The Blog at MSPC

One reason property taxes are a blazing issue in Montana is that the state constitution affords insufficient protection against tax hikes.

The inaugural poll, conducted January 2–9, 2026 among 800 registered voters in Washington, shows voters focused on kitchen-table issues—particularly the economy, taxes, and state spending—while also expressing strong interest in education reforms and greater transparency in public schools.

As Idaho lawmakers convene for the 2026 legislative session, a new statewide poll shows voters are generally optimistic about the state’s direction but want policymakers to focus on transparency, tax relief, and regulatory reform rather than expanding government.

One poll might be a fluke. Two polls might be a coincidence. But three independent polls—conducted over more than a year, before and after passage—all landing in the mid-60s is not an accident. It’s a pattern. And that pattern reflects broad, durable public support.

We have dozens of policy recommendations for lawmakers to consider. These reforms can be acted on even with the challenging budget situations across the states. Here are a couple of our top recommendations for Idaho, Washington and Wyoming lawmakers

History is rarely kind to policies that treat property rights as expendable. Housing affordability will not be achieved by suffocating peaceful uses of private property, but by expanding supply and allowing markets to respond to demand.

Teacher compensation should move beyond outdated salary schedules and begin rewarding what matters most: results for students.

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.

A judicial stay creates an urgent need for convening a special session to cure the appropriation defect.

In 2030, Montanans will decide whether to hold a new state constitutional convention. This column is the fourth in a series designed to provoke discussion in advance of this important decision. Previous columns examined the poor drafting of the constitution’s university and environmental provisions. Poorly drafted constitutional language encourages lawyers and judges to “interpret” it in ways that take power away from the people and their elected representatives.

Yet that’s exactly what’s happening. Longtime opponents of education choice are now claiming that Idaho’s education choice law is responsible for the state’s fiscal challenges. That claim may be convenient, but it is not grounded in facts — and it’s irresponsible to suggest otherwise.

Good headlines don’t make good policy — especially when the real effects rip through the labor market and everyday life.

As we prepare for the start of the 2026 Legislative Session in a few weeks in Idaho, Washington and Wyoming (there’s no legislative session next year in Montana), it’s a good time to look back and reflect on the many exciting things that occurred in 2025. Here are just a few that stand out

You don’t need to tell Americans that health care costs are out of control. This includes the prices for prescription drugs. Thankfully, there is a bipartisan proposal in Congress to address these costs led by Idaho Senator Mike Crapo.

The successful plaintiffs in the Held v. Montana climate-change lawsuit are suing again—although it appears they will have to begin with a district judge rather than proceeding directly to the state supreme court.

Governor Little’s most recent effort is issuing a Request for Information (RFI) from his Office of Energy and Mineral Resources to gather the input of the sector and stakeholders to push towards a nuclear future.

Congress is now at odds with itself on how to offer the country a new or revised plan for our health care system. Interestingly enough, a promising and comprehensive plan was presented a few years ago in 2019.

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

One reason Montanans should opt for a new state constitutional convention in 2030 is that the 1972 constitution is plagued by poorly written

Mountain States Policy Center's (MSPC) Board of Directors has unanimously approved the election of Tiffany Smiley to its Board of Directors,