Idaho lawmakers ended the 2026 legislative session after 82 days, closing out a year that saw a record 1,018 pieces of legislation prepared over the past three months. The final tally, updated in a progress report on March 27, topped the 954 bills and resolutions prepared in 2025 and set the pace for one of the busiest sessions in six years.
The weight of the session landed most clearly in the budget. Idaho hit a strong downturn in revenue soon after last year’s session ended with a $450 million tax cut package, and Gov. Brad Little responded last summer by slashing spending by 3% to keep the budget relatively in line. This year, top Republicans on the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee pushed through an extra 1% cut for the current fiscal year and reductions totaling 5% for next fiscal year, even as Medicaid, K-12 education, state police and prisons were spared the additional cuts. Other agencies, including Idaho’s public colleges and universities, took proportionately larger hits.
Lawmakers also conformed much of state law to the federal tax changes included in the One Big Beautiful Bill, a move that punched out $155 million in revenue this fiscal year and another $175 million ongoing. The FY27 budget now totals $5.6 billion, a figure that shows how sharply the state has had to adjust after the revenue slide that followed last year’s tax cut package. In the gem state, the spending plan is no longer just about priorities; it is about how much room is left after the state has already spent through a downturn.
Budget pressure was not the only thing that moved. Lawmakers also set a ceiling on how strict local governments can be on short-term rentals. Under the House version of the bill, cities and counties could require smoke alarms in all sleeping areas, fire extinguishers and carbon monoxide detectors on each floor, and a handout for guests, but they will not be allowed to restrict the total number of rental properties, require city registration or demand additional parking. The same session also passed a bathroom bill under which, beginning July 1, transgender people will no longer be able to use public bathrooms that align with their gender identity, with only a few exceptions outlined.
Little still had final bills on his desk after lawmakers adjourned, but the broader picture is already clear: Idaho entered the session with less money, left it with more limits on local control, and chose to protect the biggest state programs while asking smaller ones to absorb more of the pain. The question now is not whether the cuts were real. It is which parts of state government can keep working normally after them.
