Teacher's Union Bill Signed!
Daily digest 4/10/26
Today was a good day. This morning I got the new tabbed homepage of the Gem State Chronicle working reliably and efficiently. The Artemis II astronauts splashed down to Earth safely. Then, this evening, Gov. Little signed the remaining bills on his desk, including H516, prohibiting taxpayer subsidies for teacher’s unions.
I released a statement in my capacity as chairman of the District 14 GOP, having carried a resolution supporting this legislation at the Winter Meeting in January:
Conservative Idahoans appreciate and support our teachers. What we do not appreciate are organizations that use taxpayer dollars to advance an agenda contrary to the values of faith, family, and freedom that so many of us share.
I appreciate the many legislators who worked to advance this policy—especially Representative Judy Boyle, who carried the original legislation, and Senator Brian Lenney, who took the necessary steps to preserve it as the session neared its end—as well as the Idaho GOP for getting behind it and Gov. Little for signing it into law. I also want to recognize Maxford Nelsen of the Freedom Foundation, whose tireless work on this issue was indispensable, along with the many others who contributed their time and effort to turn this idea into reality.
Like President Trump’s dismantling of USAID, this bill is an important step in reclaiming our government, our schools, and our culture from the radical left. I played only a minuscule part in this. Thank you to everyone who made this possible, especially all who contacted the governor’s office over the past week asking him to sign this bill.
Op-ed from Dorothy Moon:
Idaho GOP chairwoman Dorothy Moon took a look at the 2026 session, noting some wins but reminding us that there is more work yet to be done:
Never forget that your elected lawmakers don’t work for the governor, they don’t work for lobbyists, and they don’t work for the party—they work for you, the people of Idaho. Now that the session is done, it’s time for you to decide who will represent you next year. Check out the Integrity in Affiliation forms on our website to see which candidates support the grassroots Idaho GOP platform, then go make your voice heard at the ballot box.
Press release from Gov. Little:
The governor did veto one more bill before signing everything left on his desk today. He used a line-item veto on H978, restoring nearly $500,000 in cuts to DHW:
Governor Brad Little line-item vetoed House Bill 978 today, restoring funding the Legislature cut for graduate medical education.
House Bill 978 stripped funding for eight current medical residents right in the middle of their committed three-year medical residency.
The veto reinforces Governor Little’s commitment to increasing the number of physicians in Idaho to improve accessibility and affordability of healthcare.
On the docket:
I put together an article on the budget today, but I decided to push it back to Saturday after news of the governor signing H516. With the deadline for March campaign finance reports passing by today, I plan to take a look at how the legislative races are shaping up with just over a month to go until the primary. Paid subscribers can expect a comprehensive primary election preview, with information you can use to get the most bang for your donation buck. Make sure to subscribe today so you don’t miss it!
Feature image courtesy of the American Land Title Association.