In January, legislative leaders set a goal to adjourn (“Sine Die”) by March 21st. Now in our ninth week, it seems unlikely we will meet that target. So far, according to the Progress Report, we have introduced 618 bills and resolutions—the most in the past six years. I would be surprised if we wrap up by April 4th, especially with the possibility of a five-day recess to wait out any potential gubernatorial vetoes. To avoid delays, House leadership has doubled floor sessions. The primary bills moving slowly through committee are appropriations bills. The budget consists of 115-125 appropriation bills, and the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee recently set its revenue projection at 6.8% higher than fiscal year 2025. This optimistic estimate will guide the remaining budget decisions.
Is Idaho’s Medical Education Plan Expanding?
For the past 34 days, the question of how Idaho will expand medical education opportunities for future physicians has been a key discussion. On March 12th, after a 46–21 vote in the House, HB 368 was sent to the Senate for consideration. Currently, Idaho has 50 seats in four-year medical education programs, representing 200 potential physician training spots for Idaho students. Forty of these seats are part of the WWAMI program through the University of Washington, which serves students from Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho. An additional ten seats are reserved through the University of Utah Medical School. Idaho has requested an expansion from 40 to 50 WWAMI seats over the next two years, but the University of Washington has not provided a solution to meet this need. Meanwhile, the University of Utah, with the support of the Utah Legislature, has approved an expansion of 20 additional seats. With negotiations with WWAMI stalled, the University of Idaho signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of Utah Medical School to provide additional seats for Idaho students. HB 368, which balances Idaho’s reliance on WWAMI by shifting from 40 WWAMI seats to 30, while increasing Utah’s participation from 10 to 30 seats, ensures Idaho students have expanded medical education opportunities. The original bill, HB 176, was a more aggressive approach toward WWAMI, which I had previously told sponsors I would not support. However, HB 368 maintains a strong relationship with WWAMI while providing Idaho students with an additional, viable pathway for medical education.
Income Tax Relief and Parental Choice Tax Credit Signed
While the Governor has signed only 13 bills so far, with 21 others awaiting his signature, two noteworthy bills include HB 93, the Idaho Parental Choice Tax Credit, and HB 40, the 2025 Idaho Income Tax Relief Act. Together, these bills will reduce projected revenues by $303 million. HB 93 provides a refundable tax credit to taxpayers who choose private education over public schooling. HB 40 lowers personal and corporate income tax rates from 5.695% to 5.3%. These measures will slow revenue growth but allow for modest spending increases.
Medicaid Expansion Cost Trimming Bill Moves Forward
In my last newsletter, I discussed HB 138, which proposed changes to Medicaid Expansion, initially approved by voters in 2018. HB 138 included 11 federal waiver requests to reduce costs, but if any were denied, Medicaid Expansion would have been entirely repealed. Given that at least two waivers were unlikely to be approved, I could not support HB 138. However, a new bill, HB 345, has advanced from the House Health & Welfare Committee. Unlike HB 138, HB 345 does not require all waivers to be approved and includes reasonable reforms to reduce state and federal costs while maintaining coverage for those covered by the expansion of Medicaid. Expansion covered what is referred to as the GAP population, who are under age 65, make less than 133% of the poverty level and do not qualify for traditional Medicaid. I supported HB 345 as it now moves to the Senate.
Phonics is Making a Comeback
This week, the House Education Committee advanced SB 1069, which funds a retraining program for K-3 teachers in the Science of Reading. This long-awaited shift will return early education to a phonics-based approach, which has proven successful in other states. Over the next few years, $5 million will be invested in professional development, with trained educators coaching elementary teachers. Many current methods rely on guessing words from context rather than decoding them phonetically. A story illustrating this problem described a student struggling with a word. To help the student, the teacher pointed to a picture of a boy throwing something and asked what it was. The student guessed “rock,” but the correct word was “stone.” Phonics training may have helped with the confusion. This example highlights the flaws of the “balanced literacy” method compared to phonics-based instruction. SB 1069 will be one of the most important and focused investments to improve third-grade reading scores.
CSI Legislative Townhall Forum Attracted a Good Crowd
On March 1st, the College of Southern Idaho hosted a town hall-style Legislative Forum with all nine legislators from Districts 24, 25, and 26. After opening statements from each legislator, the second half of the townhall featured audience-submitted questions. Many attendees appreciated the event, though some felt there wasn’t time for open public comments. The format required written questions to be categorized for efficiency. Some citizens prefer open-microphone sessions, which resemble the public hearings we hold in committee meetings. Striking a balance between structured discussion and open dialogue is challenging, but I welcome future opportunities for public engagement.
Let’s Keep in Touch
Throughout the year, I will send periodic updates on critical issues and news via my E-Newsletter. As a part-time legislature, we are generally home from April through December. However, I can be reached by phone or email at (208)332-1188 or lclow@house.idhao.gov. It is important to hear your concerns, so feel free to reach out.
