The Blog at MSPC

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

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

By opting into the federal scholarship tax credit program, Idaho continues to reinforce its commitment to education freedom and parental choice, ensuring families have greater access to resources that help tailor education to each child’s unique needs.

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.

Civic education doesn’t belong to one type of school or region. It belongs to everyone. Our hope is that teams will come from across Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Eastern Washington, so students can meet peers from different communities, compete respectfully, and go home with a deeper appreciation for how our system works.

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.

"This is taxation without representation- something we fought a war over 250 years ago. I hope that Utah’s leaders realize that these dependencies run both ways, and as dependent as Idaho is on Utah for motor fuels, Utah is dependent on Idaho for water. I hope we don’t have to enter a cycle of mutual exploitation. I hope we can remain good friends and partners.”

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.

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.

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

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.

Ada County officials have significantly increased development impact fees to pay for transportation projects, passing an ordinance to charge

Decades of federal forest managers pursuing suppression-focused tactics led to a logjam of unmanaged forests waiting to ignite. Current federal policies barely chip away at the buildup, with only 0.08% of public lands treated with prescribed fire. A rate far below the accumulation of vulnerable fuels on public lands in the mountain states.

On November 10, 2025, Mountain States Policy Center filed an amicus brief addressing the IEA’s claims with national case law analysis demonstrating that HB 93 is a constitutionally sound program that serves a legitimate public purpose benefiting Idahoans.

Licensure raises the price of entry into the trades’ labor market, artificially limiting the number of people who can enter it. Given the ever-important need for skilled laborers in the trades, this is a big concern. The research shows that Idaho has the ability to lower its licensure requirements without significant harm, and therefore should do so.

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.