Remember this?: At the end of the 2025 legislative session in January, the Idaho Education Association called the 89-day sprint “without a doubt the worst session for public education in recent memory.” Months later, that assessment still stands — and IEA members are doing something about it.
• The 2025 legislative session led to the creation of May Matters, Idaho Education Association’s member-driven campaign to elect a pro-public majority to the Idaho Legislature by increasing turnout in the May 2026 Republican primary elections.
Wins and losses: With a record number of proposed pieces of legislation — 1,378 — bills that dramatically affected public education were bound to pass.
• Wins included access to a 5% pay increase for educators and other state employees; defeat of mandatory classroom Bible reading and school chaplains; and a bill that would have forced public schools to collect students’ immigration status.
• Losses included the passing of House Bill 93, which introduced private school vouchers into the state; House Bill 41, which banned LGBTQ+ and “political, religious, or ideological” posters in classrooms; bills limiting instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation; and zero progress on updating the state’s outdated and inadequate funding formula.
The big what if: In 2025, lawmakers also continued their streak of passing tax cuts. Predictably, the 2025 cuts have already led to a budget shortfall — a relative rarity in Idaho. That will lead to some hard choices for budget-writing lawmakers in 2026 — cut programs or do away with tax cuts.
What to remember: Jan. 12, 2026, will mark the second regular session of 68th Idaho Legislature. Expect lawmakers — especially House members, who are elected to two-year terms — to come back fighting for bills that didn’t pass before the 68th session closes.
Last session’s big players: It was a banner year for Rep. Wendy Horman (R-Idaho Falls) and Sen. Lori Den Hartog (R-Meridian), who finally achieved their dream of pushing through private school vouchers. Until this week, when she resigned to take a post in Washington, D.C., Horman was also co-chair of the powerful Joint Finance Appropriations Committee, which designs the annual state budget. Other key players included:
• Rep. Mike Moyle (R-Star), who was a full-throated proponent of tax cuts. Moyle is the speaker of the House and keeps tight control over which bills advance to the House floor for debate.
• Rep. Jason Monks (R-Meridian), an ardent supporter of private school vouchers. Monks is the House majority leader.
• Sen. Dave Lent (R-Idaho Falls), an opponent of private school vouchers and chair of the Senate Education Committee.
• Rep. Doug Pickett (R-Oakley), chair of the House Education Committee.
Where lawmakers will go from here: Check out our coverage of the upcoming 2026 legislative session for insights into what educators can expect in the months ahead.
