Final Scores
Grading the 2025 session
Before the 2025 legislative session began, I wrote a concise list of goals I wanted to see accomplished this year:
Eliminate DEI
The State Board of Education has already instructed public colleges and universities to eliminate DEI programs. The Legislature must give this initiative some teeth, passing laws against such anti-American discrimination. I will carry a resolution to this effect at the Idaho GOP Winter Meeting next month. I’d also like to see action against DEI in public schools as well as businesses that contract with state government.
Cut Spending
Government spending will naturally go up due to inflation and population growth, but the increase over the past decade has far outstripped those factors. The maintenance budget process has created a framework to allow for real spending cuts, and I expect the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee to be more strict with state agencies requesting more money. Will this lead to the first real reduction in the state budget in living memory? I mean a real reduction, counting federal money and transfers. We shall see.
Cut Taxes
Tax cuts are the flip side of the fiscal coin along with spending cuts. Idaho’s income taxes are currently much higher than surrounding states, so those need to continue coming down. Property taxes are levied at the local level, but people still expect the Legislature to take more action to relieve property owners of that burden. Finally, a large majority of Idahoans want to see groceries exempted from the sales tax. I expect either a full repeal or an increase in the food tax credit this session.
Regulatory Reform
DOGE — Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency — is all the rage right now, and everyone wants to jump on the train. Gov. Brad Little is taking credit for reducing red tape in Idaho, along with many in the Legislature and even the bureaucracy. There will be a lot of noise around cutting regulations this session, but I want to see real improvements, not simply consolidating words or deferring to federal rules.
Immigration
A year ago, the McClure Center estimated that there were 35,000 illegal aliens employed in Idaho. The lobbyist for the Idaho Dairymen’s Association estimated that 70% of workers in that industry might fail an audit of their guest worker documentation. It’s time to enforce the law and remove those who are here illegally. It’s also time to put to rest this notion that we need foreign workers to “do the jobs Idahoans won’t do”.
School Choice
Even Gov. Little and Supt. Debbie Critchfield are on board with some sort of school choice legislation, which means we’re likely to see a watered down bill with broad support. Let’s do better. Let’s get a tax credit or ESA bill that provides something near what Idaho taxpayers spend per student — $8,500. Let’s make sure that homeschool families have the opportunity to take advantage of this program without them worrying about future government intrusion into their educational choices. Let’s get it done.
State Sovereignty
From the Bureau of Land Management ignoring widespread opposition to the Lava Ridge Wind Farm to the federal government’s mismanagement of forests leading to terrible wildfires, it’s clear that we need local control of our own backyard. I’m not sure if that means somehow taking control of federal lands, or working out a better deal with Washington DC to manage them. Either way, something needs to be done. We must also protect the Snake River Dams. We also need to start weaning ourselves off of federal funds, which compromised 40% of our state’s budget last year.
Sound Money
Gov. Little vetoed a bill last year that would have allowed the state treasurer to invest a portion of the state’s holdings in silver and gold. I want to see that bill come back with a veto-proof majority. I also want to see protection for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as well as protection from any future central bank digital currency.
Personal Liberty
We need a ban on mask mandates. We need an anti-SLAPP law. We need strong protections for our constitutional rights, with an enforcement mechanism when governments violate them. Teachers and school staff should have the right to carry concealed in public schools.
Entitlements
Medicaid Expansion is going to bankrupt this state if we do not bring it under control. Repeal Expansion, reform Medicaid, and incentivize Idahoans to get out of the welfare system rather than becoming even more dependent upon it.
Now that the session is in the books, let’s evaluate how well our lawmakers addressed the key issues. I wrote a mid-session check-in about six weeks ago — have the scores changed?
Eliminate DEI: A
Despite the State Board of Education resolving to stop forcing diversity, equity, and inclusion programs on students at Idaho’s public colleges and universities, I remained concerned they might continue under different names. I carried a resolution to the Idaho GOP Winter Meeting calling for legislation to ensure this pernicious ideology never returns. Thankfully, Sen. Ben Toews shared that concern and worked tirelessly to get Senate Bill 1198 across the finish line. Great work.
Next year: Tackle DEI in K–12 public schools.
Cut Spending: C
I called for a reduction in the bottom-line budget in my pre-session goals. Since that didn’t happen, I can’t give anything higher than a C. However, the budget increased by much less than in recent years, so the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee (JFAC) and the Legislature deserve better than an F or D. Fred Birnbaum at the Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF) estimated overall spending rose by 4.8% over last year.
JFAC also cut millions of dollars in new spending requested by the governor, and another $30 million or so was eliminated when budget bills were defeated on the House and Senate floors. As Birnbaum explains, however, a lot of spending was shifted from the three traditional budget categories (general, federal, and dedicated) into ongoing “off-budget” expenditures.
Next year: Stop government growth and actually reduce spending.
Cut Taxes: A
The Legislature cut more than $400 million in taxes this session, and that number will compound annually. From now on, businesses and individuals must pay only 5.3% of their income to the state, compared to 5.695% last year. The grocery tax credit was raised from $120 to $155 — or even higher if you want to keep your receipts — and the Legislature also added another $50 million to the property tax relief fund.
Next year: More tax cuts!
Regulatory Reform: A-
It’s not the most exciting topic, but reforming government is absolutely necessary. This year saw solid progress, though it lacked bold moves like eliminating unnecessary state agencies. Many administrative rules were codified into statute, and agency directors’ authority to craft rules was curtailed. The Department of Health and Welfare eliminated more than 150 obsolete or unnecessary code sections. The newly created DOGE Committee, formed by House and Senate leadership, plans to recommend further reforms, perhaps even consolidating or eliminating entire agencies.
Next year: Eliminate entire agencies.
Immigration: D+
The Legislature passed a bill giving law enforcement more tools to deport criminal aliens, along with another restricting public benefits for illegal immigrants. However, E-Verify never received a hearing, and other bills, such as those to count illegal aliens, criminalize those who facilitate illegal immigration, and ensure county sheriffs cooperate with ICE were either defeated or never heard. Agricultural lobbies remain vehemently opposed to enforcement, and are actively lobbying to legalize those already here. This is the great issue of our time, and the Legislature mostly dropped the ball.
During the session, a sitting state representative was discovered to have hired an illegal alien, yet nothing was said or done to address this obvious conflict of interest.
Next year: Pass mandatory E-Verify and revive the other stalled bills.
School Choice: A-
Gov. Little signed House Bill 93, bringing universal school choice to Idaho for the first time. The bill doesn’t go as far as many of us hoped, hence the A-. The tax credit is capped at $5,000, and the program as a whole is limited to $50 million. Still, school choice is now a reality in Idaho. If the program proves popular, as many of us believe it will, the Legislature can raise those caps in the future. I also believe H93 includes protections for homeschool families who wish to claim a tax credit for their expenses.
Next year: Expand school choice to all Idaho families who want it.
State Sovereignty: D+
According to Fred Birnbaum’s analysis, approximately 39% of our state budget this year comes from federal funds. This is unacceptable for a state that values its sovereignty. It leaves us vulnerable; if the federal government reduces spending (as it should) or cuts off programs, Idaho would face a choice between massive budget cuts or tax hikes. We must begin weaning ourselves off the federal teat. Not much changed this year regarding federal land management, though the Legislature did pass a bill allowing Idaho to combat wildfires on federal land and bill the federal government for the cost. Hence the D+.
Next year: Reduce reliance on federal dollars; explore options for managing federal land.
Sound Money: B-
The Legislature passed bills clarifying that gold and silver are legal tender and eliminating capital gains taxes on bullion. Those are great steps. However, there was no movement on Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies this year.
Next year: Revive the Bitcoin Protection Act and pass it over the objections of power company lobbyists.
Personal Liberty: A-
This was a strong year for personal liberty. The Anti-SLAPP bill passed unanimously, the governor signed a ban on mask mandates, and the Medical Freedom Act squeaked through on the final day of the session. Other wins included protections for medical ethics and free speech on college campuses. The only shortcoming here was the 2nd Amendment: bills to allow teachers to carry concealed on campus have failed two years in a row.
Next year: Pass concealed carry for teachers.
Entitlements: C+
The House passed a bill to repeal Medicaid Expansion if the Department of Health and Welfare failed to receive federal waivers for program caps and work requirements—but the Senate refused to hear it. Instead, the Legislature passed a comprehensive Medicaid reform bill, adding work requirements for Expansion and transitioning to a Managed Care system. Time will tell whether this reduces taxpayer costs and dependence on government. The Legislature also restricted soda and candy purchases under SNAP benefits, which is in line with the Trump Administration.
My friend Niklas Kleinworth, who recently departed IFF for the Paragon Institute in Washington, D.C., has explained that Medicaid’s structure incentivizes higher costs since the federal government bears the largest burden. Structural reform is essential if we want to save taxpayer dollars and help citizens regain self-sufficiency.
Next year: Repeal Medicaid Expansion.
Averaging these entirely arbitrary grades gives the Legislature a B+ overall, which is not too shabby. It confirms what many of us sensed: this was the most conservative session in recent memory. But there’s still plenty of work to do. I’m working on a resolution for the Idaho GOP Summer Meeting calling for stronger immigration enforcement, and I know many other activists and lawmakers are preparing legislation on the other issues listed above.
Call your legislators today to congratulate them on a great session and give them a homework assignment to prepare for 2026.
Please take a moment to thank our sponsors: Lynn Bradescu’s Keller Williams Realty, Money Metals Exchange, and the Syringa Speaker Series.
Thank you for the comprehensive reviews!