Capitol Reflections Week 9 - 2026

Dexton Lake recaps week 9 of the Idaho legislative session with a bill dealing with changes to property tax laws, Fish & Game rules regarding the use advanced hunting technology, and a joint memorial urging congress follow Clean Water Act limits established by an Idaho case that went all the way to the Supreme Court.

Transcript

Welcome to Capitol Reflections from the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation where we bring you the latest policy updates affecting Idaho Agriculture.

I’m Dexton Lake and it’s a good sign we are done with week nine here at the Capitol. 

For the past several years, cities have argued that property tax budget limits are too restrictive. Those limits generally cap annual property tax budget growth for cities and counties at eight percent.

Cities, particularly smaller communities experiencing rapid growth, say those caps make it difficult to keep up with increasing service demands as populations grow.

The Legislature originally adopted these limits in response to growing concern from Idaho citizens about rapidly increasing property tax bills. Ultimately, property taxes rise when local government spending rises.

However, rather than reducing spending, many local governments began encouraging homeowners to ask legislators to increase the homeowner’s exemption.

When the exemption increases, homeowners may see some relief, but the total amount of property taxes collected by local governments stays the same. The difference is that more of the burden shifts onto businesses and agricultural land.

House Bill 842 attempts to address the root issue by giving taxpayers a direct tool to reduce property taxes. The bill clarifies that the existing initiative process citizens use to change local ordinances can also be used to propose reductions in city or county property tax budgets.

Under the proposal, reducing city property taxes would require approval from 60 percent of voters, while reducing county property taxes would require a two-thirds vote. Those thresholds mirror the requirements already in place when local governments ask voters to approve tax increases above statutory limits.

The bill also includes provisions requested by cities. For example, cities with populations under 30,000 would be allowed to expand property tax budgets to account for new growth beyond current caps. It would also allow local governments to increase property tax budgets using foregone balances by up to two percent annually, rather than the current one percent limit. As a safeguard, the bill would prevent the accumulation of additional foregone balances in the future.

Supporters say the legislation strikes a reasonable balance — providing flexibility for fast-growing cities while also giving taxpayers a meaningful tool to reduce property taxes when they believe spending has grown too high. The Idaho Farm Bureau supports House Bill 842.

A pending rule from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game regarding advanced hunting technology appears to be temporarily stalled as legislative committees decide how to proceed.

Both the Senate Resources and Environment Committee and the House Resources and Conservation Committee recently heard the rule but chose not to vote on it. Instead, the rule was held “subject to the call of the chair,” meaning it could return for a vote later — or potentially not move forward at all.

The proposed rule would prohibit the use of certain technologies when hunting big game. That includes smart optics attached to weapons, thermal imaging, night vision, drones used for scouting, and transmitting trail cameras used on public land during a defined window from August 30 through December 31.

Importantly, these restrictions apply only to big game hunting. However, wolves are classified as big game under Idaho law.

Originally, the rule applied only to “big game ungulates.” Shortly before the rule was finalized by the Fish and Game Commission, the language was changed to include all big game species — including wolves.

That change raised concerns for the Idaho Farm Bureau because several of the technologies restricted by the rule are useful tools for controlling wolf populations. Although the restrictions would apply to wolves for a shorter window — from August 30 through November 14 — effective wolf management often depends on flexibility and the ability to use modern technology.

There are also legal questions surrounding the proposal. Administrative rules cannot conflict with state law, yet Idaho statute states that all methods of take are authorized for the management of wolves.

For now, neither legislative committee has acted on the rule. If neither committee ultimately votes on it, the rule will not take effect.

The Idaho Farm Bureau Federation will continue monitoring the situation and encouraging lawmakers to oppose any rule that could limit effective wolf management in the state.

Lawmakers also recently adopted House Joint Memorial 13 addressing federal water regulation under the Clean Water Act.

The memorial urges federal agencies to follow the limits established by the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Sackett v. EPA. 

That case began nearly two decades ago near Priest Lake when Michael and Chantell Sackett purchased property to build a home. In 2007, the United States Environmental Protection Agency halted construction, claiming the property contained federally regulated wetlands.

After a sixteen-year legal battle, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Sacketts in 2023. The Court clarified that the Clean Water Act applies only to wetlands that have a continuous surface connection to relatively permanent bodies of water such as rivers, lakes, and streams.

However, some landowners say federal regulators continue to rely on outdated interpretations when determining federal jurisdiction.

HJM13 urges agencies like the EPA and the United States Army Corps of Engineers to fully implement the Court’s ruling and stop asserting authority over features such as ephemeral streams, drainage ditches, canals, and stockwater ponds that do not meet the Court’s definition of federally regulated waters.

The memorial also encourages Congress to codify the Sackett standard into federal law to prevent future regulatory overreach. The Idaho Farm Bureau supports HJM13.

And finally, be sure you subscribe to Capitol Reflections on whatever streaming platform where you listen to podcasts. 

This has been Capitol Reflections with the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation, the Voice of Idaho Agriculture.