Legislative update » Sandpoint Reader

While the state budget draws the most attention, local issues still need tending

By Rep. Mark Sauter, R-Sandpoint
Reader Contributor

Greetings from Boise. Last Friday, Jan. 30, marked the end of three weeks of legislative activity. Many bills have been introduced; though few have been voted on by the representatives on the House side of the Capitol. 

Deciding how Idaho will conform with federal tax rules and forecasting the state revenue for Fiscal Years 2026 and ’27 have taken most of the legislators’ attention. 

Looking ahead, bills directing local agencies on which flags they may fly to avoid fines, how they must stream public meetings and how the non-discrimination ordinance process may work will soon be considered by the 70 members of the House. 

All the while, our local issues continue to call for attention. 

The University of Idaho Economic Analysis of the impacts of the Lake Pend Oreille lake level decisions will be available soon. This report took a little longer than we had hoped, but the early results shared at the Lakes Commission meeting in October supported what many had thought. The uncertainty of when the lake fills each spring and the early draining of LPO in the fall seriously hurt our economy. 

Last week I submitted a research request to the Idaho Water Resources Research Institute . This spring they will be evaluating the effects of the water level of LPO on water hydraulics, river flows, power generation and how it impacts aquifer recharge. The IWRRI work should provide the research needed for Idaho to make the best decisions regarding water levels and use of state water rights. Congress recently adopted language directing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to work with Idaho to reevaluate the operating curve for LPO. 

Our local behavioral health system has suffered serious funding cuts. The Idaho Sheriffs’ Association has pointed out the problems associated with these cutbacks and forecasted the costs other service providers in our area will likely be saddled with. 

The sheriffs believe the $22 million cut in December will grow to a $100 million dollar increase for rural hospitals and law enforcement. I’m working with several legislators to address the budget shortfall and to shore up the programs. Holding people in hospitals and jail cells is considerably more expensive than the services to provide daily preventative care. 

Many of the 27 critical access hospitals in Idaho are struggling. Costs are steadily increasing and profit margins are thin. Many hospitals are nervous about making payroll. Hospitals are finding that it takes considerably longer to get paid for the care they provide. 

Last week, a rural health care committee was organized to work with the federal government to address some of the problems our country faces with health care delivery once away from urban areas. The funding comes from the Big, Beautiful Bill. It’s my hope the funds will be used to make long-term improvements for our hospitals and to support a sustainable rural system. I plan to track this committee closely. 

I introduced our first property insurance bill last week. This bill will extend the period a policyholder will have to find a new insurance carrier or to work out an agreement with their carrier to maintain coverage. We have another insurance bill ready for introduction to address the communications and information shared by insurance companies with policyholders. 

Another piece of property insurance is funding for the Idaho Department of Lands. Our local fire and EMS districts provide us 24/7 emergency response for structure fires, accidents and medical calls. However, we also need IDL for the larger forest and wildland fires like the Sunset fire last summer. 

IDL provides fire staffing, equipment and the aerial firefighting resources for such “campaign” fires. These resources are important to direct fire away from structures. When structures are involved, it’s the local fire districts that extinguish those fires. A bill to expand the fee schedule for IDL was introduced last week and made it out of the House. For homeowners living outside the boundaries of a fire district, IDL helps to keep them insured.

It’s an honor to serve this community and to represent you in Boise. If you have thoughts or opinions, please send them to [email protected].

Rep. Mark Sauter is a second-term Republican legislator representing District 1A. He serves on the Agricultural Affairs; Education; and Resources and Conservation committees.