Your Daily Briefing – January 31, 2025


📰 Idaho News Update

🏛 State Legislation: Immigration & Voter Registration Bills

  • Senate Bill: Sponsored by Sen. Kelly Anthon, this bill bans sanctuary cities and criminalizes undocumented immigrants with serious offenses. It imposes prison sentences and mandates deportation.
  • House Bill: Sponsored by Rep. Jaron Crane, this legislation allows local law enforcement to enforce immigration laws, criminalizes illegal entry, and mandates deportations.
  • Public Hearings: Both bills are advancing to public hearings for further debate.
  • Voter Registration Bill: The Idaho House introduced a bill to block voter registration processing for individuals with unverified citizenship. It requires the Secretary of State to cross-check voter records with government databases. If passed, the law would take effect on July 1.

🚨 Law Enforcement & Crime

  • ICE Raid Rumors: The Blaine County Sheriff’s Office dismissed rumors of ICE raids as “fearmongering,” stating there is no evidence to support the claims. Officials warn that misinformation harms public trust and urge people to verify information before sharing.
  • Arson Charges in Jerome: Two men, Fernando Nava-Simental (19) and Jaime Carranza-Raygoza (20), face third-degree arson charges after allegedly setting a car on fire. Spray paint evidence linked them to the crime. Both posted $5,000 bonds and have a court hearing on February 6.

🏥 Health & Safety

  • Maternal Mortality Declines: Idaho’s maternal death rate has dropped sharply, with pregnancy-related deaths decreasing by 44%. The Idaho Maternal Mortality Review Committee reports that most cases were preventable, though no medical errors were found. Lawmakers reinstated the committee in 2024.

💰 Taxes & Legislation

  • Income Tax Cut Bill: A bill to reduce Idaho’s income tax rate from 5.695% to 5.3% is heading to the House floor as part of a $400 million tax relief plan. Critics question its impact on the state budget.
  • Outdated Laws Cleanup: A bill requiring Idaho agencies to recommend outdated laws for repeal is headed to Gov. Brad Little’s desk. The Idaho Code Cleanup Act passed the Senate 34-0 and is modeled after a federal initiative backed by Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

🏗 Boise Hangar Collapse & Reconstruction

  • New Hangar Underway: One year after a fatal hangar collapse in Boise, construction of a new hangar has begun. OSHA found that Big-D Builders ignored warning signs of instability. The company has previous safety violations, including a 2023 fall protection penalty.

🚔 Heroic State Troopers Honored

  • Life-Saving Award: Idaho State Police honored Detectives Chris Pohanka and Jamie Wood with the Life-Saving Award for preventing a fatal crash on I-84 near Boise. The officers stopped an unconscious driver’s vehicle, ensuring her safety and protecting other motorists.

🏀 High School Sports Roundup

🏆 Boys’ Basketball

  • Dietrich (1A) Victory: Dietrich outscored Raft River 41-19 in the second half for a 77-53 win. Connor Perkins led with 27 points.
  • 2A: No. 2 Valley remains undefeated (15-0), beating No. 4 Carey 38-35. Valley (12-0 in Snake River Conference) will visit Liberty Charter tomorrow at 7:30 p.m.
  • 3A: No. 1 Declo (17-0) defeated No. 2 West Side 57-52, led by Carter Robertson’s 21 points.
  • Oakley (2A) triumphed over Murtaugh 59-40. Oakley (11-3) will host Dietrich on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

🏀 Girls’ Basketball

  • Preston 61, Canyon Ridge 30: Canyon Ridge finishes the season 4-17 and will face No. 1 Rigby on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
  • 5A: No. 3 Mountain Home defeated Twin Falls 49-27. Payton Blodgett led with 16 points.
  • Burley 61, Minico 43: Jocelyn Lloyd scored 16 points for Burley. Minico will face Twin Falls on February 7 in a loser-out game.
  • 4A: Filer beat Gooding 58-29. Both teams, tied at 5-3 in the conference, will meet again on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the SCIC tournament.

⚾ College Baseball & Softball

  • Southern Idaho Baseball: The Golden Eagles fell 10-2 to Scottsdale CC but return to action tomorrow.
  • College of Southern Idaho Softball: The 8th-ranked team lost 7-2 to Phoenix College and 1-0 to Yavapai.

🏀 College Basketball

  • CSI Men: No. 20 CSI lost a thriller to Snow College 93-89.
  • CSI Women: The Lady Golden Eagles fell 69-60 to Snow College. CSI will host USU Eastern tomorrow.
  • Idaho Vandals: Olivia Nelson scored a career-high 30 points, leading Idaho to a 77-52 win over Weber State.
  • Idaho vs. Weber State (Men): Idaho won 82-74. The Vandals face Idaho State tomorrow at 2 p.m.
  • Idaho State vs. Eastern Washington: Idaho State held off EWU 78-70 and will host Idaho in the Battle for King Spud on Saturday at 2 p.m.

🌨 Weather Forecast

  • Today: ❄ Snow likely after 11 a.m., mixing with rain in the afternoon. High near 40°F.
  • Tonight: 🌧 Rain continues, low around 33°F.
  • Saturday: 🌧 Rain, high near 44°F. Wind gusts up to 25 mph.
  • Sunday: 🌨 Rain and snow mix, high near 40°F.

More precipitation expected through early next week, with temperatures in the low 40s. Snow possible by midweek as temperatures cool.


That’s your latest Idaho News Update! ✅ Stay informed and stay safe! 🚀