Idaho
Idaho Legislature debates bills on gender identity and sexual content
BOISE, Idaho — One of the most heated debates at the Idaho Capitol this session centers on who belongs in which spaces—and who gets to decide.
House Bill 264 aims to restrict access to bathrooms, changing rooms, dorms, and shelters based on biological sex, not gender identity. Supporters argue that the bill is intended to protect privacy and safety.
“Protecting female spaces really is a continuation of a lot of the things that we have done as Idahoans… men should not be in our private spaces,” said Rep. Barbara Ehardt (R). “Imagine if you sent your daughter to go to the university and she found out that for a year her roommate was going to be a biological male who identified as a female. That’s not right.”
Critics, however, counter that the bill targets an issue that is not grounded in Idaho reality and could create more problems than it solves.
“I don’t think they’re going to increase women’s comfort level by forcing trans men into women’s bathrooms, which is what this bill does,” said Rep. Ilana Rubel (D). “This one in particular on the bathrooms is… extremely misguided. I think a lot of the folks in here are legislating without ever having really known a trans person in their life.”
Rubel also noted that there is no record of assault by a trans woman in Idaho bathrooms and expressed concerns that the bill could lead to costly lawsuits. “At best, it’s a total waste of time that is a distraction from the real needs of the people of Idaho,” she added.
Another bill, HB 239, is gaining attention as it would require parents to actively opt their child into any sexual content in classes, as opposed to the current system that allows them to opt-out.
“The opt-in is really about consent, not content,” Ehardt said. She believes the change empowers parents after hearing what she described as alarming stories from families. “The subject matter being taught really was about self-gratification… My child cannot unsee that,” she continued. “They were role-playing sexual situations… I have story after story.”
Rubel warned that the bill could unintentionally block teens from learning important lessons about their bodies due to possible administrative delays or parents forgetting to opt in. “Whenever you flip things from opt-out to opt-in, you end up losing roughly half the people along the way just from paperwork and administrative hurdles,” she stated.
Additionally, HB 352 would ban any classroom instruction touching on sexual orientation or gender identity from kindergarten through high school. Supporters assert that the classroom is not an appropriate setting for such discussions.
“We don’t want teachers… allowing the kids to choose another name, other pronouns… this is not something for the school to decide,” Ehardt expressed.
Rubel argued that the line between what is banned and what is allowed is too blurry and risks erasing many students’ identities. “It’s been a disappointing session… very silly culture war issues… not responsive to the actual needs of the people of Idaho,” she concluded.
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.
Idaho
Idaho is home to the nation's first DarkSky Reserve. Now it's home to the nations first DarkSky Certified Resort
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – A controversy is brewing as the City of Idaho Falls reviews its alcohol ordinance.
The goal is to consolidate four existing ordinances for beer, wine and liquor into a single law and ensure compliance with state code.
However, at its meeting last Thursday, the Idaho Falls City Council unanimously voted to remove the proposed ordinance from its agenda, in order to receive and consider additional public comment.
The proposed ordinance would:
1. Require commercial establishments selling, dispensing or permitting consumption of alcohol – including beer, wine or liquor – to have an alcohol license, alcohol catering permit or a charitable event permit.
2. Business events with 20 or less employees consuming alcohol at the business would be allowed.
3. Require alcohol servers to complete training every three years.
4. Individuals who violate the law could be charged with a misdemeanor.
Idaho Falls City Council President Jim Francis said the changes were the culmination of months of collaboration between law enforcement, business owners and city attorneys.
“We wanted to provide a safe environment – the primary point here – for public gatherings,” Francis said. “We recognize that certain antiquated elements of the current code are overly restrictive and needed to be addressed. We wanted to make the code more accessible to the public. We needed to address over-pouring issues. We wanted to reduce penalties where possible for violations, particularly the first offenses, and yet make the code clear enough to be enforceable consistently by law enforcement.”
But City Council Member John Radford said the changes represent an overreach by city government.
“I believe it’s a bad policy. What problem are we solving in the name of trying to solve a non-problem?” Radford said. “We’re becoming big brother around alcohol in your private property. I’m concerned that landlords will be at risk of being charged with a misdemeanor if they knowingly, which I made sure that was in there, because that is what we’ve been talking about, allowed people to drink in our business. We will be outside the norm of Idaho cities. This is a big step, and I don’t think the public has weighed in on this.”
At a City Council Work Session on June 1, Idaho Falls Chief of Police Bryce Johnson cited an increase in alcohol-related crime – particularly downtown – as a reason for the changes.
“DUI is there, but this would include sexual assaults, assaults, batteries, disturbances, urination, public vandalism, shooting – all sorts of crimes,” Johnson said.
But business owners are concerned about the potential impact on commercial enterprises.
“The ordinance doesn’t address the real problem – which is people drinking … at one event and then showing up in a bar or restaurant already hammered and causing problems anyway,” ” said Terri Ireland, representing the Idaho Falls Downtown Merchants Association. “The industry is really well-regulated by state and local laws already.”
The City of Idaho Falls began the process of updating its alcohol ordinance in January 2026, seeking input from community stakeholders.
Multiple community members spoke out about the ordinance.
For more in-depth information, you can read the full 39-page proposed alcohol ordinance here.
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