Idaho Democratic Party News and Articles

The end of a year offers a moment to take stock of our progress to date and our vision for the future. As I reflect on the future Democrats want for Idahoans — thriving Main Streets with economic opportunity, quality education, personal freedoms, and an affordable path to raising the next generation — it’s clear that supermajority rule is holding us back. Idaho Democrats are rolling up their sleeves to [...]

Access to healthcare saves lives, prevents financial ruin, and simply makes life better. I am proud that advocating for affordable coverage was a focus of my earlier career. Alongside many tireless advocates, I worked for years to expand Medicaid  —  closing the coverage gap for Idahoans whose wages were too low to qualify for health insurance tax credits and too high for Medicaid. Republican obstructionism in the Idaho Legislature made [...]

Every Idaho child deserves an education that prepares them for career opportunities and helps them succeed. It's a fundamental promise to our children, enshrined in our state constitution. This promise is once again under threat from a dangerous agenda that seeks to divert your tax dollars away from our public schools and into the hands of private and religious schools through voucher schemes. Last legislative session, parents, teachers, and community [...]

Great schools depend on strong communities. Strong communities, in turn, require great schools. In Idaho, many education leaders are working to bolster student success with the “community school” model. The announcement of a new federal grant marks a significant stride toward expanding this proven approach across our state. Community schools recognize that students come with families — families who need to be engaged in their children’s education and who often [...]

Maya Angelou famously said, "When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” Similarly, when politicians vow to take away your freedoms, take them at their word. Among many extreme positions in the Idaho Republican Party platform is the criminalization of any abortion, even to save a patient’s life. We should therefore be unsurprised that Republican lawmakers are doubling down on their extreme, anti-abortion agenda. Recently, Republican [...]

With the holiday season upon us, I’m reminded of the ways in which we care for one another. One of the best ways we do this as Idahoans is through Medicaid. It provides necessary care for our children, pregnant Idahoans, seniors who need nursing home care, and both adults and children with disabilities. Medicaid delivers developmental screenings to our kids, substance use disorder treatment, cancer care, and much more. And [...]

We rely on infrastructure to power and connect our daily lives. This includes the roads we drive on, our water delivery systems, and broadband access that links us to information and commerce. Two years ago, President Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, a once-in-a-generation investment in our nation’s infrastructure. This landmark legislation is rebuilding long-neglected public structures and creating good jobs with family-sustaining wages along the way. In Idaho, $2.5 [...]

As Senator Raphael Warnock says, “A vote is a prayer about the kind of world we want to live in.” Indeed, every election allows citizens to act on their hope for our shared future.  With far-right extremists getting louder, more numerous, and more brazen in Idaho and Congress, many are deeply worried about the future. Today’s Republican Party seeks to divide us based on our differences, put profits over people, [...]

Democracy is at its best when consensus candidates prevail. In this ideal world, officeholders have broad support from their constituents and work to strengthen the institutions under their purview. Library board commissioners seek to make library services better and more accessible. Municipal leaders are dedicated to building vibrant cities and delivering public safety and other services reliably. School board trustees believe in providing quality public schools in every child’s neighborhood [...]