On Thursday, April 2, Senator Mark Harris (R-Soda Springs) asked the chamber to reject amendments to Senate Bill 1247.

The rejected amendments attempted to resurrect House Bill 659, which died in a Senate committee earlier this year. The proposal would have required every Idaho law enforcement agency to enter into 287(g) agreements with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

BOISE, Idaho (Idaho Capital Sun) — Idaho House lawmakers, who said negotiations stalled on one immigration issue, opted to do a late-session “hostile” take-over of another bill in another attempt to mandate all local law enforcement agencies enter formal agreements with federal immigration authorities.

During an evening floor session, Reps. Jordan Redman, R-Coeur d’Alene, and Dale Hawkins, R-Fernwood, brought an amendment that essentially re-wrote an existing bill. The process is known as “radiator capping,” or completely rebuilding the “engine” of a bill except the radiator cap. 

Slapping an “of Idaho” onto the end of a political action committee’s name doesn’t necessarily mean the money it spends comes from within the Gem State. 

The Citizens Alliance of Idaho PAC on Wednesday reported a $400,000 contribution from Citizens Alliance Political Action Committee Inc., a super PAC based in Fairfax, Va., just outside of Washington, D.C.

Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed a bill instructing the Idaho Department of Education to develop a statewide framework for integrating generative artificial intelligence (AI) into classrooms.

The framework will serve teachers just as much, if not more, than students, said State Superintendent Debbie Critchfield.

A late-session bill to address school sexual abuse investigations sailed through the Senate.

Without debate, the Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 1412 — a response to the spate of tort claims filed against the Boise School District, involving former special education assistant Gavin Snow.

A bill that would give city councils authority to hire and fire directors of city-owned libraries easily cleared the Senate. 

Currently, library boards oversee the hiring and firing of library directors. House Bill 715 would require city council approval for these decisions. 

“Cities with their own libraries are forced to rely solely on an unelected board of trustees to hire and fire the library director,” said sponsoring Sen. Ben Toews, R-Coeur d’Alene. “This bill restores accountability by giving the elected city council a direct voice in these personnel decisions.”

Idaho lawmakers are considering a temporary funding plan to restore critical mental health services after recent cuts, as behavioral health leaders report growing impacts across the state.

The proposal, approved this week by the Joint Millennium Fund Committee, would provide one-time funding through 2027 for programs including Assertive Community Treatment, or ACT. The plan relies on a combination of state funds and potential opioid settlement dollars and still requires approval from the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, the full Legislature, and the governor.

Senators Thursday passed 5% budget cuts to colleges and universities next fiscal year, after a debate that revolved around whether the state should fund higher education at all. 

House Bill 876 is the fiscal year 2027  “maintenance” budget for the Idaho State Board of Education and includes funding for two- and four-year colleges and universities. The budget rolls over base spending from the current fiscal year.

The Idaho House is set to consider changing its rules to make ethics hearings against sitting lawmakers secret. 

A bill that would have required local law enforcement agencies across Idaho to seek cooperation agreements with federal immigration officials is no longer moving forward this session.

Lawmakers on the Idaho Senate State Affairs Committee voted 5–4 Monday morning to hold House Bill 659 in committee, preventing it from advancing to the Senate floor.

A bill to criminalize violations of Idaho’s bathroom law is headed to the Senate.

The House-passed bill would make it a misdemeanor to use a bathroom “that is designated for use by the (user’s) opposite biological sex.”