Vote now for the 2026 Sawtooth Leadership Academy scholarship
From protecting children online to managing public lands, this year’s Sawtooth Leadership Academy finalists have taken on some of the most pressing policy questions facing the Mountain States. Their final papers offer five distinct perspectives on how public policy can better serve families, communities, and taxpayers. Now you're being asked to vote for the winner below!
Mountain States Policy Center’s Sawtooth Leadership Academy trains tomorrow’s leaders in the lessons of free markets and civility. As part of the program, each student selects a research topic and writes a policy paper, examining the evidence and developing recommendations. The resulting Sawtooth Papers give students an opportunity to contribute their own research and ideas to the region’s policy discussions.
This year’s five finalists and their studies are:
In “Closing the Age Loophole: How Idaho Should Protect Children from AI Companions,” Brunson examines a gap in Idaho’s protections for minors: companies are not required to determine whether their users are children. He concludes that protections can fall short when operators avoid assessing users’ ages. His paper recommends privacy-preserving age assurance, automatic safeguards for users who are likely minors or whose ages have not been assessed, and a quick appeal process for adults mistakenly classified as children.
Jared’s study, “Overtime rules hurting Washington agriculture,” examines how agricultural overtime requirements affect farms and farmworkers. Drawing on farm economic data and industry accounts, he argues that higher labor costs can lead farmers to reduce employees’ hours, limit earnings, and leave time-sensitive harvest work unfinished. He concludes that repealing the overtime requirement would help Washington producers remain economically viable and competitive.
In “What is the best way to manage Idaho water?” Louisa considers whether water should be allocated through market forces or managed by government. She concludes that state oversight remains essential to protect public health, water rights, and the environment, but that Idaho’s system needs faster administration. Her recommendations include pre-approved short-term transfer zones, temporary leasing of senior water rights without sacrificing those rights, and a conservation fee to support water restoration.
Rob’s paper, “Federal or State Control? An Analysis of Public Land Management in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Washington,” compares the strengths and challenges of federal and state stewardship. He finds that federal management provides national resources and broad public access, while state management can offer local expertise, responsiveness, and revenue for public institutions. He concludes that expanded cooperation—particularly on wildfire management and forest restoration—offers greater promise than treating ownership as an all-or-nothing choice.
In “Constitutionally protecting Idaho’s spending limit,” Olivia examines Idaho’s statutory spending limit and compares tax and expenditure limits in other states. She concludes that constitutional protections are more durable than limits established through ordinary legislation. Her paper recommends placing Idaho’s existing spending limit and income tax rate in the state constitution to strengthen predictability, protect taxpayers, and make changes subject to legislative supermajority approval and a public vote.
The winner will be announced at the MSPC Fall Dinner in Coeur d'Alene on October 24, 2026. The first-place recipient will receive a $5,000 scholarship. Join us as we celebrate the work of all five finalists and their contributions to thoughtful policy debate across the Mountain States.
The Sawtooth Papers represent the research, views, and opinions of their student authors. Publication does not constitute an endorsement by Mountain States Policy Center of the views expressed.
Vote for the winning Sawtooth Leadership Academy study here!
- Protecting children from AI companions - Brunson Smith
- Agricultural overtime in Washington - Jared Dormer
- Managing Idaho's water - Louisa Simeri
- Protecting Idaho's spending limit - Olivia Aiello
