Category: kifi-local-news

Par Kermani

UPDATE:

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Idaho State Captain Chris Weadick reported that slick and ice-covered roadways were the cause of the delays.

Officials noted that while some roads may not appear heavily covered in snow, a layer of ice is creating hazardous driving environments.

“We haven’t had snow-covered roadways for many weeks, and it can kind of catch the drivers off guard because they’re wanting to drive as if it’s summertime conditions.” said Weadick

To ensure public safety, the Idaho State Police recommend the following tips for winter driving:

Reduce Speed: Drivers should slow down significantly to account for decreased traction.

Increase Following Distance: Motorists are advised to open up the space between their vehicle and the one in front of them to allow for longer braking times.

Wear Seatbelts: Police emphasize that seatbelts remain a primary defense in the event of a slide-off or collision.

Drive for Conditions: Be aware that “black ice” or light dustings of snow can be just as dangerous as heavy accumulation.

UPDATE:

PALISADES, Idaho (KIFI) — A crash involving two semi-trucks has paralyzed traffic on US-26 near the Palisades Reservoir today. While the accident caused significant delays, ISP has confirmed that no one was injured in the crash.

Courtesy Idaho State Police

According to Idaho State Police Captain Chris Weadick, the crash took place at mile marker 398 around 11:08 AM on Wednesday. Despite the size of the vehicles involved, the impact resulted only in minor property damage.

Captain Weadick reports that crews with ITD have chained up the first of the two semis to remove it. The highway remains at a standstill as crews work to clear the wreckage. First responders are directing travelers to use alternate routes and drive with caution.

ORIGINAL:

PALISADES, Idaho (KIFI) — A crash involving multiple semi-trucks has brought traffic along US-26 near the Palisades Reservoir to a screeching halt. According to the Idaho Transportation Department, the crash occurred at mile marker 398 blocking all lanes of travel.

First responders are directing travelers to use alternate routes and drive with caution. Its not clear at this time how many vehicles were involved or any potential injuries.

This is a developing story. Local News 8 will provide an update as more information becomes available.

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News Team

TETON COUNTY, Wyo. (KIFI) — First responders are on the scene of an overturned semi along US-89/26 from Alpine to Jackson, Wyoming.

The Alpine Wyoming Fire Department responded to the crash sometime before 6:30 AM on Wednesday.

While the road remains open, the Teton County Sheriff’s Office is directing drivers to slow down and move over for first responders at work.

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Megan Lavin

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Idaho recently received a D grade for its policies on cell phone use in schools from a coalition that includes the Becca Schmill Foundation, Institute for Families & Technology, Smartphone Free Childhood United States, and The Anxious Generation.

So, Local News 8 anchor Megan Lavin spoke with administrators, teachers, and students in District 91 about what’s working — and what still needs improvement.

District Leaders Say the Policy Is Working Locally

District 91 Superintendent Karla La’Orange says the grade came as a surprise, especially after recent state action.

“I was surprised because last year the legislature passed a bill that required all [Idaho] schools to limit cell phone access and use during instructional hours.”

Despite the statewide grade, La’Orange says she’s seen clear benefits since phones were restricted.

“We have more students checking books out of the library and reading, which I always think is a good thing.”

“Teachers have reported that students are more focused during class, and they’ve also reported students are talking to each other more and that they’re interacting socially.”

La’Orange says part of the challenge is that the grade reflects the entire state.

“The grade is for the entire state. So I think what we want to do is in our district, exceed that grade and know that we’re implementing it at a higher level.”

Inside Skyline High School: Early Challenges, Positive Results

Skyline High School Principal Josh Newell says the first year of the phone restriction came with growing pains.

“All in all, it’s been great. Honestly, you know, it was rough at first. Kids to make adjustments like that sometimes is really hard.”

Still, he says the impact in classrooms has been overwhelmingly positive.

“Many of our teachers have reported, you know, a much higher level of engagement within classes. And, you know, that engagement piece is huge.”

At Skyline, phones are still allowed before school, during lunch, and after school–which is a big part of why Idaho scored lower, since the coalition recommends the phones be away from bell to bell.

Newell believes the change may even be affecting academic performance.

“We’ve had some uptick in our ISAT scores. And, you know, we’re hoping that that’s going to keep going up.”

Students Say Enforcement Isn’t Always Consistent

Skyline student Emily Orchard says this is her first year with cell phone rules — and she’s noticed both progress and loopholes.

“A bit of both. People are definitely getting smarter at hiding it… But I have also seen so many kids that… set it in their backpack and leave it in their backpack.”

She says enforcement can vary from classroom to classroom.

“I’ve seen some teachers give a warning five, six times before they finally take the phone… teachers are definitely enforcing it. But depending on what class it is, and depending on the student will depend on if they actually enforce the rule.”

Teachers Say the Benefits Outweigh the Work

Drama teacher Sue Parrett says most students have adjusted over time.

“I believe at the beginning of the year, we were taking a lot more phones away than we are currently, as students have become, you know, as they have adjusted to the policy.”

She says the policy has reduced distractions and social conflict.

“There is less social drama… You also had problems of just sitting and scrolling instead of doing their work when they had access to their phones. So I feel like the benefits far outweigh any sort of enforcement that it takes with any school policy.”

Parrett says consistency across staff is critical.

“100% buy in from the faculty is important in order to enforce that.”

Coalition Recommendations

Lina Nealon, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Report Card Project Lead from the Institute for Families and Technology, recommends: “Today, Idaho’s current law simply requires that schools have a policy in place, but does not offer any additional guidance or information about what those policies must include. The result is wide variations in the types of policies implemented throughout the state, leading to inconsistent and inequitable student outcomes.”

The coalition gave state grades by “calculating and reviewing each state’s phone-free schools law or executive order passed in 2024 or 2025 against the six criteria outlined in the Model Bill. Point values were assigned to each criterion based on how imperative that criterion is to supporting the best possible outcomes. More information on the grading is available at phonefreeschoolsreport.org.“

The coalition recommends “states can improve their grade by enacting a phone-free schools law or executive order that more closely aligns with the criteria in the Model Bill—especially by adopting bell-to-bell policies with secure, inaccessible storage.”

Looking Ahead

La’Orange says the failing grade serves as an important reminder to keep evaluating the policy and listening to feedback from the school community.

“This interview made me realize it’s time to pull students back together and talk to them and find out what’s working and what’s not, and see what we can do to strengthen that, but also from our teachers and parents perspectives too. I think those are conversations we need to have so we can continue to grow and make sure that we’re helping our students limit their cell phone use for their own mental health and well-being.”

And if you’d like to see Idaho’s report card for yourself, you can see it in full here.

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David Pace

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) – Budget cuts are the talk of the town in Boise, but what lawmakers decide touches every corner of the state.

On Friday, the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee (JFAC), Idaho’s budget-setting committee, ordered one percent cuts for Fiscal Year 2026 and two percent cuts the following year.

This is in addition to the three percent cuts ordered by Governor Little in August 2025.

K-12 schools, the Division of Medicaid, Idaho State Police, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare and Idaho Department of Corrections are spared from these further cuts, according to the Idaho Legislative Services Office.

Local News 8 spoke with elected officials in Boise about the impact of these additional cuts.

“Some agencies are a lot more operations verses personnel,” said Idaho Controller Brandon Woolf. “Those that have a heavy personnel budget, it’s going to be harder. They’re going to have layoffs. There’s going to be furloughs or positions vacant for part-time. So it’s hitting each agency a little bit different, and that’s the key thing to watch.

But JFAC Committee member Sen. Kevin Cook, R-Idaho Falls, argued that near across-the-board cuts target muscle and bone, not fat in state government.

“We started looking at ways to make some cuts – not cuts that hurt people, not cuts that will come back in two to four months and cost the state millions of dollars at our jails, and our hospitals, and our emergency centers and all of that,” said Senator Kevin Cook, R-Idaho Falls. “Those aren’t real cuts. Those are transfers. I wanted cuts that were real cuts.”

In Friday’s JFAC hearing, Cook referred to the committee’s across-the-board cuts, saying, “That approach is not precision. It is taking a chainsaw to a budget.” 

However, JFAC Co-Chairman Senator C. Scott Grow, R-Eagle, disagreed, stating, “This does not in any way prevent the work you’ve been doing to come to fruition. All this is doing is saying, ‘Look, there is a certain level of cuts that would be appropriate at this point in time.’”  

In the end, the committee voted 14-6 and 13-7 to adopt the one and two percent cuts across the majority of state agencies.

We’ll continue to watch the Legislature’s actions and their ramifications throughout this year.

“Obviously, it’s a heavy lift for the legislators from JFAC to be able to help identify – is it based just across the top?” said Woolf. “Are they going to make winners and losers?  Are they holding education harmless or this one or Medicaid? Those are the big ones (decisions).”

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Par Kermani

UPDATE

POCATELLO, Idaho — Pocatello Mayor Mark Dahlquist and the ACLU of Idaho are raising serious concerns about the bill.

In a statement to Local News 8, Pocatello Mayor Dahlquist wrote in part “Regarding House Bill 557, Pocatello’s non-discrimination ordinance was adopted by the City Council in 2013 and reaffirmed by voters when a citizen-led repeal effort failed in 2014. Since that time, there have been no further challenges to the ordinance, indicating that it reflects the will of the community. The State Legislature should not pre-empt decisions that have been clearly made by local citizens.”

The ACLU of Idaho wrote:

“The ACLU of Idaho opposes House Bill 557 because it represents sweeping state overreach that would eliminate longstanding local nondiscrimination ordinances (NDO), create significant legal and financial risks for cities, and leave many Idaho families without meaningful recourse when facing anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination.- Idaho can respect religious liberty, uphold constitutional principles, and maintain local control without dismantling protections that communities have thoughtfully adopted.”

POCATELLO, Idaho — A bill moving through the Idaho Legislature would wipe out local LGBTQ anti-discrimination protections in cities across the state. While supporters argue the bill protects religious freedom and creates a uniform business environment, critics warn that it “opens the door for discrimination” and betrays the state’s supposed commitment to local control.

A Challenge to Local Autonomy

House Bill 557 would negate local ordinances in 14 cities and two counties that currently bar discrimination in housing and employment based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Those protections include cities such as Pocatello and Idaho Falls.

Sen. James Ruchti, D-Pocatello, said he opposes the bill and plans to speak against it when it comes before the Senate State Affairs Committee, where he is the lone Democrat.

“This bill confuses me and surprises me in a lot of ways,” Ruchti said. “Its intention seems to be to protect individuals and businesses who want to discriminate, so that they can discriminate against others. And I don’t get that.”

Ruchti said the measure contradicts the Legislature’s own stated support for local control. He pointed to a Senate concurrent resolution passed last year that praised local governments and urged the state to let communities make decisions based on their own needs.

“Out of one side of your mouth, the Idaho Senate can say local governments are important, and we should let them determine what’s best for their communities,” he said. “And then out of the other side say, ‘except in situations we don’t agree with you on.’ That’s not how this should work.”

If HB 557 becomes law, existing local ordinances would become unenforceable, leaving state law as the only standard. Ruchti said that would send a clear and harmful message to LGBTQ residents.

“It sends the message to our communities that they are open for discrimination against a class of people that live there,” he said. “It allows discrimination in housing and employment. These 14 communities have come together and made a conscious decision to say, we don’t want discrimination. It’s gone well for the last 12 years, so there’s no reason to change it.”

Pocatello’s non-discrimination ordinance was adopted in 2013 after a heated local debate. Opponents forced a referendum to try to repeal it, but voters narrowly chose to keep the law. Ruchti co-chaired the campaign to defend the ordinance.

“The community came out to support the ordinance, to make sure we kept it,” he said. “We were able to win when we had the election, and it was a community effort.”

The Case for Religious Freedom

Supporters of HB 557 argue that a patchwork of local rules creates confusion and hurts economic growth by making it harder for businesses to operate uniformly across the state. Ruchti rejects that claim, pointing to Idaho’s strong economy in recent years.

“There’s no evidence that these ordinances have hampered our economic growth,” he said. “Idaho’s economy is vibrant, and I think part of that is because people don’t have to worry about being discriminated against when they look for a job or a place to live.”

Supporters of HB 557 say the issue is about protecting religious freedom and ending what they see as unfair legal exposure for people of faith.

Blaine Conzatti, president of the Idaho Family Policy Center, said most Idahoans want the Legislature to act.

“More than 71% of likely Idaho voters want this legislation, and it’s not hard to understand why,” Conzatti said in a written statement. “SOGI ordinances are frequently weaponized against people of faith, who are often forced by law to participate in same-sex weddings, pride festivals, and other LGBT activities that violate their convictions.”

In Idaho Falls, violations of the local ordinance can bring a $100 fine for a proven discriminatory violation and up to $1,000 for repeated violations. The city in 2020 repealed an earlier misdemeanor penalty that allowed for up to six months in jail.

Conzatti said other Idaho cities still attach potential jail time to their ordinances and pointed to the example of Don and Evelyn Knapp, a Christian couple in Coeur d’Alene who said they were threatened with enforcement action under that city’s law if they refused to perform same-sex ceremonies at their family-owned wedding venue.

“No small business owner should ever have to choose between living out their faith or going to jail (or paying a fine),” Conzatti said. “Religious freedom – including the ability to run our businesses according to the dictates of our conscience – is a fundamental right.”

The Path Forward: The Committee Battleground

Ruchti said communities like Pocatello tend to value practical governance over party labels, focusing on basic services and everyday concerns.

“People are just very practical,” he said. “They want their government officials to make their lives easier: make sure we can get a good education, make sure we can go to work, make sure we’ve got a place to live — then get out of the way and let us do our thing. In my opinion, House Bill 557 works against that principle.”

The bill has already passed the House and is expected to be taken up by the Senate State Affairs Committee in the coming weeks. Ruchti said the committee is likely the key battleground.

“If it makes it to the Senate floor, it’s passing,” he said. “Our best opportunity is at the committee level to kill it.”

“Sometimes I debate, and my debate is not successful in changing anybody’s mind,” he said. “But I’m going to believe that it’s possible.”

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Sean Dolan

Originally posted on IdahoEdNews.org on February 10, 2026

by Sean Dolan:

An Idaho Army National Guard officer who claims he faced religious discrimination for his opposition to a Pocatello drag queen story hour announced he is running for Idaho Senate against Sen. Jim Guthrie.

David Worley, a Republican, writes on his campaign website that he believes the government should protect children and not normalize “radical sexual ideology” that undermines family life. He commits to protecting parental rights in education.

“Our schools, libraries, and public institutions should be places that reinforce what is good, true, and beautiful, not places where innocence is targeted and boundaries are erased,” Worley wrote.

He is challenging Guthrie, R-McCammon, in the May 19 primary in District 28. Guthrie voted against House Bill 93 last year, which created the $50 million Idaho Parental Choice Tax Credit.

David Worley and Sen. Jim Guthrie (Photos courtesy of their campaign websites)

At a Save Our Schools event last summer in American Falls, Guthrie said the tax credits are “contrary to the Constitution.”

“I don’t think there’s any doubt about that,” said Guthrie, a rancher and business owner.

As of Tuesday, Worley’s campaign has raised $3,000 to Guthrie’s $24,825.

Worley in 2022 ran for Idaho Senate in District 29. He lost the general election to Sen. James Ruchti, D-Pocatello, by an 8-point margin.

Federal lawsuit

Worley, in January 2025, filed a federal district court lawsuit against three defendants in their capacities with the Idaho National Guard:

Gov. Brad Little, commander-in-chief of the Idaho National Guard

Maj. Gen. Timothy Donnellan

Brig. Gen. James Packwood

Worley, a major in the Army National Guard, claims he faced discrimination, retaliation and punishment for exercising his First Amendment right to “exercise his sincerely held religious beliefs.”

According to court documents, a guardsman under Worley’s command filed a hostile work environment complaint against him. The guardsman, who identified as homosexual, wrote in the complaint that he felt Worley had discriminated against him due to his sexual orientation. He then Googled Worley’s name and found press reports showing Worley’s opposition to a drag queen story hour and his involvement with the “extremist/hate group” MassResistance.

The officer who investigated the guardsman’s complaint substantiated the hostile work environment claim and recommended Worley’s permanent removal from command.

The Idaho State Journal reported in February 2023 that Worley and local church members staged a peaceful sit-in during a “Reading Time with the Queens” event at the Marshall Public Library in Pocatello.

The Journal reported that some usual attendees of the event — parents and young children — were turned away because the church members filled the room up to its maximum capacity of 40 people.

The sit-in event was to “protect children from being exposed to sexual deviancy,” Worley said, according to the Idaho State Journal.

Worley has served over 22 years in the Army National Guard. The complaint against him led to “the derailment of his career,” according to the lawsuit. 

Worley’s attorneys wrote in court documents that he believes a failure to speak out against things he knows are wrong would result in the “eternal condemnation of his soul.”

The lawsuit asks the U.S. District Court of Idaho to require the defendants to cease all investigations and restore Worley to his position. The last filing in the case was in September.

Daniel Schmid, a lawyer with Florida-based Liberty Counsel representing Worley, told EdNews on Tuesday that they are waiting on the judge to take action in the case.

“I’ve never seen a judge sit on a temporary restraining order for over a year,” Schmid said.

According to its website, Liberty Counsel is “a Christian ministry that proclaims, advocates, supports, advances, and defends the good news that God in the person of Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sins and offers forgiveness and eternal life to all who accept him as Lord and Savior.”

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CNN Newsource

Originally Published: 10 FEB 26 12:42 ET

By John Franchi

Click here for updates on this story

    SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (KSTU) — As the Olympic Games unfold in Milan and Cortina, Italy, the slopes of Cortina are once again hosting Olympic alpine skiing. But this isn’t the first time these Italian mountains have welcomed the world’s best skiers.

For 90-year-old Marvin Melville, a Utah native and two-time Olympian, watching the games return to Cortina brings back vivid memories from seven decades ago when he competed there as a 20-year-old in 1956.

“The parade, being a part of the team and representing the United States, there’s nothing quite like that,” Melville said.

The 1956 Olympics were the seventh iteration of the Winter Games, featuring only 32 countries compared to the 93 expected to compete this year. Melville’s experience represents a simpler era of Olympic competition, captured in his family’s home movies that transport viewers back 70 years.

His memories of skiing the treacherous Olympic downhill course in Cortina remain as vivid as those classic home movie reels. “I got halfway down the mountain and crashed and broke my skis and couldn’t finish,” Melville said. “But there were probably 80 competitors, maybe more, and there was only about 20 that got to the finish line.”

The Olympics provided Melville with unexpected moments of human connection that transcended Cold War tensions. While watching a U.S.-Russia hockey game, he stood next to a Russian cross-country skier. “The Russians scored a goal, and she took her fist and slammed me in the shoulder. All of a sudden I had a strong, warm affiliation with the Russians, which previously, you know, I thought they were the enemy,” Melville said.

Four years later, Melville competed again at the 1960 Olympics in California at what is now known as Palisades Tahoe, where he finished in 22nd place. “It makes you very patriotic. And I was also served in the military for two years. So yeah, I feel like I’m a patriotic citizen,” Melville said.

Melville has donated his Olympic mementos to the Alf Engen Ski Museum, though he borrowed them back to share his story. His official team jacket still fits after all these years. “Having this on your ski uniform was a big deal,” Melville said, referring to the Olympic patches.

Now battling polycythemia vera, a form of blood cancer, Melville reflects on his life on the slopes and the family he raised in Utah. He has five daughters, 29 grandchildren, and 56 great-grandchildren.

Surprisingly, skiing wasn’t always his passion. “No, no, I did not think that. I didn’t even like it the first few times we went up to Alta,” Melville said when asked if he always planned to be a skier.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KSTU verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

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News Team

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed a class action lawsuit following the controversial immigration raid in Wilder, Idaho, last year. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of three Latino families who are U.S. citizens or lawful residents, alleges that authorities used excessive force and violated the constitutional rights of hundreds of spectators.

According to the ACLU, the lawsuit represents the first major challenge in the second Trump administration to ICE tactics that discriminate based on ethnicity. 

“Our plaintiffs were treated as less than human because ICE and their willing partners think they can disregard fundamental rights if it gets them immigration arrests,” said Jenn Rolnick Borchetta, an attorney involved in the case.

Wilder Raid Background

According to federal reports, the October 19th raid was the culmination of a multi-agency federal investigation into an alleged illegal gambling and money laundering operation tied to horse racing. However, defendants represented by the ACLU of Idaho maintain that the popular racing arena has long been a place for the local Latino community to celebrate Mexican culture throughout family-friendly events.

More than 200 officers from multiple local and federal agencies are detaining approximately 400 spectators. In the wake of the raid, witnesses reported the use of aggressive tactics to detain the crowd, including reports of flashbangs thrown into occupied vehicles, the use of rubber bullets, and children being zip-tied at gunpoint.

In an initial statement to the Idaho Capital Sun, FBI spokesperson Sandra Yi Barker denied that children were zip-tied or hit with rubber bullets. However, Barker would go on to amend that statement, adding the word “young” before children.

While the Department of Homeland Security initially reported 105 arrests of “illegal aliens,” immigration attorney Nikki Ramirez-Smith noted that many detainees signed voluntary departure agreements before they could consult with legal counsel.

In late November, U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill intervened, ordering the release of 16 detainees. In his ruling, Winmill emphasized that all individuals on U.S. soil are entitled to due process rights, regardless of their immigration status, according to reports by KTVB in Boise.

Alleging that the raid violated the spectator’s Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights, the lawsuit asks a federal judge to declare the raid was unconstitutional. The plaintiffs are also pursuing damages for the emotional and physical harm allegedly inflicted during the operation.

“While nothing can undo what these families endured, we can hold those in power to account and ensure no one else has to endure this treatment in the future,” said Leo Morales, executive director of the ACLU of Idaho. 

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Kevin Richert

Originally posted on IdahoEdNews.org on February 10, 2026

by Kevin Richert and Ryan Suppe:

A $10 million transfer from the Idaho Launch fund would cut into student aid this year, the program’s director said Tuesday.

“We would have to curtail the number of awards that we make,” Wendi Secrist, executive director of the Workforce Development Council, told EdNews after a Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee presentation.

Wendi Secrist, executive director, Workforce Development Council

The $75 million-a-year Launch program provides high school graduates with up to $8,000 for college or career training. But Launch has long been a target of Statehouse conservatives — and in a cash-strapped 2026 session, the program will likely face another round of scrutiny.

On Monday, JFAC approved a pair of transfers from the In-Demand Careers Fund, which finances the Launch program. The first $10 million transfer would cover the current budget year, which ends June 30. The second $10 million would cover the next budget year — and the next round of Launch awards.

Secrist indicated that her department could cover the $10 million transfer this year, from personnel savings and from unused awards money. For next year, however, the timing and the math is more complicated.

Next year’s Launch budget covers awards for this year’s high school seniors. They can apply for Launch grants until April 15. So far, about 10,200 seniors have applied, Secrist said Tuesday.

If the state winds up awarding 9,000 grants — a reasonable forecast, based on how many applicants have used Launch money in past years — this would come to about $72.4 million. And this would exhaust the money in the fund for next year, Secrist said.

A $10 million fund transfer would come off the top, and that means the Workforce Development Council would award fewer grants this summer, Secrist said Tuesday.

“That’s what I was afraid of,” Sen. Janie Ward-Engelking, D-Boise, said during Tuesday’s JFAC hearing.

Ward-Engelking was one of two JFAC members who opposed Monday’s transfers. They passed on identical 18-2 votes.

Rep. Elaine Price, R-Coeur d’Alene

While Ward-Engelking decried a possible Launch budget cut, another JFAC member cast a skeptical eye toward continued funding. “Why should JFAC treat Launch as a proven?” said Rep. Elaine Price, R-Coeur d’Alene.

While Launch is in its infancy, Secrist said the program is already making a difference. She cited State Board of Education research which says Launch has improved Idaho’s post-high school go-on rates, while encouraging students to stay in state. But it will take time to measure outcomes — such as the number of Launch graduates who have gone into the workplace and stayed in Idaho.

“Right now, we’re showing outputs for the most part,” Secrist said.

Virtual school regulations easily clear House committee 

A bipartisan bill overhauling state regulations of virtual public schools cleared the House Education Committee with little debate Tuesday. 

Among other things, the proposal would limit eligible expenses for the “supplemental learning funds” that virtual schools offer parents. It comes after the Office of Performance Evaluations last year released a report that highlighted questionable uses of the funds by patrons of the Idaho Home Learning Academy (IHLA), the state’s largest virtual school. 

A handful of virtual school leaders spoke in support of the bill during a public hearing Tuesday. IHLA Superintendent Terri Sorensen said it balances accountability, transparency and parent choice, and she lauded the “collaborative spirit” of its legislative sponsors. 

“IHLA has been such a great, willing partner to recognize their need to change,” said sponsoring Rep. Douglas Pickett, “to change their policies, to gain wide, broad acceptance for what they’re doing.”

Rep. Doug Pickett, R-Oakley, speaks before the 2026 State of the State address. (Sean Dolan/EdNews)

Pickett, R-Oakley, is co-sponsoring the bill with Rep. Soñia Galaviz, a Boise Democrat and public school teacher, along with Rep. Clay Handy, R-Burley. 

The proposal, originally House Bill 588, will have a new bill number when it reaches the House floor. The co-sponsors introduced a replacement Tuesday that tweaked the language defining “supplemental learning funds.”

The new version would still limit eligible fund uses. Parents would be allowed to use them for education-related technology like laptops along with books, test fees, therapies and other expenses approved by the State Board of Education. 

The bill would also require additional transparency around private vendors that virtual schools contract with for online classes. Virtual schools would have to publicize the services the vendors provide, along with their costs. 

The bill would also require that virtual classes align with state content standards and that they’re taught by a state-certified instructor. 

One person — former state Sen. Steven Thayn of Emmett — spoke against the bill Tuesday. Thayn argued that the bill would restrict flexibility around the type of classes virtual schools offer. 

“The gold standard of school choice is parents being able to choose the curriculum,” he said. “Parents have more say into what curriculum is used. It might be more patriotic curriculum. They still have to meet the standards.”

Former Sen. Steven Thayn, R-Emmett

Galaviz said that the bill protects local control of curriculum. But, like any other public school, virtual school curriculum must be guided by state content standards, and virtuals must conduct standardized testing. 

“I feel very confident in saying that the Idaho Home Learning Academy wants to focus on kids,” she said. “We all want to make sure that we are ensuring academic success and growth.”

The committee unanimously voted to send the bill to the full House. 

House rejects Blaine Amendment repeal

The House voted down a proposal to use public dollars to fund religious education.

House Joint Resolution 7 would have repealed Idaho’s “Blaine Amendment,” which prohibits taxpayer support of religious-based schools or enterprises. The amendment, and similar language in other state constitutions, has become a focal point in the debate over private school choice.

“This is discrimination based on religion,” sponsoring Rep. Elaine Price, R-Coeur d’Alene, said of the Blaine Amendment.

However, Price also said the repeal itself wouldn’t affect any public funding; this would only occur later. She added that the amendment would simply put the question before voters, who must ratify any constitutional amendment.

No House member debated for or against the repeal, and it came up for an unexpectedly quick vote.

In the end, 41 House members voted for repeal, while 28 members voted no. However, constitutional amendments must pass each house with a two-thirds majority.

Nineteen Republicans joined the House’s nine Democrats in opposition.

IDLA budget cuts debut in House

Lawmakers got their first look Tuesday at a proposal to scale back state support for the Idaho Digital Learning Alliance. Gov. Brad Little proposed cutting 39% from the online learning platform. 

Rep. James Petzke’s proposal would make a hodgepodge of changes to IDLA’s $26 million state budget. It would: 

Reduce IDLA’s per-enrollment state allocation from $445 to $427. 

Limit yearly course enrollments to three per student.

Eliminate state funding for IDLA’s Elementary Launchpad program and driver’s education courses.

Prohibit private- and home-school students from receiving state funds for IDLA courses.

Cut state funding for “custom” IDLA sections in urban districts — courses in which all enrollments come from a single district in cities with more than 50,000 people. 

“It rightsizes their budget while minimizing the hurt to their core mission,” Petzke, R-Meridian, told the House Education Committee. “We’re not getting rid of the things that we think that IDLA does really well.”

Districts and charter schools could continue offering the courses targeted for cuts, Petzke noted. But the local school would take on responsibility for paying the fees — or passing on the costs to parents. 

The proposed reforms would reduce IDLA’s state funding by $8.96 million. This doesn’t include savings from excluding home-schoolers from the platform. These savings are difficult to project, Petzke said.

Rep. James Petzke, R-Meridian, listens to a presentation during at a Jan. 15 Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee meeting. (Sean Dolan/Idaho EdNews)

But the bill doesn’t explicitly address the IDLA budget issue that drawn scrutiny from lawmakers and Little. Rep. Kent Marmon, R-Caldwell, asked whether the bill tackles “double-dipping” — when brick-and-mortar schools collect state funds for a student who’s logged into an online course through IDLA. 

Petzke responded that the proposed changes will pull out some of the “double-funding.” But IDLA provides the content and teachers for the courses it offers to districts and charters, he said, so concerns should be addressed in the budgets for brick-and-mortar schools. 

“IDLA should be getting the money, not the districts,” Petzke said. “That’s a broader funding-formula question that I think that we need to tackle at some point.”

Petzke’s bill may not be the only one tackling IDLA’s budget this session. Rep. Clint Hostetler, R-Twin Falls, said Rep. Elaine Price, R-Coeur d’Alene, is working on a separate proposal. 

IDLA’s superintendent, Jeff Simmons, and other administrators from the agency worked with Petzke on the bill introduced Tuesday. 

“They don’t love it, as no agency would, right?” Petzke said. “This is a massive, massive cut to their budget. But they have seen it, and they do think this is the best path forward given the circumstances.”

New bill directs public schools to hold daily periods of silence

Public schools could soon be required to hold daily, one-minute periods of silence allowing students to “reflect, meditate, pray or engage in another silent activity.” 

Sponsoring Rep. Bruce Skaug told the House Education Committee that dozens of other states have enacted similar laws. A pastor and a rabbi approached Skaug with the proposal, the Nampa Republican said. 

“The silence isn’t religious or irreligious,” Skaug said. “You can pray, you can meditate or just think about your day.”

Committee members debated whether the bill should mandate the time of day that each period of silence must occur. The bill requires they be “at or near the beginning of each school day.”

Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa

Rep. Chris Mathias, D-Boise, moved to take out this provision of the bill and allow schools to conduct the exercise at any time of day. The motion failed on a 5-9 vote. 

Rep. Tony Wisniewski argued that a morning period of silence would “set the tone for the whole day.” Wisniewski, R-Post Falls, compared it to the House and Senate praying and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at the beginning of each floor session, which establishes an “atmosphere” and “reverence.”

“If we leave it up to the teacher, and if a teacher is not in agreement with this principle, what could happen?” he said. “I have often said that if you can’t think like a criminal, you don’t belong in the Legislature.”

The committee voted to introduce Skaug’s bill, setting the stage for a future public hearing.

A divided House makes an appeal for special education funding

A nonbinding request for federal special education funding passed Tuesday, but over significant opposition.

House Joint Memorial 11 calls on Uncle Sam to cover 40% of special education costs — as promised with the 1975 passage of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The feds cover about 12% of Idaho’s special education costs, leaving the state and local schools to pick up the balance.

“This is a long overdue collection notice,” said Rep. Ben Fuhriman, R-Shelley, the memorial’s sponsor.

During brief debate, Rep. Lucas Cayler said the state shouldn’t demand more money from a federal government more than $38 trillion in the red. “I think everyone would agree that our federal debt is in a very, very bad place,” said Cayler, R-Caldwell.

The memorial passed on a 40-28 vote. Notably, five of the 10 members of the House Appropriations Committee — the budget-writing panel that writes up spending bills for K-12 — were among the opponents.

The memorial now heads to the Senate.

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Curtis Jackson

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)— Hulu is set to premiere a gripping three-part true‑crime documentary examining the 2006 murder of Pocatello teenager Cassie Stoddart — a case that shocked the region and drew national attention for its chilling connection to horror‑movie obsession.

“The Scream Murder: A True Teen Horror Story” is set to debut on Wednesday, Feb. 11, on Hulu retraces the final hours of 16-year-old Stoddart, who was found stabbed to death while house‑sitting on the outskirts of Pocatello. As fear of a random killer spread through the community, investigators focused on the last people to see her alive: her boyfriend Matt, later cleared of involvement, and classmates Brian Draper and Torey Adamcik.

Detectives eventually uncovered a disturbing videotape recorded by Draper and Adamcik — evidence that prosecutors say revealed the teens planning and later attempting to document the murder. The series follows their arrests, trials, and ultimate convictions, exploring how the pair’s fixation on horror films, particularly the 1996 slasher Scream, shaped their deadly plot.

Beyond the investigation, the documentary highlights the lasting trauma for Stoddart’s family, the painful reckoning faced by the boys’ parents, and the ongoing debate over sentencing minors to life in prison. Nearly two decades later, the series returns to Pocatello as Draper and Adamcik reflect from behind bars on the night that changed multiple families forever.

View the trailer above.

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