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This week on Idaho Reports...

State lawmakers are itching to get out of Boise and head home to start their campaigns for reelection – but there’s still that pesky matter of balancing the state budget to finish.

Last Friday, the bipartisan Joint Legislative Oversight Committee directed the Office of Performance Evaluations to investigate the prevention, reporting, investigation and response procedures for handling allegations of sexual misconduct by Idaho Department of Correction staff. The proposed OPE report comes in response to the deeply reported InvestigateWest series “Guarded by Predators” which revealed dozens of rarely-prosecuted allegations against women’s prison guards at IDOC detention facilities.

Investigative report Whitney Bryen shares the most recent developments since the series dropped back in October, including moves by Gov. Brad Little and the Department of Correction to shield public release of law enforcement and prison employment records.

Meanwhile, back at the statehouse, there’s still plenty to get done, including balancing two major parts of the state's budget: Public education and healthcare.

Kevin Richert of Idaho Education News joins the show this week to give an update on the college and universities budget as the bills move through the process, as well as review the outstanding education policy decisions that might yet play a role in settling the session.

Despite much handwringing from his administration and staff, on Monday evening Gov. Brad Little signed Senate Bill 1331, the 2026 Idaho Rescissions Act. That bill implements the current-year 3% budget holdbacks Little ordered, with another 1% cut added on top.

"Little’s staff says the Legislature actually wound up cutting only $14.5 million from this year’s general fund budget. In other words, the Legislature got nearly everything it wanted. Which makes Little’s prepared statement Tuesday ring hollow," Richert wrote on Thursday.

Education for years was the largest slice of the budget pie, but it’s been surpassed in recent years by the Medicaid program. Little proposed a $22 million cut to Medicaid services to help balance the budget. Kyle Pfannenstiel of the Idaho Capital Sun gives an update on cuts to disability services and what still needs to get done.

Known Unknowns | March 20, 2026

• REMEMBERING THE NAMPA MAYOR: Nampa Mayor Rick Hogaboam died suddenly Wednesday, following a medical emergency midway through a public Treasure Valley Partnership event in Eagle. On Thursday, the Ada County Coroner's Office released Hogaboam's official cause of death, which is listed as cardiac tamponade. [🔗 KTVB] Gov. Brad Little has ordered flags at the capitol and Canyon County fly at half-staff in his honor.

• PUBLIC RECORDS: A bill that would change the state's public records law, to block the release of crime scene photos that specifically show deceased bodies, has moved from committee to the House floor for a possible final vote. [🔗 KTVB]

• LICENSE PLATES: Gov. Little signed a bill to no longer require Idahoans to replace their license plates every 10 years. After it takes effect on July 1, Idaho plates won't need replaced as long as they are readable and legible. [🔗 CBS2 Idaho News]

• PARENTAL RIGHTS: The bill to clarify Idaho’s medical parental consent law will be sent for more changes to address unintended barriers to newborn drug testing and exams related to investigations of abuse against children. [🔗 Idaho Capital Sun]

• VOTER PAMPHLET: The House on Wednesday rejected a routine budget request to fund the state's voter pamphlet, a decision that could leave Idahoans across the state without a key resource ahead of the November general election, and put the Secretary of State's office in potential conflict with state law. [🔗 KTVB]

• ETHICS HEARINGS: The Idaho House is set to consider changing its internal rules to make ethics hearings against sitting lawmakers secret. [🔗 Idaho Capital Sun]

• DIGITAL SCHOOLING: A House Education Committee hearing Thursday dissolved into competing motions and divided votes, as Idaho lawmakers struggled to agree on how deeply to cut funding from the state's digital learning program. [🔗 KTVB]

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