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Idaho Capital Sun

In warning letter, VP Vance says Dems are ‘prepared to pour millions’ into Idaho to flip Risch seat

10:40 AM

Many Idaho residents recently received a fundraising appeal in the mail from U.S. Vice President JD Vance to support Idaho’s longtime Republican U.S. Sen. Jim Risch in his campaign for reelection, claiming Democrats were “prepared to pour millions of dollars into Idaho” to defeat the incumbent in what Vance said is an “urgent national race.”

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Idaho has spent more than $20M on wildfire suppression so far this year as conditions worsen

5:50 PM

Idaho state fire officials have spent more than $20 million fighting wildfires so far this year, and conditions are expected to worsen as the fire season continues.

Idaho Department of Lands Director Dustin Miller told the State Board of Land Commissioners on Tuesday that the agency expects to be reimbursed from other fire agencies for about $5.7 million of those costs for suppressing fires, leaving the state with around $15 million to pay so far.

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Idaho Gov. Brad Little vetoes five bills after 2026 legislative session adjourns

12:43 PM

Little vetoed the bills late Wednesday, and his office announced the vetoes just before noon on Thursday. 

Two of the bills were late-session budget bills. One involved transferring cash and interest payments around to prop up the state budget, and the other involved the cap limiting the amount of money that can be deposited in the state’s main rainy day savings account – the Budget Stabilization Fund.

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Idaho House lawmakers do ‘hostile’ takeover of E-Verify bill to mandate 287(g) agreements

10:48 AM

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. 

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