community receives. This week, Kevin Richert of Idaho Education News and Drs. Stephanie Witt and Jaclyn Kettler of Boise State University's School of Public Service join the show to discuss Tuesday's local elections. Plus, progress on the Trump administration's budget bill.

Voters in Idaho County have officially approved the deconsolidation of the Mountain View School District into two smaller districts, Grangeville and Clearwater Valley. Interim superintendent Alica Holthaus spoke with associate producer Logan Finney about placing the question on the ballot and what comes next for them.

Administrator Laura Denner from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare Division of Family and Community Partnerships and director Christine Tiddens of Idaho Voices for Children discuss recent efforts by the state to address issues in the foster care system. Then, former congressman Larry LaRocco shares what he and Richard Stallings heard from Idahoans after eleven town halls across the state.

The cost and availability of housing is a constant concern in Idaho. State lawmakers have assembled an interim committee to study the issue over the summer, with their first meeting this week discussing inventory shortages and the compounding effects of missing affordability.

This week, Idaho made national news as Boise and Bonners Ferry passed resolutions to continue flying flags – pride and organ donor flags in Boise and a Canadian flag in Bonners Ferry – despite a recently passed law that prohibits government entities from flying flags that aren't state, city, tribal, military, or the US flag. Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador discusses the new law, recent litigation, his views on civic discourse, and much more.

President Donald Trump issued an executive order upon taking office in January that suspended the U.S. Refugee Admission Program. Associate producer Logan Finney sat down with Holly Beech from the Idaho Office for Refugees which oversees refugee resettlement in Idaho in partnership with local community resettlement agencies. They discuss the effects of the program pause and funding freeze, as well as the case of a resettled Twin Falls man in ICE deportation proceedings with no country that will accept him.

Three decades after a monumental agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy over radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel storage, Idaho this week agreed to a waiver that will allow the federal government to send a cask of spent nuclear fuel to the Idaho National Laboratory. Plus, increased attention on wildfire management and the possible impacts of the Trump administration's budget proposal.

Gov. Brad Little signed an executive order last week directing the Idaho Department of Lands to collaborate with the U.S. Forest Service in support of the Trump administration's goals of increased timber production and improved forest health. Associate producer Logan Finney sat down with Department of Lands Director Dustin Miller to ask what that relationship will look like.

Over the course of three fiscal years starting in 2022, the legislature appropriated a total of $160 million to improve Idaho's state parks, with $95 million coming from state surplus funds, and another $65 million coming from the American Rescue Plan Act. On Thursday, the Idaho Reports team headed to Bruneau Dunes State Park to catch up with Director Susan Buxton and find out how that money was put to use, and to tour the facilities at the dunes.

Idaho has 30 state parks, and word is getting out that they're great places to visit. This week, we head to Bruneau Dunes State Park to catch up with Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation Director Susan Buxton and look into the status of record investments made into Idaho's state parks over the last few years. Plus, the latest on a lawsuit over abortion ballot initiative language.

Bruneau Dunes State Park is home to the tallest single-structure sand dune in North America, but it's also a certified dark sky area with a notable astronomy facility. Associate producer Logan Finney sat down with manager Bryce Bealba and ranger Greg Harman to talk about the park.

The legislative session may be over, but debates about government spending are still going strong across the state and the country. This week, we look at national political figures like U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and Turning Point USA activist Charlie Kirk making their case to Idahoans. Then, Speaker of the House Mike Moyle joins Logan Finney to discuss lawmakers' spending and policy priorities.

After hosting Sen. Bernie Sanders this week at the largest political rally in state history, what's next for the Idaho Democrats? Party chair Lauren Necochea joins associate producer Logan Finney to discuss the "Fighting Oligarchy" tour and what's next on the national and local front.

The "Fighting Oligarchy Tour" on Monday featuring U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT, and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY, drew a full venue of roughly 12,500 people to the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa. Speakers included former Idaho state Rep. Nate Roberts, D-Pocatello; family physician Dr. Penny Beach; House Minority Caucus Chair Rep. Todd Achilles, D-Boise; American Federation of Government Employees Local 1273 president Chandler Bursey; and AOC and Sanders.

The session is over. Time to talk about what passed, what didn't, and the lawsuits already underway. This week, professor Geoffrey Heeren with the University of Idaho College of Law discusses questions around an Idaho immigration bill, as well as the revocation of visas for international college students. Then, Kevin Richert of Idaho Education News and Dr. Jaclyn Kettler of Boise State University's School of Public Service discuss the end of the 2025 legislative session, and what might be next.

One of the bills signed into law this session will make three changes to urban renewal in Idaho: allowing cities to dissolve an urban renewal agency, allowing extensions for districts with a single industrial user, and allowing fire districts to opt out of inclusion in an urban renewal district. BoiseDev reporter Margaret Carmel joins Logan Finney to break down the changes.

Lawmakers are wrapping up work for the year with debates over medical treatments and diversity, equity, and inclusion. This week, producer Ruth Brown interviews Senate Health and Welfare Committee Chair Julie VanOrden about changes to Medicaid spending. Then, Senate Majority Caucus Chair Ben Toews talks about competing bills on medical freedom and what it takes to finally adjourn the session.

Reps. Heather Scott and Barbara Ehardt, Unplanned Good executive director Terri Marcroft, and Sens. Julie VanOrden and Tammy Nichols join associate producer Logan Finney to discuss their mission to make sure women with unplanned pregnancies know adoption is an option. The group reviews Idaho's safe haven laws which enable baby boxes where parents can anonymously surrender newborns safely, as well as working to make adoption a more accepted practice.

The Legislature missed its target adjournment date, with budgets dominating the debates. So as we head into April, what's next? This week, Sen. David Lent and Rep. Dustin Manwaring give us an update on medical education arrangements in Idaho. Then, House Assistant Majority Leader Josh Tanner and Senate Assistant Minority Leader James Ruchti discuss budgeting and end-of-session negotiations.

Sen. Jim Woodward sits down with associate producer Logan Finney to discuss progress on budgets and funding for public schools, as well as power companies' liability for wildfire damages and a few issues specific to Boundary and Bonner counties in Legislative District 1.

Idaho becomes the only state with the firing squad as its primary method of carrying out the death penalty. Producer Ruth Brown sits down with House Judiciary chairman Rep. Bruce Skaug to talk about use of the firing squad and other criminal justice issues. Then, Melissa Davlin interviews East Idaho farmer Brian Murdock about legislative investments in water recharge projects.

Sen. Tammy Nichols is working this year on a bill that would allow all Idahoans, even those that live in communities with covenants or HOA rules, to raise chickens on their property. She sat down with associate producer Logan Finney to discuss the bill and its path through the statehouse.