Idaho
New Idaho law will increase annual salaries for judges by $17,000 – East Idaho News
Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa, testifies before the House Judiciary Rules & Administration Committee on Feb. 27, 2025 about HB 322. Watch the House and Senate hearings for the bill in the video above. | Courtesy Idaho Legislature
BOISE – A bill aimed at increasing salaries for Idaho judges passed the 2025 Legislature.
HB 322 was signed into law by Gov. Brad Little on March 28 after passing the House and the Senate. It passed the House on March 3 with 57 in favor, 13 opposed. The Senate voted in favor of the bill on March 21, with 26 in favor and eight opposed.
The bill increased yearly salaries for magistrate, district, appellate and supreme court judges by $17,000. That amount represents a minimum 10% salary increase for judges at all levels in Idaho. Beginning July 1, annual salaries for magistrate judges in Idaho, according to the bill’s statement of purpose, will be $164,508. District judge salaries will increase to $172,508. Idaho appellate judges will make $178,508 a year and state supreme court justices will make $186,508.
Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa — who is an attorney by profession — co-sponsored the bill with Rep. Dustin Manwaring, R-Pocatello — who owns a law firm in Pocatello. Sen. Todd Lakey, R-Nampa — who is also an attorney — was the bill’s third sponsor.
Sen. James Ruchti, D-Pocatello, a private practice attorney, worked behind the scenes to introduce the legislation. He tells EastIdahoNews.com he’s pleased to see the bill become law.
“It wasn’t as much as we wanted, but it was a solid increase,” Ruchti says.
RELATED | Local lawmaker working on bill aimed at raising salaries for Idaho judges
During a press conference in January, Idaho Supreme Court Chief Justice G. Richard Bevan called upon the legislature to raise salaries for judges statewide. The original amount he was proposing was an increase from $169,508 to $215,000 for supreme court justices, and an increase in district judge’s annual salaries from $155,508 to $201,000.
Ruchti says the $17,000 increase was an amount reached through compromise.
“The amount (the supreme court) had recommended was just too much to get the legislature to agree to it,” Ruchti explains. “They picked a number that was a significant increase, but not everything we wanted.”
Skaug and the other sponsors of the bill are planning to revisit the legislation during the 2026 Legislative session to try and increase salaries again.
A decreasing number of judge applicants in recent years was the driving force behind the legislation, along with dwindling retention for those positions. The goal of the bill was to make salaries more competitive in hopes of recruiting and retaining candidates.
Data about judicial compensation shows Idaho currently ranks near the bottom nationwide. The new law will make Idaho more competitive with neighboring states.
“I’m really pleased we were able to do something this year for our judges,” Ruchti says. “If we don’t increase their compensation, we’re going to lose more and more judges and we’re going to have a tougher time recruiting judges to apply.”
In January, Ruchti noted the judicial system affects every aspect of residents’ lives and the system falls apart without quality judges.
“It’s a tough job and you don’t want just anybody sitting in that seat,” he said.
The total annual fiscal impact for this increase in salary and associated benefits, according to the bill’s statement of purpose, is more than $3.8 million. It will come from the state general fund.
Watch the House and Senate hearings for the bill in the video above.
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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.
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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