Idaho

Republicans control the governor’s office and both chambers with supermajorities. Governor Brad Little is running for a third term. Idaho has lost more OB-GYNs than any other ban state, signed the only bathroom law in the country that carries felony penalties, and is adding work requirements to Medicaid that voters approved by a 61% majority in 2018.

Idaho voters have moved policy before. That history matters now because state leaders are overriding voter decisions and passing restrictions with no realistic path to legislative challenge.

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Reproductive rights

Idaho’s near-total abortion ban took effect in August 2022. A JAMA Network Open study published in July 2025 found that Idaho lost 35% of its OB-GYNs (94 of 268 doctors) between August 2022 and December 2024. Six of nine maternal-fetal medicine specialists left.

23 OB-GYNs serve 37 rural counties with nearly a quarter of Idaho’s population. The other 151 are concentrated in seven urban counties.

Hospital labor and delivery units have closed. An April 2025 state court ruling broadened the medical exception for life-threatening complications but excluded fatal fetal conditions and mental health conditions. The Trump DOJ dismissed the Biden-era federal case that sought to guarantee emergency abortion care at Idaho hospitals.

Idahoans United for Women and Families gathered 106,000 signatures across 19 legislative districts for the Reproductive Freedom and Privacy Act, which would restore abortion access up to fetal viability. It needed 70,700 signatures in 18 districts. If it reaches the November ballot and passes by simple majority, it becomes law.

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LGBTQ rights

Governor Little signed HB 752 on March 31, 2026, Transgender Day of Visibility. It is the strictest bathroom law in the nation. A first offense is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in prison. A second offense within five years is a felony punishable by up to five years.

The law applies to all government buildings and public spaces, including libraries, airports, hospitals, and restaurants. The House voted 54-15, the Senate 28-7.

Little also signed HB 822, which requires teachers and school counselors to monitor children for signs of gender nonconformity and report them. Failure to report can carry civil fines up to $100,000. The law broadly defines “social transition” to include changes in name, pronouns, appearance, and dress. Both laws take effect July 1, 2026.

Law	What it does	Penalty
HB 752	Criminalizes trans people using bathrooms matching their identity	Misdemeanor (1st), felony up to 5 years (2nd)
HB 822	Requires teachers to monitor and report gender nonconformity	Civil fines up to $100,000
HB 710	Libraries must move “harmful” materials to adults-only section within 60 days of a complaint	$250 in statutory damages per complaint

Idaho also passed 28 anti-trans bills in 2025, with at least 19 introduced. The Ninth Circuit ruled in January 2026 that the library law (HB 710) is “overbroad on its face” and violates the First Amendment. The Donnelly Public Library went entirely adults-only rather than comply.

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Healthcare and benefits

Idaho voters approved Medicaid expansion in November 2018 with a 61% majority, overriding years of legislative refusal. About 85,000 Idahoans gained coverage. Now the legislature is adding barriers.

Governor Little signed HB 913, directing the state to implement Medicaid work requirements by 2027. Enrollees must report 80 hours per month of work or community service. Researchers estimate the policy could remove up to 44% of expansion enrollees (34,000 people) from coverage.

Meanwhile, state tax revenue came in $141.5 million below projections in spring 2025. Agency directors were told to prepare for 2%, 4%, or 6% budget holdbacks. Little also signed HB 516, banning taxpayer funding of teachers unions.

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Public lands

More than 60% of Idaho is federal public land. U.S. Rep. Russ Fulcher sent a letter to Idaho officials in December 2025 calling the transfer of federal lands to state control “imminent.”

A 2026 economic analysis found the transfer would cost Idaho $837.7 million per year in land management costs, or 15.6% of the state’s General Fund. It would also eliminate $641 million in wages and more than 7,400 jobs statewide.

Rep. Mike Simpson (R) told the Idaho Press that past analysis showed a mass transfer “wasn’t financially feasible” for the state. A transfer would not create new access. It would create new costs that Idaho cannot pay without selling the land or restricting public use.

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2026 elections

Little won the Republican primary with 59% of the vote. Democrat Terri Pickens won her primary with 61%. In the U.S. Senate race, Jim Risch faces Democrat David Roth.

The Reproductive Freedom and Privacy Act is the most consequential item on the ballot. If it qualifies, Idaho voters will decide whether to restore abortion access. This is the same electorate that approved Medicaid expansion in 2018 when the legislature refused to act.

Race	Candidates	Date
Governor	Brad Little (R) vs. Terri Pickens (D)	Nov. 3, 2026
U.S. Senate	Jim Risch (R) vs. David Roth (D)	Nov. 3, 2026
Ballot measure	Reproductive Freedom and Privacy Act	Nov. 3, 2026

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Protect yourself right now

1. Check your voter registration. Confirm your status at voteidaho.gov before November 3.

2. Track the abortion ballot initiative. If it qualifies, read the full measure before you vote. Ballot language matters. The Idaho Supreme Court already ordered the state to revise it once.

3. Verify your Medicaid status. If you depend on expansion coverage, keep your contact information current with Idaho Health and Welfare. Work requirement tracking starts in 2026 with enforcement in 2027.

4. Know your rights under HB 752. The bathroom law takes effect July 1, 2026. The ACLU of Idaho tracks the law and provides legal resources.

5. Contact your state legislators about public lands. Ask whether they support a transfer that would cost $837.7 million per year. Find your legislator at legislature.idaho.gov.