Idaho
‘It’s just not affordable:’ Idaho Democratic Party Chair outlines major concerns for the Legislature – Local News 8
BOISE, Idaho – As the Idaho Legislature kicks off for 2026, Local News 8 is interviewing the Idaho Democratic and Republican Party Chairs about their top priorities this session.
Idaho Democratic Party Chair Lauren Necochea outlined some of the Democrat party’s goals and reacted to Governor Brad Little’s State of the State address in an interview on Friday.
“Idaho Democrats are very concerned about what we’re seeing happen with the budget and the expressed priorities,” she said. “There is a big hole in our budget because of deep revenue cuts that were made last year. And instead of, you know, patching those holes, it seems that the Republicans supermajority seems to want to roll ahead with a budget that cuts critical services.”
She cited $450 million of “permanent revenue cuts” passed in 2025 by the Republican supermajority.
“This includes a $50 million voucher scheme that is going to send dollars out the door with zero accountability to subsidize tuition at private, religious, and for-profit schools,” Necochea said. “At the same time that we have a $100 million funding gap for special education in your local neighborhood school. So it’s just not affordable.”
Necochea also listed recently discarded mental health treatment programs and cuts to therapy for children with disabilities among her chief concerns.
“These are just really crucial things that are not really optional if we’re going to have a society where everyone has a chance to succeed,” she said.
Necochea said Democrats are gearing up for a major battle to protect Medicaid expansion in the state.
“Medicaid expansion is the best investment in our budget because we put in $1 and then we get to draw down at $9, and that means we get to cover 90,000 people in Idaho who face low wages but don’t have jobs that offer health coverage,” she said.
The Idaho Democratic Chair said her party is fighting to bring down the cost of living.
“We want families who put in the work to be able to pay their utility bills, put a roof over their head and make sure their neighborhood school is strong, and it’s going to make sure that their kids are going to be set up to do the same for the next generation,” she said.
Local News 8 will continue our coverage of the 2026 Legislative session.
We are reaching out to hear from Idaho Republican Party Chair Dorothy Moon next week.
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.
BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — A simmering dispute between Idaho’s top elections official and the U.S. Department of Justice escalated this month after federal officials warned Secretary of State Phil McGrane about possible prosecution tied to non-citizens voting in Idaho.
The Justice Department sent a letter earlier this month threatening McGrane with prosecution. The warning came amid a broader conflict between the Trump administration and McGrane, whom the administration has sued over his refusal to provide unredacted voter rolls to the federal government.
Idaho’s chief of civil litigation, James Craig, responded on July 10. In a letter first reported by the Idaho Statesman, Craig pushed back on the federal warning, writing, “Insinuations of criminal violations of the federal election laws are not well taken,” and asking the department to “stop threatening your friends in Idaho.”
Craig also requested that the lawsuit against McGrane be dismissed and criticized the Justice Department for sending its letter directly to McGrane rather than to the Idaho attorney general’s office.
The attorney general’s office said the state has already referred 15 cases of possible non-citizen election violations to the Justice Department but is not aware of any of them being prosecuted. Craig’s letter ends by asking the department to do so.
-
Connecticut6 minutes agoConnecticut Sun hold off Portland Fire on Camp Day at Mohegan Sun Arena
-
Delaware12 minutes agoHarrington-area man killed after truck hits him after lying on roadway
-
Florida18 minutes agoMan, 74, becomes oldest inmate executed in Florida in state’s 10th lethal injection this year
-
Georgia24 minutes agoAthlon Sports tabs Florida-Georgia among SEC’s best games in 2026
-
Hawaii30 minutes ago4,000 troops lose air conditioning in Hawaii
-
Idaho36 minutes agoIdaho is home to the nation's first DarkSky Reserve. Now it's home to the nations first DarkSky Certified Resort
-
Illinois42 minutes ago2 teens hospitalized after being rescued by bystanders from Lake Michigan at Illinois Beach State Park near Zion
-
Indiana48 minutes ago‘Big Boy’ locomotive returns for overnight stay in northeast Indiana
