Idaho state revenues beat their projections for the month of March, but continue to lag behind the forecast the Idaho Legislature used for the state budget, according to a new state revenue report released Monday.

The good news? Idaho’s state budget is forecast to end the current fiscal year with a budget surplus of $36.9 million on June 30 if revenues come in as forecast for the remainder of the fiscal year.

The reason it’s still too early to celebrate? That projected state budget surplus is $30.5 million less than the $67.3 million projected surplus that Idaho legislators estimated when they adjourned the 2026 legislative session on April 2.

That is because overall state revenue collections for the entire fiscal year 2026 have come in $30.5 million below the revenue projection the Idaho Legislature’s joint budget committee set in January.

“If revenue collections perform exactly as forecasted for the rest of the year, the ending balance would be $36.9 million,” state officials wrote in the April edition of the Fiscal Year 2026 General Fund Budget Monitor report.

The bottom line on the state budget is watched closely every year because the Idaho Constitution prohibits the state from running a budget deficit where expenses exceed revenues.

The recent 2026 Idaho legislative session was dominated by near across-the-board budget cuts for all state agencies, programs and departments in order to pay for federal tax cuts President Donald Trump signed into law with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, to guard against state revenue uncertainty and to avoid an unconstitutional state budget deficit.

According to the new report, individual income tax, corporate income tax and sales tax collections all exceeded forecast amounts for March.

The report also noted that Gov. Brad Little’s veto of House Bill 975 means an additional $53.7 million will be transferred from the Budget Stabilization Fund savings account to the general fund portion of the state budget to start fiscal year 2027. By voting House Bill 975, Little ensured that an additional money above the 15% savings account cap will be transferred to the state general fund rather than remain in savings reserve accounts.

Idaho runs on a fiscal year calendar where fiscal year 2026 ends June 30 and fiscal year 2027 begins July 1. That means Idaho has three more months of revenue collections before ending the current fiscal year. State budget officials routinely say April is one of the most important months of the entire year because it includes tax returns.

Efforts to reach Sen. Scott Grow, a Republican from Eagle who serves as co-chairman of the Idaho Legislature’s Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, were not immediately successful Tuesday.

More information on the budget can be found here.

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IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – One of the most impactful U.S. energy initiatives in decades, a federal proposal to construct a Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus, received an application from Idaho on March 31.

“Nuclear power presents an opportunity for Idaho families to continue receiving affordable, clean energy far into the future, and I support the growth of Idaho’s nuclear industry,” Governor Little said. “I hope the Department of Energy will recognize Idaho’s historic nuclear leadership and its strong candidacy for this initiative.”

Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke and state Senator Dave Lent, (R)-Idaho Falls, and a Trump administration official have spent the last two days touring Idaho National Laboratory, meeting with venture-capitalist investors and hearing from experts about the laboratory’s capabilities.

“I feel strongly this is our game to win,” Lent said. “If we can stand up a strong response back and willingness to step up, this is really a chance for us again to lead – be the national leader in nuclear for the next 50 to 60 years.”

You can watch our full interview on the Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus with state Senator Dave Lent below.

Lent is one of two Idaho legislators serving on the newly-created Idaho Advanced Nuclear Energy Task Force.

The 20-person task force is led by Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke and Idaho National Laboratory Director John Wagner.

The Department of Energy solicited Requests For Information (RFIs) for the Nuclear Innovation Campus in January.

“Securing this designation would bolster Idaho’s economy, expand access to reliable baseload power, and position the state at the forefront of next-generation nuclear technologies,” according to a release from the Idaho Office of Energy and Mineral Resources.

The state faces competition from Utah, Texas, and other states vying for the same designation, Lent said.

The DOE’s original proposal asks for states interested in hosting “integrated, full‑cycle nuclear ecosystems that could colocate and support the entire nuclear value chain while exploring durable pathways for managing used nuclear materials in a safe, secure, and fiscally responsible manner.”

“These campuses must support functions such as fuel fabrication, enrichment, reprocessing used nuclear fuel, and disposition of waste, and could additionally support functions such as advanced reactor deployment, power generation, advanced manufacturing, and co‑located data centers,” the request continues.

The Idaho National Laboratory already features much of the infrastructure and programs required to implement a national Nuclear Innovation Campus, Lent explained.

“At the INL, we already do most of this stuff already and have for many years and have developed many of the technologies that are used throughout the world,” he said.

Currently, Idaho National Laboratory employs 9,000 to 10,000 individuals, he said, in addition to the secondary work its activities generate throughout the region and state.

“There’s a potential there to come close to doubling that workforce – if some of this work were to come through as it’s being described by the Department of Energy,” Lent said.

Eastern Idaho is uniquely situated to launch the next renaissance in advanced nuclear technology.

“Idaho is prepared to continue our tradition of nuclear excellence and build on the foundation that has already made our state great,” Little said.

IDAHO — Idaho Fish & Game announced that 2,000+ hatchery rainbow trout are headed to four ponds in the Southwest region.

According to a press release from IDFG, the trout will be stocked during the week of April 12-18.

Anglers, look out! Here’s where the fish are set to be stocked—

• Browns Pond: 600 12-inch trout
• Fischer Pond in Cascade: 600 12-inch trout
• Meadow Creek Pond in New Meadows: 600 12-inch trout
• Ol’ McDonald Pond in Council: 300 12-inch trout

Bob Becker, Hatchery Complex Manager for IDFG, says the goal is to provide more fishing opportunities for anglers.

“These represent a long-term addition of early-season stocking to the McCall region,” said Becker. “We’re planning on providing this spring fishing opportunity annually in these local community ponds.”