Idaho
Anthon named to top Idaho Senate leadership post
The Idaho Senate will be under new leadership for the first time in four years as state Sen. Kelly Anthon was named president pro tempore during caucus leadership elections Wednesday night.
Anthon, a Republican from Burley, succeeds former Senate President Pro Tempore Chuck Winder, R-Boise, who was defeated by a challenger in his legislative district in the May 21 Republican primary election.
Republicans in the Idaho Senate elected three other leadership members Wednesday, all of whom will be in new positions.
Sen. Lori Den Hartog, R-Meridian, will be Senate majority leader. Sen. Mark Harris, R-Soda Springs, moves from caucus chair to assistant majority leader. Sen. Ben Toews, R-Coeur d’Alene, will step in as caucus chair.
In the House of Representatives, Republican House Speaker Mike Moyle, R-Star, and House Majority Leader Jason Monks, R-Meridian, retained their leadership posts, according to a press release issued Wednesday night by Rep. Jaron Crane, R-Nampa.
Rep. Josh Tanner, R-Eagle, was named House assistant majority leader, replacing former Rep. Sage Dixon, R-Ponderay. Crane was named House caucus chairman, succeeding Rep. Dustin Manwaring, R-Pocatello.
Anthon takes over responsibilities of the the Idaho Senate
Anthon was elected the new president pro tempore – or pro tem, for short – during caucus leadership elections Wednesday night, Sen. Scott Grow, R-Eagle, said.
Anthon is expected to be officially installed in his new leadership position during today’s organizational session of the Legislature at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise. Wednesday’s caucus elections took place in private.
The president pro tem is the highest ranking member of the Idaho Senate and presides over the Idaho Senate when the state’s lieutenant governor is away. The president pro tempore also is second in line of succession to the governor, following the lieutenant governor. The president pro tem is also called to serve as acting governor when the governor and lieutenant governor cannot perform their jobs, like when they are both out of the state.
In general, members of leadership have great influence in the Idaho Legislature over which bills move forward and which do not and which legislators serve on which committees.
Anthon, who is beginning his sixth term in the Idaho Legislature, formerly served as Idaho Senate majority leader – the No. 2 ranking leadership position behind the pro tem. Anthon is a licensed attorney who works professionally as the city administrator for the town of Rupert.
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PAYETTE — A Payette mom’s bond was revoked Tuesday after she was charged with suffocating her twin children earlier this month and is believed to pose a danger to the life of her newborn child.
The case, which has drawn national headlines, concerns Andrea Renee Shaw, a 23-year-old Payette mother who in May 2025 said her 18-month-old fraternal twins died the same day, after receiving routine childhood vaccinations. In January, Shaw joined as a plaintiff in a federal lawsuit filed by Children’s Health Defense, an anti-vaccine organization founded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., with several other plaintiffs claiming vaccine injury or death.
Kennedy, who now serves as secretary of Health and Human Services, is no longer part of the group after taking on the cabinet position, as was reported by the Associated Press.
In Idaho, the twins’ deaths prompted a 14-month investigation by the Payette County Sheriff’s Department. On June 29, the investigation yielded a grand jury indictment of Shaw on two counts of first-degree murder by suffocation. If convicted, Shaw can be punished by up to life in prison or the death penalty, and the court would have the ability to order the penalties be served consecutively, or back to back.
Tuesday’s arraignment at the Payette County Courthouse was primarily attended by Shaw’s relatives and members of the media. Payette County Judge Kiley Stuchlik, who serves Idaho’s Third Judicial District, presided.
A key consideration for Stuchlik on Tuesday was a request from Joseph Filicetti, the legal counsel for Shaw, to have her bond reduced from $2 million to $100,000. Filicetti said this would allow for Shaw to care for a newborn girl, who, according to court documents, was born by caesarean section on June 25, four days prior to Shaw’s grand jury indictment.
State prosecutors objected to the motion for bond reduction, noting at hand was a potential death penalty case and asserting, unlike her husband, Shaw’s story repeatedly changed during questioning. Prosecuting Attorney Mike Duke said releasing Shaw would ultimately put the newborn’s safety at risk.
“That child is the most at risk. We do not think she should be allowed to be anywhere near any children, let alone her own children,” Duke said.
Stuchlik decided to revoke bond entirely, stating Shaw posed a “risk of safety” to the newborn child that was not known to Stuchlik or prosecutors when the $2 million bond was initially set.
Also for consideration Tuesday was a request to have grand jury transcripts of witness testimony provided to prosecutors and defense counsel to prepare their respective cases.
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