The Blog at MSPC

Parents in Idaho and Montana are among the most satisfied in the country with their children’s schools. In Montana, 51% of parents say they are very satisfied with their child’s school, well above the national average of 47%. Idaho parents report similar confidence, with 48% saying they are very satisfied.

For many families, childbirth is the single largest medical expense they will incur. Yet in most cases, parents enter the hospital with little idea what they will ultimately be charged.

The proposal would raise Idaho’s income tax rate from 5.3% to 5.325% and repeal the Parental Choice Tax Credit — just months after families began applying for it.

Government payroll systems are funded by taxpayers to administer public education — not to facilitate political fundraising.

Much has been said about Idaho’s new $5,000 education tax credit and the $50 million price tag attached to it. Critics have framed it as a costly new entitlement at a time when the state faces budget pressures. But there’s a critical fact missing from much of the debate: When a student leaves the public school system and uses the tax credit instead, the state saves money. Here’s why. Idaho spends roughly $9,000 per student, per year, of state funds on public education. Under

To put that in perspective: if the students currently represented in applications formed a single public school district, it would rank as the 6th largest district in Idaho. And the application window doesn’t close until March 15.

Government belongs to the people. The people don’t need permission to watch it work.

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.

Lawmakers who opposed the Parental Choice Tax Credit last year, advanced a new bill to cut it—by 4 percent immediately and another 5 percent in 2027—before the program has even fully begun.

Now Washington state legislators want to take this experiment statewide, arguing that a new 3-cent sugar-sweetened beverage tax will improve health outcomes and fight hunger. It sounds noble. It sounds decisive. And it’s deeply disconnected from reality.

The study evaluates four potential models—county-based, regional, proportional statewide, and legislative-district-based approaches—and assesses their legal viability, administrative complexity, and potential impact on campaign incentives.

Since applications opened on January 15, 5,056 families have applied for the credit, covering 9,341 students. That’s nearly three weeks of data, which gives us something much more useful than opening-day excitement alone: an actual pace.

Even under the most conservative assumptions, thousands of Idaho families are expected to participate — a strong indication that educational choice is not a niche issue, but a mainstream priority.

The bill would require governing bodies to provide an opportunity for public comment at all open public meetings, either in person or through remote means like telephone or video conferencing.

Idaho’s “Blaine Amendment” — singles out religious institutions and religious schools for unequal treatment. It broadly prohibits public funds from being used “in aid of” any church or religious organization and blocks support for schools controlled by religious denominations.

Over and over, justices pressed on two major problems: whether petitioners even have standing to bring the case at all, and whether Idaho’s Constitution truly can be read to prohibit the state from supporting an education policy outside the public school system.

New figures from the Idaho State Tax Commission show Idaho families are moving quickly to take advantage of the state’s new parental choice tax credit — and early application volume suggests demand will be strong throughout the open enrollment period.

the legal theory petitioners are asking the Court to adopt isn’t narrow. It’s sweeping. If accepted, it could transform Idaho constitutional law into a weapon against not just this program, but other long-standing public policies—and even ordinary tax credits.

Just two weeks ago, the state increased the mandatory bag fee from 8 cents to 12 cents. That’s already a slap in the face to families who are being told to pay more for a product the government forced onto them—thicker plastic bags that are worse for the environment and cost more than the thin bags people used for decades.

On day one of the application window for Idaho’s new parental choice tax credit, more than 3,300 families applied. That’s 200 per hour. Four every minute. Since the window opened at midnight, applications have poured in at a pace that’s impossible to ignore.