Vapes are largely unregulated in Idaho, and Rep. Jerald Raymond is intent on keeping them out of the hands of minors. He's been working for several years to craft an updated taxing scheme and write regulations for vaping products, and he sat down Tuesday with associate producer Logan Finney to review four bills in the hopper.

On Presidents' Day, across the state Idahoans protested federal budget cuts by President Donald Trump’s administration. Hundreds showed up at the statehouse in Boise, while others protested in Salmon, Stanley, Twin Falls, Idaho Falls, and McCall. Those protests coincided with news that late last week, thousands of federal workers across the country received word that they had lost their jobs. On Thursday, Melissa Davlin spoke to Clare Vergobbi, one of several employees let go from the Sawtooth National Recreation Area last week, about the layoffs and how they might impact services for visitors.

Idaho has no medical school and currently relies on the multi-state WWAMI agreement to educate and place Idaho medical students. This week, Dr. Mary Barinaga and Dr. Joseph Holmstead discuss a legislative proposal that might undo that medical education agreement and why doctors are concerned. Then, Kevin Richert of Idaho Education News brings us up to speed on the latest education bills.

Senate Bills 1042 and 1043 would reorganize Idaho's landlord-tenant code and require that landlords only charge application fees for a vacant unit to two prospective tenants at a time, as well as that those application fees must be related to the actual costs of a criminal background check and processing the application. Bill sponsor Sen. Ali Rabe spoke with associate producer Logan Finney after the Senate passed the bills off the floor Wednesday.

2024 was a rough fire year in Idaho. This week, Melissa Davlin sat down with Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke to ask about Gov. Brad Little’s recommendations to improve the state’s firefighting capabilities moving forward. Last year also saw the culmination of a long-simmering water fight in eastern Idaho. A looming water shortage prompted senior water right holders to threaten to withhold the ability of junior rights holders to use their water, at least until the senior rights holders used their share. Had it gone through, it would have overwhelmingly affected agriculture, and could have meant fields going dry. Ultimately, stakeholders worked out an updated agreement that involved, among other things, prioritizing recharge efforts in the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer.

This week, Lieutenant Governor Scott Bedke discusses managing fire and water issues alongside the federal government. Then, Rep. Jordan Redman and Rep. Megan Egbert share their views on Medicaid Expansion and its future in Idaho. Two things can be true at once: Medicaid Expansion was a lot more expensive than anticipated, and a lot of Idahoans depend on the program for their healthcare. So what’s next?

Each new legislature brings at least a couple of new faces to the capitol building. First-term state Sen. Camille Blaylock of Caldwell sat down with associate producer Logan Finney to reflect on her first six weeks representing Legislative District 11 in the Senate.

On Monday, the House passed a bill to reduce state income taxes to the tune of about $253 million, with Republican leaders hailing it as the largest income tax cut in state history. House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel sat down with associate producer Logan Finney to share her thoughts.

Christine Pisani of the Idaho Council on Developmental Disabilities spoke with producer Ruth Brown about possible federal and state level changes to the Medicaid program that have members of the disabilities community concerned about their coverage.

Lawmakers have made a concerted effort to return budget surpluses and provide tax relief to Idahoans. But how much can the Legislature cut before affecting vital services? This week, Christine Pisani of the Idaho Council on Developmental Disabilities discusses concerns about the trajectory of Medicaid. House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel and Majority Leader Jason Monks examine spending priorities.