Idaho lawmakers are on their way home, albeit two weeks later than planned.
Both the House and Senate adjourned for the year Friday afternoon after signing off on a compromise version of the so-called “medical freedom” bill.
The issue has held up lawmakers since the governor vetoed a prior version of it last Saturday.
Schools could require actively sick students to stay home under the measure. But private businesses, daycares and governments couldn’t refuse to serve customers who don’t treat their illnesses, nor require their employees to do the same.
“I think we’ve cleaned it all up,” said Rep. Rob Beiswenger (R-Horseshoe Bend), one of the bill’s sponsors.
“I think we’ve addressed the different concerns of the different parties and I’d love to have your green light to really make Idaho the place where all individuals can experience health freedom.”
House Democratic Caucus Chair Todd Achilles said the bill ties the hands of businesses.
“We’re not letting businesses have the opportunity to look forward, to adopt innovations, to respond to new health care crises,” Achilles said.
House Republican leaders believe Gov. Brad Little will sign the bill into law.
“At this point in time, I don’t see a problem with it at all. I think everybody’s in agreement,” said House Assistant Republican Leader Josh Tanner (R-Eagle).
The legislature’s adjournment caps a session defined by substantial tax cuts and creative differences – or significant discord, depending on who you ask – within the powerful Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee.
Bills cutting corporate and personal income taxes, along with increasing the grocery tax credit and an attempt to offset property taxes totaled $400 million.
Another $50 million will be diverted from the general fund to pay for a private school subsidy tax credit.
Despite concerns about the total cost of these proposals more than quadrupling the $100 million Gov. Brad Little set aside in his proposed budget, he signed each of them into law.
JFAC entered its second year of bifurcating Idaho’s budget setting process. Each spending plan is now split into two proposals: a maintenance budget and an enhancement budget.
Maintenance budgets include the current year’s spending with increases in funding to account for growth in employee pay and contract adjustments.
Any newly proposed funding for initiatives or money to replace vehicles and computer equipment, for example, would be included in an enhancement budget.
Several proposed enhancement budgets saw multiple iterations rejected on the House or Senate floor, as well as JFAC itself.
The committee didn’t act on a proposed raise for state employees or set a revenue target for the new fiscal year for weeks, with multiple attempts to pass something failing to get out of committee.
“Disagreement is a good thing,” said House Speaker Mike Moyle (R-Star). “I like the contention because it makes for better budgets.”
Moyle said he would reach out to the JFAC co-chairs, Sen. Scott Grow (R-Eagle) and Rep. Wendy Horman (R-Idaho Falls), to see if Republican leadership could help smooth out the process in 2026.
Overall, he said, Republicans limited budget growth to about 6.7%, with new spending accounting for about 1.7% of that.
“It felt like a circus, quite frankly, and it’s unfortunate,” said Senate Democratic leader Melissa Wintrow, who also serves on JFAC.
“All we need to see now is a juggling bear coming out the door with a unicycle,” Wintrow said.
The predominant attitude, she said, was one of cutting the budget regardless of the consequences.
The remainder of the legislative session lies in the hands of Gov. Little, who will have five days to act on the remaining legislation pending before him.
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