Week 7

Welcome to Week 7 of Motivation Monday!

This week, we’re sharing tips to help you make the most of attending or viewing legislative meetings. Whether you’re tuning in from home or attending in person, being prepared ensures your voice is heard and your time is well spent.

Here are some helpful tips:

Do your research: Familiarize yourself with the meeting agenda and topics being discussed.

https://legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/agenda

Understand the process: Learn how legislative meetings are structured so you know when and how to engage.

Prepare your message: Whether you’re giving testimony or asking questions, focus on being concise and clear. Check out this resource for storytelling tips:

https://shorturl.at/CSXLj – IPUL’s Champion for Change – Power of a personal story Padlet

Stay informed: Use the tools and resources available to follow legislation and advocate for change.

https://ipulidaho.org/news/legislative_update

Be respectful and engaged: Whether watching online or attending in person, show respect for the process and participants.

Your participation matters! Attending or viewing these meetings is a powerful way to stay informed, speak up for your community, and make a difference.

[Week 7] Legislative Update This Week’s Highlights

Key Legislative Actions:

STATE – Idaho House Bill No. 138: Medicaid Expansion, conditions

** On February 19th House Bill No. 138 passed on the house floor (38-32) and is now onto the Senate** This bill sets rules for continuing Medicaid coverage for healthy adults while focusing on work, accountability, and financial sustainability. Key points include a work or volunteer requirement and enrollment limits. If any 1 of the 11 restrictions are not met by July 1, 2026, Medicaid expansion is repealed.

STATE – Idaho House Bill No. 236: Denial of Attendance, Enrollment

**On February 19th House Bill No. 236 was sent to the House floor with a do pass recommendation** This bill expands reasons for denying school enrollment or attendance to include: habitual truancy, continues disruptive behavior, behavior deemed detrimental to the health and safety of other students, possession of a dangerous weapon, or previous expulsion or disenrollment due to safety concerns. Requires parents or guardians to disclose a student’s relevant criminal history when seeking enrollment.

STATE – Idaho House Bill No. 93: Idaho Parental Choice Tax Credit

** As of February 20, 2025, Idaho House Bill 93 has successfully passed both chambers of the Idaho Legislature and is awaiting the governor’s signature.** Governor Brad Little now has the option to sign the bill into law, veto it, or allow it to become law without his signature. Introduced in the House, this legislation aims to create a refundable tax credit to cover private school tuition, fees, tutoring, and transportation. It is currently awaiting a public hearing. Eligible families can receive a refundable tax credit of up to $5,000 per child not enrolled in public or charter schools, increasing to $7,500 for children with special needs.

STATE – Idaho House Bill No. 291: Idaho High Needs Student Fund

This bill establishes a fund to assist with costs related to students with disabilities who require substantial supports. The funding will be allocated to districts and charter schools through an application process overseen by the State Department of Education.

FEDERAL – Proposed Medicaid Spending Cuts

The administration and House Republicans have proposed significant cuts to Medicaid funding as part of efforts to finance extensions of tax cuts. While some GOP members and President Trump have expressed reservations about reducing Medicaid benefits, the proposed cuts aim to address funding gaps for the $4.5 trillion in tax cuts over the next decade.

Get Involved!

You can use IPUL’s “Power of a Personal Story” template to craft testimony to share with legislators. Other testimony tips can be found in the padlet as well. You will find all our tips at this link https://shorturl.at/kSLOf

Looking Ahead:

Updates on upcoming legislative actions will be shared as they become available. Stay tuned!

Stay Connected: