Kevin Richert
Analysis: No education program is safe this year, and that could affect students and parents
A $10 million cut to Idaho Launch could leave as many as 1,250 high school graduates on their own this fall. Proposed cuts to the state’s brand-new private school tax credit law could leave as many as 900 Idaho families out of luck.
Analysis: It’s a higher ed session — and that’s bad news for higher ed
The latest round of proposed budget cuts would take a disproportionate bite out of a growing college and university system that can ill afford it. No other state agency has more to lose.
Labrador names new solicitor general
Michael Zarian has been Attorney General Raúl Labrador’s deputy solicitor general since January 2024. Zarian has played a key role in Idaho’s 2025 private education tax credit law.
Analysis: One big beautiful budget battle begins — with education in the line of fire
Step by step, legislative leaders are trying to dismantle Gov. Brad Little’s spending and tax proposals. Either way, the budgets are teetering — and if anything goes wrong, K-12 and higher ed could pay a big share of the price.
In Wyoming, campus politics sparks a push for deep budget cuts
It’s a familiar scenario: Republican legislators in a cash-rich Western state are looking to slash higher education funding. In this case, though, Idaho is not the battleground.
Statehouse roundup, 1.26.26: Bill to clamp down on higher ed searches heads to Senate floor
In other news, Idaho’s teacher of the year urges legislators to invest in college scholarships and the Launch program.
Statehouse roundup, 1.23.26: ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ tax plan debuts
In other news, a Boise State University survey found that most Idahoans support the state’s controversial new private school choice law — but are undecided about where to go from here.
Analysis: Think the DEI debate is closed? Don’t count on it
Idaho colleges and universities are working through compliance with Idaho’s latest anti-DEI law, passed last year. Two right-wing groups say the colleges and the State Board are breaking the law.
Horman leaves a deep imprint, a complex legacy — and unfinished business
For more than a decade, no legislator has put more fingerprints on education budgets — or had more of a voice in the private school choice debate. But as Horman leaves the Statehouse, the Legislature will have to wrestle Idaho’s biggest budget crunch in nearly 20 years, and implement a new private school tax credit law.
Analysis: Budget crunch sets the stage for a series of big Statehouse battles
Gov. Brad Little worked in a raft of rosy remarks about the Idaho economy on Monday. And he talked a lot about the need for cuts. The strange mixed message sets the table for what could be a strange session.