Category: kifi-local-news

Phillip Willis

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Idaho lawmakers are moving ahead with spending cuts this year, even as they continue working on next year’s state budget.

Last week, the House approved a bill that cuts about $131 million from this year’s state budget.

Most of those cuts were already happening. Governor Brad Little ordered 3% cuts for most state agencies last summer, but lawmakers added about 15 million more in cuts on top of that.

These cuts apply to the current fiscal year, which ends June 30th.

Lawmakers say the goal is to free up some breathing room as they deal with a tight budget and start working on next year’s spending plans.

With a range of costs on the rise, local K-12 school leaders, such as in the Bonneville School District, have been gearing up for budget cuts. The Bonneville district already planned to cut their budget, and higher education is likely to take an even bigger hit.

There has been some legislative pushback. Lawmakers have pointed out the state is about $101.3 billion in reserve funds, leading them to question why cuts are happening now. Others argue the state helped create the budget pressure after passing about $450 million in tax cuts last year.

Some conservatives have said the cuts are long overdue. Budget leaders also say the tax collections are coming in lower than expected this year, so they’re trying to be cautious. Despite the debate — and there was a lot of back and forth on the statehouse floor — the vote ended up not being close at all. 

The House passed the bill (48 – 22).

The Senate had already approved it earlier in the week, so now the bill is on Governor Brad Little’s desk for his signature.

Parental choice programs have not been affected, the $50 million for those tax credits are already in place, and they’ve been upheld by the Supreme Court. 

You can find more information on local education on idahoednews.org.

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Par Kermani

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) — The historic Romance Theater served as a backdrop for a community gathering Tuesday night designed to bridge the gap between Rexburg’s past and its future leadership.

The “Lighting the Way” ceremony, which local officials hope to establish as an annual tradition, provided a public forum to recognize outgoing city council members and introduce newly elected leaders to the community.

Mayor Jerry Merrill said the event is intended to give residents a chance to connect personally with those shaping the city’s direction.

“We wanted the public to have the chance to be able to visit with them and get to know them a little bit better,” Merrill said. “We also want to make this an annual event to honor several citizens each year for all of the good work that they do here in Rexburg.”

City Councilman Colin Erickson, noted that public recognition is a vital part of fostering a culture of volunteerism.

“Anytime you can look at them and give them a pat on the back and thank them for being part of that service is a great thing,” Erickson said.

The evening also served as a kickoff for a season of historical remembrance. Erickson highlighted the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Teton Dam flood, an event that remains a defining moment for the region. He noted that the recovery efforts half a century ago were fueled by an outpouring of service from across the country.

The city is planning a “Flood 50” celebration on June 5 to commemorate the milestone.

Beyond the formal presentations, the event featured a variety of local talent, including a Hispanic dance group. Local students also took the stage, with fourth graders performing the Idaho state song and the Madison High School Vocal Spectrum singing the national anthem.

The ceremony concluded with a performance of “Fill the World with Love,” a song Merrill described as Rexburg’s “adopted anthem.”

“We’re just grateful for the good community that we have and everybody that’s in it and contributes to it,” Merrill said.

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Seth Ratliff

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — The Idaho House has approved a controversial memorial calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn its landmark 2015 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.

House Joint Memorial 17 passed Tuesday with a 44–26 vote. It now moves to the Idaho Senate, where a similar proposal, House Joint Memorial 1, died in committee during the previous legislative session.

RELATED: Controversial proposal to challenge same-sex marriage moves to Idaho House floor

The Argument for State Sovereignty

The Memorial’s sponsor, Rep. Tony Wisniewski (R-Post Falls), argues that the court’s ruling overstepped the state’s sovereignty and “ultimately resulted in a violation of religious rights of individuals and companies.”

His points were echoed in committee by Idaho Family Policy Center Policy Analyst Edward Clark, who argued that the Obergfell decision represents a violation of the U.S. Constitution.

“By seizing authority that was not enumerated to the federal government, and altering the definition of marriage. In the Obergefell decision, the US Supreme Court violated the Constitution,” Clark told lawmakers. “The state of Idaho has a moral obligation to stand for truth and biblical marriage.”

The memorial references Idaho’s Constitution, which was amended in 2006 to define marriage as between one man and one woman. However, in 2014, a federal judge ruled the amendment was unconstitutional, legalizing gay marriage in Idaho a year before it was legalized nationwide, as reported by the Idaho Capital Sun.

“Political Chopping Block”

Opponents have blasted the move as a direct assault on settled civil rights and a contradiction of the Idaho Republican Party’s “small government” values. House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel (D-Boise) issued a sharp rebuke following the vote, accusing the Republican supermajority of hypocrisy.

“They claim to stand for freedom and limited government, yet they keep using government power to target LGBTQ+ Idahoans, strip away rights, and interfere in deeply personal decisions,” Rubel stated.

“The bill’s sponsor has claimed that the constitutional protection of same-sex marriage ‘debases’ marriage and is ‘abhorrent’ to Christians, Jews, and Muslims. That rhetoric is offensive and dangerous, and it has no place in a state where every person should be treated equally under the law.”

What Happens Next?

Even if the Idaho Senate passes the memorial, same-sex marriage will remain legal in Idaho under current federal law.

If passed, the measure would formally state that the Idaho Legislature rejects the Obergefell decision and urges the Supreme Court to reverse it. However, the Supreme Court is under no obligation to respond to or act upon a state memorial.

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David Pace

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Gas prices have shot up overnight across the Gem State, despite the price of crude oil dropping from $110 over the weekend to $95 a barrel on Monday.

Prices at numerous gas stations in Idaho Falls sit at $3.49 a gallon. The average price of gas in the area is $3.31, up $0.18 from Monday. Last month, a gallon of gas cost around $2.92.

Drivers tell Local News 8 they’re feeling the pinch at the pump.

“If it gets to where I’m paying $60 to $90 more a month, that’s a good chunk of money – Food money, play money, helping our kids out,” said Jeana Burt of Rexburg. “It’s going to, it’s going to be a difference. It would be great if we had more control over gas prices. It affects everything.”

In other parts of the Gem State, drivers are grappling with gas prices close to $3.50 a gallon. In Boise and Lewiston, prices jumped around $0.20 to $0.30 since yesterday, with no sign of stopping.

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Kevin Richert

Originally posted on IdahoEdNews.org on March 10, 2026

BOISE, Idaho — For much of the session, legislators have been haggling over how to have a say over the way Idaho spends $930 million in rural health grants.

A new bill emerged Tuesday morning.

Introduced unanimously in the House Health and Welfare Committee, this bill follows a similar version from the Senate and would create a legislative committee to oversee Idaho’s federal Rural Healthcare Transformation grants. The money could have far-reaching implications — and could factor into Idaho’s medical education debate.

The two Rural Health Transformation Committee bills differ slightly.

The Senate version would create a seven-person panel: three senators, three House members and a nonvoting member appointed by Gov. Brad Little. At least three of the legislators would need to come from a legislative district “without a population center of 20,000 or more persons” — wording designed to ensure rural representation.

Under the House version, the panel would be larger — with four senators, four House members and a nonvoting gubernatorial appointee. The House bill doesn’t have the same rural wording.

Legislative leaders are committed to having rural representatives on the panel, said Rep. Jordan Redman, R-Coeur d’Alene, who is co-sponsoring the House bill with Health and Welfare Committee Chairman John Vander Woude, R-Nampa.

The committee will be bipartisan, Redman told House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, D-Boise, even though the bill says nothing about this. “I was assured that there will be a member of the minority party,” Redman said.

The House bill comes more than a month after the Senate’s version made its debut. Senate Bill 1264 has been parked on the Senate’s calendar since Feb. 13. On Tuesday, Redman told House Health and Welfare members that the bill will probably not get a vote.

The rural transformation money is a component of President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill. Idaho was awarded its share of the money in late December, and it will have five years to spend it.

Some lawmakers already have eyes on the money — with a view to a shortage that leaves Idaho ranked No. 50 in the nation in physicians per capita. They have suggested that Idaho could use the federal money to cover the cost of new Idaho residencies for medical school graduates. And that, in turn, would free up state dollars to subsidize additional medical school seats for Idaho students.

In January, Rep. Dustin Manwaring also suggested the state could use rural healthcare funds to acquire its own medical school — namely, the Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine, in Meridian. The for-profit ICOM is not for sale, but Idaho State University and some lawmakers have made no secret of their interest in a purchase. A medical education task force, co-chaired by Manwaring, R-Pocatello, incorporated a possible ICOM purchase into its January report to Little and the Legislature.

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News Team

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) — Residents of Rexburg should expect a heavy police presence on the west side of town today, March 10, as the Police Department conducts a SWAT exercise on 1st S between 1st W and 2nd W.

Residents are being asked to avoid the area between 1st W and 2nd W until the drill concludes later this evening.

“You may hear loud noises, see drones in the air, and tactical vehicles on the road,” Rexburg Police stated in a Facebook post.

For more information, click HERE.

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Seth Ratliff

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — A 41-year-old man on parole for drug trafficking faces new felony charges after Bonneville County Sheriff’s Deputies discovered methamphetamine hidden in his vehicle during a Sunday night traffic stop.

Jeffery Don Williams was arrested on March 8 and booked into the Bonneville County Jail on charges of felony possession of methamphetamine and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

The charges stem from a traffic stop that took place earlier that night, around 8:30 PM, near the intersection of Pancheri Drive and Dickson Avenue. A deputy spotted and pulled Williams over, knowing he did not have a valid driver’s license. Although Williams told the deputy of his parole status as a convicted drug trafficker and claimed the vehicle contained nothing illegal, a K-9 unit arrived and alerted deputies to the presence of an illegal substance.

According to a BCSO news release, Deputies then searched the vehicle, finding just over 17 grams of Methamphetamine and various items of Drug Paraphernalia in a hidden compartment under the seat.

Williams was subsequently arrested. His preliminary hearing has been set for March 20, 2026.

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KIVI Staff

By: Ellie Sullivan

Originally Posted 7:52 PM, Mar 09, 2026

BOISE, Idaho (KIVI) — The FBI is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest of Donald Steven Lang.

The FBI is assisting the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office in finding Lang, who is wanted for being allegedly involved in the sexual assault of a minor in Idaho.

Lang was charged with three counts of lewd conduct with a minor under sixteen and one count of sexual battery of a minor. A state warrant has been issued for his arrest.

Lang is described as being a sailor who does odd jobs and has multiple tattoos on his body, including a faded conch shell on his right arm, with the word “captain” written above it.

Officials describe him as 5’8″ with light brown/gray hair and blue eyes.

Authorities say that Lang, a Canadian citizen, is known to sail around the world, with his “home base” being Hawaii.

He may be sailing somewhere between Hawaii and Fiji, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, or Indonesia.

He has ties to multiple places, including Hawaii, Idaho, Washington State, California, Fiji, the Marquesas Islands, Mexico, and Canada.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts should contact their local FBI office or submit a tip online.

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KIVI Staff

By: Ellie Sullivan

Posted 8:58 PM, Mar 09, 2026

IDAHO (KIVI) — The Idaho Senate passed HB 583 in a 23-12 vote on Monday, a measure that ensures regulations on short-term rental owners may only be imposed when there is a public safety concern.

As Idaho News 6 has previously reported, the bill was introduced by Sen. Todd Lakey (R-District 23), and it would prohibit cities and counties from establishing ordinances that regulate the use of short-term rentals.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Short-term rental bills face off in committee, one advances to the Senate floor

The ruling came on Monday, March 9, and in response, the Idaho Vacation Rental Association (IVRA) issued a press release acknowledging the decision.

“We appreciate the careful deliberation that lawmakers have given to this issue throughout the legislative process,” said Spencer Bailey, President of the IVRA.

“This legislation does not remove local tools or diminish community protections… What it does is reinforce the idea that existing rules should be applied consistently across housing types, focusing enforcement on behavior rather than labeling one category of homeowner differently from another,” added Bailey.

The legislation has passed both chambers and is headed to Governor Brad Little’s desk for consideration and signature.

If signed by Governor Little, the legislation will take effect towards the end of 2026.

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Seth Ratliff

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — The Idaho Transportation Department is urgently warning residents about a wave of scam text messages spreading across the state.

The texts claim that a traffic citation must be paid online or that a vehicle registration is overdue. ITD confirms these texts are fraudulent and not connected to ITD or any official DMV services.

“Scammers are targeting Idahoans with messages that look official but are completely fake,” said Lisa McClellan, DMV Administrator. “If the link does not have a dot gov address, it’s a scam.”

If you receive one of these messages, do not click any links and do not provide personal or payment information. Report the message to your phone provider and delete it. 

If you are concerned about your registration status, visit the official itd.idaho.gov website directly or call your local DMV office.

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