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Reporting from the states.
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The latest from Idaho
Reporting from The Center Square
A new study from consumer spending site WalletHub recently ranked the “Best States to Live” across the country, with Idaho grabbing the top spot in the study. The other Mountain States scored relatively well, with Wyoming coming in sixth and Montana 14th, though Washington state ranked in the bottom half at 33rd.
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Reporting from The Center Square
(The Center Square) – A coalition of state financial officers applauded the Securities and Exchange Commission for moving to rescind its 2024 climate disclosure rules that is estimated to save public businesses more than $7.9 billion.
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Reporting from The Center Square
Newly released data shows that two out of the top three states for average hourly wage growth in the nation are in our region. This is good news for consumers when considering regional purchasing power.
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Reporting from The Center Square
The Mountain West has become one of the nation's fastest-growing regions, but the latest labor market data show that neighboring states are taking different paths and seeing different outcomes.
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Reporting from The Center Square
(The Center Square) – The U.S. Department of Energy announced the selection of Tennessee, Louisiana, Utah, Oklahoma and Idaho as potential host states for Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses aimed at modernizing the nation’s nuclear fuel cycle.
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Reporting from The Center Square
(The Center Square) - Idaho recently closed the books on fiscal year 2026, ending in the black while rolling over approximately $250 million in cash balances to its general fund for next year, while its neighbor faces a growing deficit.
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New research reveals that gas prices are significantly higher in Democrat-controlled states than in Republican states. That’s not much of a surprise, however, until the researchers dive into what drivers already knew: West Coast climate policies are a major driver of high fuel costs in California, Oregon, and Washington.
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Reporting from The Center Square
Despite claims from some that prioritizing tax relief would imperil Idaho’s budget, the Gem State has just closed the books on Fiscal Year 2026, ending in the black while rolling over approximately $250 million in cash balances to the General Fund for Fiscal Year 2027. Idaho also currently has nearly $1.3 billion in total reserves (22%) to weather any changes in the economic outlook.
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Reporting from The Center Square
What if the best report card for state government wasn’t a poll or an election? What if it was a moving truck?
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Reporting from The Center Square
At a recent school funding listening session in Coeur d'Alene, a public school district Superintendent made a passionate case for increasing education spending. Idaho's funding model is broken, he argued. Without substantially more money, changing the funding formula would be like rearranging chairs on the Titanic. "Half of not enough is still just not enough," he said.
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