Idaho’s Children Deserve Better from Our Legislature
A Call to Action

The future of Idaho depends on the well-being of our children. It’s time our lawmakers started acting like it.

Call to Action for Idahoans

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1. Hold Your Legislators Accountable – Ask your representatives and senators to explain their votes this session. Do they align with your values? Are they responsive? If not, make your voice heard. Find your legislator: [Who’s My Legislator? – Idaho State Legislature]

2. Engage with Your Community – Talk to your neighbors and fellow Idahoans. Attend rallies, town halls, or school board meetings. Grassroots change starts with you.

3. Stay Informed & Vote – Pay attention to who is running for office—from local school boards to statewide positions. These leaders shape daily life. Get involved, ask questions, and show up at the ballot box.

4. Pay Close Attention to the 2026 May Primary! – Many incumbents who supported children by taking courageous votes were primaried in 2024 and lost their seats to extremists funded by out-of-state money. Check out our Kids Matter Index (link) for your legislator, and vote for the candidates who vote for kids!

Idaho's Legislative Session: A Failure for Children

As the 2025 Idaho Legislative session dragged on past its intended adjournment date, one glaring truth emerged: our children were not the priority. While lawmakers bickered, introduced last-minute personal bills, and catered to special interests, Idaho’s children were left behind.

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• Education & Special Needs: School facilities remain underfunded, and students with special needs continue to be underserved.

• Child Welfare & Family Support: Child welfare services remain overburdened and under-resourced.

• Food & Medical Assistance: Lawmakers blocked food assistance, school lunches, and Medicaid for children and pregnant mothers simply because their parents are undocumented.

• Misplaced Priorities: Instead of addressing real issues, legislators debated flags, defunded programs they disapproved of, and pushed religious readings in public schools. Every day wasted on political theater is a day a child goes without critical support.

The Consequences of Legislative Neglect

Rather than addressing Idaho’s severe daycare shortages, legislators weakened childcare standards, compromising safety and increasing risks for children. With the passage of Medicaid reforms, more parents will lose coverage, leaving children without access to regular checkups and immunizations. If government exists to serve the people, shouldn’t ensuring children receive healthcare and safe childcare be a top priority?

Measuring Legislative Commitment to Kids

Idaho Children Are Primary is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that evaluates legislation based on a simple question: Is this good for Idaho kids?

For the fifth year, we have published our Kids Matter Index (KMI) to score lawmakers on their support for children. In 2025, we evaluated 24 bills covering tax credits for private schools, school funding, Medicaid, public benefits, and daycare licensing.

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• Only 25% of legislators scored 80% or above (a strong pro-child record), down from 30% in 2024 and 40% in 2023.

• 65% of legislators scored below 69%, compared to 57% in 2024 and 47% in 2023.

• The trend is clear: Idaho’s lawmakers are making children less of a priority every year.

See all KMI scores here: 2025 Legislator Index | Idaho Children Are Primary

The Power is in Our Hands

Idaho’s Constitution states: “All political power is inherent in the people.” When representatives prioritize special interests over children, they betray that principle.

We must demand better. Invest in children by funding education, strengthening childcare and child welfare services, and expanding healthcare access. Idaho’s future depends on the choices we make today. Let’s ensure our lawmakers choose our children by choosing our lawmakers wisely.

Here are the legislators who consistently voted for children:

 

• Scores of (90-100%)

  • Senators: Guthrie, Rabe, Ruchti, Semmelroth, Taylor, Ward-Engelking, Wintrow

  • Representatives: Achilles, Berch, Church, Egbert, Galaviz, Gannon, Green, Mathias, Rubel, Sauter, Wheeler

• Scores of (80-89%)

  • Senator Woodward

  • Representatives: Cheatum, Fuhriman, McCann, Garner, Mickelsen, Nelsen, Raymond