Sine Die; Idaho Legislature wraps up 2025 session

BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — The Idaho Legislature ended the 2025 legislative session Friday afternoon.

Friday marks the 89th day of the session. Typically, legislative sessions run between 80 and 90 days long, according to reporting by the Idaho Capital Sun. This legislative session held a number of surprises, including several new pieces of legislation that are tied up in court battles.

Governor Little applauded the session, saying, "America wants what Idaho has – safe communities, bustling economic activity, increasing incomes, tax relief, fewer regulations, fiscal responsibility, and common sense values. I thank my partners in the Idaho Legislature for working so hard for the people of Idaho. I am especially proud of the record tax relief, support for law enforcement, ongoing money for water infrastructure, additional support for rural school facilities and literacy, full funding for LAUNCH, and the billions in additional capacity for roads. The list of successes is long, and there is still more we can and should do for Idahoans."

Idaho's legislature passed school choice legislation, providing up to $5,000 for families who chose education outside of the public school system. Opponents are worried that the private schools that stand to benefit from this money don't have the same standards that public schools are held to, and that the money will ultimately be taken from public schools that are already underfunded. Proponents, including Governor Little, who signed the bill into law, and President Trump, who applauded the legislation via X, say that it provides much-needed options for parents who have become frustrated by schools teaching things inconsistent with their beliefs.

The firing squad is now Idaho's primary form of execution. Proponents of the bill argue that difficulties in obtaining the proper pharmaceuticals to carry out a lethal injection could be reason alone for the switch, but Idaho's Department of Corrections has recently botched an execution after failing to establish an IV line in Thomas Creech. Opponents are worried about the psychological effects it could have on the employees tasked with carrying out the executions and say that it is a step backward for Idaho.

Idaho Governor Brad Little signed a $100 million property tax cut into law.

Governor Little also signed SB 1141, known as the Galloway Law, targeting Idaho's three largest cities and establishing strict enforcement rules surrounding Idaho's homeless population.

House Bill 83 was signed into law last week by Governor Little and was promptly halted by a temporary restraining order the same day after the ACLU filed suit. According to Governor Little, HB 83 aims to assist the Trump Administration with illegal immigration. The new law makes unlawful entry into the state a misdemeanor. If an individual is caught committing another crime, such as theft, or is under investigation, it could be considered a felony and could lead to deportation by federal authorities. The ACLU argues that the Supreme Court has long upheld that immigration falls squarely in the federal government's purview.

Idaho Republicans answered questions from the media as the session wrapped up Friday afternoon:

Idaho Democrats followed the Republicans, though clearly frustrated with their counterparts, who immediately went back into session without waiting for them: