The Blog at MSPC

This one-stop portal supports the initiative that government services should be organized around the people who use them, not the bureaucracy that administers them.

Government should protect individual rights and hold people responsible when they cause actual harm. But punishing harmful conduct is different from controlling the underlying technology.

Data centers act as the physical computing infrastructure of apps like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, as well as AI models. It’s not just a place to store photos on social media apps; these computer server warehouses connect people, help small businesses, and promote overall economic productivity.

Had the bit tax been adopted, what was once framed as a trivial tax—half a cent to download a photo, or a cent to send 100 emails—would now cost the average American household an estimated $784,000 per year.

Those states that work to facilitate a functional AI ecosystem will be best positioned for efficient governance and economic success. The time to act is now.

A one-stop portal can reduce these barriers by allowing citizens to securely access government services from virtually any location while improving operational efficiency across state governments.

Idaho students aren't just competing with students in neighboring states for future careers. They are competing with the future innovators and leaders of the world.

Washington's AI Task Force failed to meaningfully help the state move the dial on leveraging AI to improve human flourishing. This outcome was in many ways predictable.

By working together, educators and industry leaders can ensure that students gain the knowledge and skills necessary to participate in the future AI economy. Through thoughtful collaboration and forward-thinking policies, Idaho is working to prepare students not only to navigate the AI age but to lead it.

The impulse behind House Bill 542—the Stop Harms from Addictive Social Media Act (what lawmakers are calling the Shazam act) —comes from a legitimate concern: protecting kids online.

While the goal of reducing bias in government technology is reasonable, the bill’s approach could discourage innovation, reduce competition, and ultimately limit Idaho’s access to the very tools policymakers want government to use responsibly.

Growing up in the era of pagers and pay phones, I survived cell phone-free until college. As a mom to a teenage boy, I tried to stave off phone use as long as possible. Debates on appropriate screen time, talks about cyberbullying, and warnings about predators have become the norm. For most students, cell phones are an integral part of everyday life, and thus, their use in school has become a contentious issue. Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming are each addressing cell

At its core, H542 does not merely regulate social media. It mandates the creation of a vast, permanent tracking system that would monitor how long every user spends online, trigger escalating identity checks, and store increasingly sensitive personal data. That should give every Idahoan pause.

The market is calling for more AI implementation across every sector, and the places that win won’t be the places that fear change. That’s why this effort is so timely and helps students and educators become builders, not just spectators, in the next wave of economic growth.

The headline change is simple but important: parents will soon have a built-in “kill switch” for one-on-one chats between their teens and AI

Over 300 teachers, principals, and community leaders came together for this year's event, giving a state-wide perspective on all the things we should be doing to better equip our parents and students with what they need to succeed in educating their youth.

Mountain States Policy Center has long argued that the goal should be using technology to cut waste and trim red tape so government employees can focus on what really matters and those activities that need human interaction.

Idaho is once again in the national spotlight for its willingness to innovate and modernize. The latest effort? Fighting fires from space. During the 2025 Legislative Session, AI cameras for detecting fires became a "hot" topic of discussion.

Technology today has a variety of built-in tools to help parents keep their children safe on the internet. Apple’s Screen Time and Google’s Family Link allow you to set app limits, block adult content, and control when a device can be used. Similarly, gaming consoles like PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch have controls for screen time, spending, and age-appropriate titles.

Across our region, policymakers have been taking action that significantly moves the economic needle: cutting waste and trimming red tape. It’s a key reason Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming regularly show up among the least-regulated states in the country, and is a major draw to families, job creators, and taxpayers alike.