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Idaho Capital Sun

@idahocapitalsun.com

Accountability reporting for the 208’s political landscape. We aim to tell untold stories and provide data, context and analysis on the issues that matter most at IdahoCapitalSun.com. Sign up for our free newsletter: https://idahocapitalsun.com/subscribe/.

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Latest posts by Idaho Capital Sun @idahocapitalsun.com

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Idaho House to consider establishing foster youth safety ‘bill of rights’ • Idaho Capital Sun The Idaho House is set to consider a bill that would establish a bill of rights focused on safety for youth in foster care.

The bill would require that the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare provide a copy to each child placed in foster care that spells out some of their rights, including the right to “freedom from physical, sexual, emotional, or other abuse.” #idleg #idpol

06.03.2026 16:50 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Idaho House passes bill to fine city of Boise for flying LGBTQ+ pride flag • Idaho Capital Sun The Idaho House passed a bill that would fine local and state governments for flying flags that aren’t on the Legislature’s pre-approved list.

The Idaho House widely passed a bill that would fine local and state governments for flying flags that aren’t on the Legislature’s pre-approved list. #idleg #idpol

05.03.2026 22:25 👍 6 🔁 5 💬 1 📌 3
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Idaho House committee kills bill that would have narrowed state's definition of child neglect  • Idaho Capital Sun A bill that would more narrowly define “neglect” in Idaho’s child protection laws failed to advance Thursday amid concern it would make it harder to remove children in potentially dangerous situations...

A bill that would more narrowly define “neglect” in Idaho’s child protection laws failed to advance amid concern it would make it harder to remove children in potentially dangerous situations. #idleg #idpol

06.03.2026 15:39 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Idaho House passes bill to fine city of Boise for flying LGBTQ+ pride flag • Idaho Capital Sun The Idaho House passed a bill that would fine local and state governments for flying flags that aren’t on the Legislature’s pre-approved list.

The Idaho House on Thursday widely passed a bill that would fine local and state governments for flying flags that aren’t on the Legislature’s pre-approved list. #idleg #idpol

06.03.2026 01:01 👍 3 🔁 2 💬 1 📌 1
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Lawmakers bring bill to phase out state funding of Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs  • Idaho Capital Sun State lawmakers introduced a renewed effort to eliminate funding for the Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs.

Idaho Rep. Jeff Ehlers, R-Meridian, introduced a bill Thursday that would eliminate state funding for the commission by July 1, 2028, and would remove the charitable income tax credit for private donations made to the commission. #idleg #idpol

05.03.2026 23:25 👍 3 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 1
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Coeur d’Alene Tribe, state of Idaho reach water rights settlement agreement  • Idaho Capital Sun Coeur d’Alene Tribe water agreement puts an end to lawsuits, recognizes state water rights and gives the Tribe certain quantities of water.

"Through hard work and constant dedication, we’ve been able to reach an agreement that not only protects our Tribal homelands but ensures water reliability for everyone throughout North Idaho," said the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s Tribal Council Chairman Chief Allan. #idpol

05.03.2026 22:32 👍 5 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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BREAKING: Kristi Noem out as DHS secretary; Trump to tap Oklahoma Sen. Mullin • Idaho Capital Sun President Donald Trump said U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem will be leaving the post for a job as a special envoy.

Noem, the former governor of South Dakota, will move to a new role as a special envoy for a new “Security Initiative in the Western Hemisphere,” Trump said.

05.03.2026 19:18 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 1
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Abraham Lincoln would be disgusted by today’s GOP standard bearers • Idaho Capital Sun Imagine the shock, dismay and disgust Abraham Lincoln might feel about the state and national leadership of his beloved Republican Party, if he were to return to life today. He would find a leadership...

COMMENTARY | Unfortunately, Idaho’s top GOP officials have bought into the anti-civil rights and anti-immigrant playbook of segregationists, writes guest columnist Jim Jones. #idleg #idpol

05.03.2026 16:19 👍 10 🔁 2 💬 2 📌 1
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Idaho budget committee rejects proposals to partially restore wildfire funding cuts • Idaho Capital Sun The Idaho Legislature’s budget committee rejected proposals that would have restored $285,000 in state funding for wildfire protection.

“It’s unfortunate that we are looking at these further reductions to the fire program when the fire threat and fire severity in the state is only getting worse,” Idaho Department of Lands Director Dustin Miller said. #idleg #idpol #Idahofire

05.03.2026 15:14 👍 12 🔁 4 💬 1 📌 0
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Anti-DEI bill for Medicaid health care providers introduced in Idaho Legislature  • Idaho Capital Sun An Idaho lawmaker introduced a bill prohibiting health care providers who accept Medicaid patients from having any "DEI" policies.

A bill introduced Wednesday in the Idaho Legislature would prohibit health care providers that accept Medicaid funding to have any “DEI” policies in employment, training or practice requirements. #idleg #idpol

05.03.2026 02:48 👍 2 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 3
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US Senate rejects limits on Trump war powers, as Hegseth vows ‘death and destruction’ for Iran • Idaho Capital Sun Sen. Risch, R-Idaho, said many presidents “have ordered kinetic acts, just like President Trump has done, without going to Congress.”

Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, said on the floor ahead of the vote the vast majority of presidents in American history “have ordered kinetic acts, just like President Trump has done, without going to Congress.”

“This isn’t new,” said Risch, who chairs the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs. #idpol

04.03.2026 23:42 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 4 📌 1

"During the private discussion, which an Idaho Capital Sun reporter observed, multiple JFAC members discussed specific dollar amounts... which potentially raises questions about JFAC’s transparency and whether public decisions are being made outside of a public meeting." #idleg

04.03.2026 01:36 👍 9 🔁 4 💬 0 📌 0
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Idaho Legislature might bring back presidential primary, after caucus had ‘abysmal’ turnout • Idaho Capital Sun After Idaho’s 2024 presidential caucus drew low voter turnout, state lawmakers are considering reinstating the presidential primary.

Ahead of the 2028 presidential election, the Idaho Legislature is considering at least two competing bills to bring back the presidential primary election. #idleg #idpol

04.03.2026 19:26 👍 4 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Iran war drives gas price uncertainty ahead of busy summer season • Idaho Capital Sun The national average price of a gallon of regular gasoline topped $3 Tuesday for the first time this year, and is expected to keep going up.

The national average price of a gallon of regular gasoline topped $3 Tuesday for the first time this year, and is expected to keep going up.

04.03.2026 18:17 👍 3 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
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Idaho House committee rejects bill that would criminalize helping unauthorized immigrants • Idaho Capital Sun House Bill 764 is sponsored by Rep. Dale Hawkins, R-Fernwood, and promoted by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.

“This makes citizens across Idaho fearful of volunteering at hundreds of charitable organizations across the state, a state that prides itself on taking care of its neighbors,” Idaho Foodbank CEO Randy Ford testified. #idleg #idpol

04.03.2026 16:26 👍 10 🔁 7 💬 1 📌 0
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Pentagon IDs four US soldiers killed in Iran drone strike, all assigned to Iowa unit • Idaho Capital Sun The U.S. Defense Department named four of the six soldiers killed by an Iranian drone strike after President Trump launched a war in Iran.

All were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command in Des Moines. They were killed during a March 1 drone attack on a commercial port in Kuwait, a U.S. ally.

04.03.2026 00:17 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
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Republicans on Idaho budget committee reject funding to comply with some Trump initiatives • Idaho Capital Sun Not providing funding to implement changes required by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act could lead to additional costs for Idaho down the road.

Republicans on the Idaho Legislature’s budget committee on Tuesday rejected funding requests to implement some of the initiatives President Donald Trump signed into law in the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act. #idleg #idpol

03.03.2026 23:20 👍 5 🔁 3 💬 0 📌 1
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Idaho secretary of state won’t give US Justice Department sensitive voter information • Idaho Capital Sun Idaho’s secretary of state said he will not give the Trump administration access to sensitive personal information about registered voters.

"Ultimately, my concern is for the privacy rights of Idahoans who have registered to vote, as secured under Idaho law,” Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane wrote to the Justice Department in a Feb. 26 letter. #idpol

03.03.2026 21:24 👍 24 🔁 6 💬 2 📌 3
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Tuberculosis cases have been rising as public health agencies struggle to keep up • Idaho Capital Sun Tuberculosis is a costly disease, and cases have been rising back to pre-pandemic rates. Public health agencies are struggling to keep up.

Thirty-four states and the District of Columbia reported increases in TB case counts and rates from 2023 to 2024, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In 2024, there were 10,347 reported cases nationwide, up 8% from the 9,622 cases reported the year before.

03.03.2026 20:44 👍 6 🔁 5 💬 0 📌 0
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Early prenatal care declines across US, reversing years of progress • Idaho Capital Sun Nearly a quarter of pregnant women aren’t getting prenatal care in the early stages of pregnancy, according to a new analysis from the CDC.

Nearly a quarter of pregnant women aren’t getting prenatal care in the early stages of pregnancy, according to a new analysis from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

03.03.2026 17:57 👍 10 🔁 4 💬 1 📌 0
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Idaho Legislature might bring back a family disability caregiver program that the state cut • Idaho Capital Sun Idaho lawmakers may consider reinstating a program that the state’s health agency cut last year that families to care for disabled love ones.

Idaho lawmakers may consider reinstating a program that the state’s health agency cut last year that paid parents and spouses to serve as caregivers to family members with disabilities. #idleg #idpol

02.03.2026 18:40 👍 6 🔁 3 💬 1 📌 1
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Idaho Senate committee rejects call to amend U.S. Constitution through convention • Idaho Capital Sun An Idaho Senate committee rejected a resolution that would’ve called for a never-before-used method of amending the U.S. Constitution.

An Idaho Senate committee narrowly rejected a resolution that would’ve called for a never-before-used method of amending the U.S. Constitution to balance the federal budget. #idleg #idpol

03.03.2026 15:00 👍 3 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
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Idaho Senate narrowly approves 4% budget cuts for most state agencies, departments • Idaho Capital Sun Senate Bill 1331, the 2026 Idaho budget rescission act, reduces overall state funding by $193 million this year -- about 4% for all agencies.

Senate Bill 1331, which is also referred to as the fiscal year 2026 Idaho budget rescission act, reduces overall state funding by $192.7 million – including $131.3 million for the general fund portion of the state budget. It also reduces 110 full time positions across state government. #idleg #idpol

02.03.2026 22:45 👍 5 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 2
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Another group files lawsuit to push U.S. Fish and Wildlife to protect wolverines • Idaho Capital Sun Another conservation group has filed a lawsuit challenging the federal government’s delay in determining critical habitat for wolverines.

A conservation group has filed a lawsuit challenging the federal government’s delay in determining critical habitat for wolverines, a threatened species. It says without a habitat designation, the government can’t begin protecting wolverines, which number less than 300 in the lower 48.

02.03.2026 21:45 👍 7 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0
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Idaho Legislature might bring back a family disability caregiver program that the state cut • Idaho Capital Sun Idaho lawmakers may consider reinstating a program that the state’s health agency cut last year that families to care for disabled love ones.

Idaho lawmakers may consider reinstating a program that the state’s health agency cut last year that paid parents and spouses to serve as caregivers to family members with disabilities. #idleg #idpol

02.03.2026 18:32 👍 7 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
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Red states target SNAP fraud, errors under threat of costly federal penalties • Idaho Capital Sun State officials across the country are looking to crack down on fraud and mistakes in the nation’s largest food assistance program, SNAP.

The only states under the 6% error rate threshold, per the most recent data available from USDA, which oversees the program, were Idaho, Nebraska, Nevada, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

02.03.2026 15:25 👍 6 🔁 3 💬 1 📌 0
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US, Israel strike Iran; Iran threatens retaliation • Idaho Capital Sun U.S. forces have launched “major combat operations” in conjunction with Israel on targets in Iran, President Donald Trump said.

Trump acknowledged that “we may have casualties. That often happens in war. But we’re doing this not for now, we’re doing it for the future.”

28.02.2026 16:26 👍 6 🔁 2 💬 3 📌 0
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Here are a few competitive Idaho legislative primary elections to watch in 2026 • Idaho Capital Sun This year, all 105 seats in the Idaho Legislature are up for election. Here’s a list of key legislative primary election races to watch.

All 105 Idaho legislative seats are also up for election in 2026. Here are a few competitive primary election races to watch in the Legislature. #idleg #idpol

28.02.2026 15:23 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Who’s running to represent Idaho in Congress in the 2026 election? Incumbents face challengers. • Idaho Capital Sun All members of Idaho’s congressional delegation who are up for re-election are running, and are facing Republican primary challengers.

Three of the four seats that make up Idaho's congressional delegation are up for election. Here's who is running to represent Idaho in Congress in 2026. All current incumbents face challengers. #idpol

28.02.2026 15:22 👍 3 🔁 2 💬 1 📌 0
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Idaho’s Republican state officials are all running for re-election. Who are the other candidates? • Idaho Capital Sun Republican incumbents in Idaho’s statewide constitutional offices — the governor, attorney general and more — are seeking re-election.

Every incumbent holding a statewide office (think governor, attorney general, controller, etc.) filed to run for re-election in 2026. Gov. Brad Little will face seven Republican challengers. Here's our rundown of who filed to run for Idaho's six statewide races. #idleg #idpol

28.02.2026 15:21 👍 7 🔁 3 💬 1 📌 1