On Saturday, Idaho Democratic leaders from across the state gathered in Coeur d’Alene for the Fall State Central Committee Meeting, where members focused on the work ahead in the home stretch of the 2026 election and the issues Idahoans are demanding action on.

The committee voted to support ending Idaho’s sales tax on groceries as families continue to get hit by higher costs. Since Trump returned to office, the average Idaho household has paid thousands more for everyday essentials, while Idaho remains one of only a handful of states that taxes groceries at its full sales-tax rate. The resolution calls for relief at the checkout line without shifting costs onto working families or cutting essential services.

Members also voted to oppose HJR 4, the latest in years of attacks on Idaho’s citizen initiative rights. The measure would give the Legislature sole authority over certain issues, taking that power away from voters. The resolution pushes back on another effort to weaken a right Idahoans have used for more than a century to hold their government accountable.

Democratic nominee for governor Terri Pickens introduced a resolution to defend the 1995 Idaho Settlement Agreement, which the committee passed. The bipartisan deal has protected Idaho for three decades as INL grew into a national leader in nuclear research. The resolution backs INL, its workers and continued innovation while rejecting any deal that could leave Idaho responsible for substantially more of the nation’s nuclear waste, endangering the Snake River aquifer. With legacy waste still here and no permanent federal repository, it calls on Washington to keep its commitments before Idaho takes on more.

In response, Idaho Democratic Party Chair Lauren Necochea released the following statement:

“Idahoans are tired of paying more while Republican politicians keep looking for ways to give themselves more power and put special interests first. This weekend, Idaho Democrats made clear what we are fighting for: lower grocery bills, a government that answers to the people, and an Idaho where decisions about our natural resources are made in the public interest, not behind closed doors. That is the same message our candidates and volunteers are taking directly to voters across the state. While the GOP keeps making life more expensive and concentrating more power in the hands of politicians, Democrats are focused on lowering costs, cleaning up government and delivering for working families.”

As longtime Republican incumbents turn down debates and avoid accountability for their record, Idaho Democrats are taking their case directly to voters. The result is a historic grassroots effort with more than 106,000 doors knocked and 111,000 phone calls made, building momentum behind candidates focused on making life more affordable, cleaning up government and delivering for working families.

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