Sine Die 2025

Another session comes to a close

Sine die is Latin for “without day”. When the House and Senate adjourn during the session, they do so with the specific intention of returning on a certain time and date. However, once their businesses is done, they adjourn without setting a date to return.

The 1st regular session of the 68th Idaho Legislature adjourned sine die today, having completed the work of setting a budget and passing laws. This session saw more bills introduced than in recent memory, and in the end around 300 bills passed both chambers and were signed by the governor.

I’ll have a more in-depth look at the 2025 session over the next week or two. I spent the day at the Capitol watching legislators go through the final motions. Two important bills remained unresolved: Senate Bill 1198, prohibiting forced DEI in public colleges and universities, and Senate Bill 1210, the new Medical Freedom Act.

Sen. Ben Toews had brought forward an anti-DEI bill early in the session, but Sen. Jim Guthrie refused to allowed it a hearing in Senate State Affairs. Toews removed some components of the bill to Guthrie’s satisfaction, and it passed committee late last month. (Guthrie still voted against it.)

Once in the House, however, representatives chose to amend the bill, putting back some of the stronger enforcement measures that were missing in the original bill. Sen. Guthrie and a few others cried foul, but the amendments were confirmed on a 20-15 vote. All that was left was a final vote on the bill as amended.

It was a tough debate, with Sen. Toews closing it out by saying it was time to end taxpayer-funded forced discrimination in higher education. The Senate ultimately passed S1098 23-12, and Gov. Brad Little signed it into law a couple of hours ago.

Even though the State Board of Education (SBE) had already moved to eliminate forced DEI programs, I still felt compelled to draft a resolution for the Idaho Republican Party calling for legislation ensuring this ideology cannot reappear under a new name or if the SBE changed its mind. I claim zero credit for this bill, of course — Sen. Toews deserves all the accolades for his incredibly tenacious work in getting it through the process.

Legislative staff having a little fun at the Speaker’s desk

The last remaining issue was medical freedom. Gov. Little had vetoed Senate Bill 1023, saying it restricted the ability of schools to send sick children home. Sen. Dan Foreman drafted a new bill, which went beyond the governor’s concerns, while Rep. Rob Beiswenger drafted his own revised bill on the House side.

Health freedom activists supported House Bill 472, believing that Senate Bill 1210 was too much of a compromise. Both chambers passed their own bills, with the Senate amending S1210 to remove a clause exempting daycares from the scope of the bill. Sen. Foreman joined Rep. Beiswenger and House Assistant Majority Leader Josh Tanner in presenting the bill in House State Affairs this morning, asking that it be sent to the amending order for a few more tweaks.

Thus today was a tale of one bill being moved back and forth, as lawmakers and legislative staff ensured that everything was done by the book. S1210 was amended in House General Orders, with an additional amendment proposed by Rep. Stephanie Mickelsen to clear employers of liability should their employees refused medical treatment being defeated.

S1210 then went before the full House, and despite an eloquent debate in opposition from Democratic Rep. Todd Achilles, it passed 44-23-3.

On the other side of the rotunda, Sen. Foreman presented the bill and there was no debate. It passed 27-6-2, with Sen. Guthrie once again joining the Democrats in opposition.

The bill was delivered to the governor’s desk, and as promised, he signed S1210 this afternoon.

The House had already adjourned by the time the Senate voted, and at 4:40pm the Senate joined them, bringing an end to the 2025 legislation session.

I believe it was a very good session overall. Conservatives did not get everything on our wish lists, but we got a lot of things. I’ll have more analysis over the next week, taking a look at the good, the bad, and what we should work on for next year. I’ll be online tonight for the Gem State Report, so make sure to catch that as well.