Idaho is drawing a hard line: No more taxpayer subsidies for teacher unions.
Despite fierce protests from the teacher unions and their allies, House Bill 98 (HB 98) passed the Idaho State House with a 40-29 vote, delivering a major blow to the union machine. In a state where 67% of voters backed Donald Trump, Idaho taxpayers will no longer be forced to fund the progressive political activism of the National Education Association (NEA) and its local affiliate, the Idaho Education Association (IEA).
HB 98: Ending Union Dependence on Taxpayer Resources
The bill does one simple, yet monumental, thing: it removes the state’s role in collecting union dues from teacher paychecks and sending them to the union. This means teacher unions will now have to collect their own dues—just like any other private organization—without Idaho taxpayers footing the bill.
For years, public resources have been used to sustain the same unions that fight against school choice, push radical DEI policies in schools, and openly support leftist political causes. Now, Idaho is making it clear: if unions want to fund left-wing activism, they’ll have to do it without taxpayer help.
The NEA’s Republican Protectors
It’s no secret that the NEA overwhelmingly funds and supports the Democratic Party and its radical agenda. Yet, in a Republican supermajority state like Idaho, there are still lawmakers willing to carry water for the unions.
The Idaho Education Association, the NEA’s local arm, endorsed eleven Republican candidates in 2024—and every single one of them voted against HB 98. These Republican lawmakers stood shoulder to shoulder with progressives, defending the union’s agenda of:
- Critical Race Theory in classrooms
- LGBTQ+ and gender ideology for schoolchildren
- Restrictions on the 2nd Amendment
- Opposition to school choice
Here are the 20 Republican lawmakers who voted against HB 98 and sided with the NEA instead of Idaho’s conservative majority:
🔹 Rep. Rick Cheatum
🔹 Rep. Lance Clow
🔹 Rep. Jeff Cornices
🔹 Rep. Shawn Dygert
🔹 Rep. Marco Erickson
🔹 Rep. Ben Fuhriman
🔹 Rep. Rod Furniss
🔹 Rep. Dan Garner
🔹 Rep. Clay Handy
🔹 Rep. Dustin Manwaring
🔹 Rep. Lori McCann
🔹 Rep. Stephanie Mickelson
🔹 Rep. Jack Nelson
🔹 Rep. James Petzke
🔹 Rep. Mike Pohanka
🔹 Rep. Britt Haybould
🔹 Rep. Jerald Raymond
🔹 Rep. Mike Sauter
🔹 Rep. Jon Weber
🔹 Rep. Josh Wheeler
“Every one of these Republicans chose to protect the NEA’s political machine over their own voters. They stood with the same leftist special interests fighting school choice in Idaho, and voters will remember. They chose poorly.”
– Matt Coleman, Executive Director, Institute for Education Reform
The National Tide is Turning Against Teacher Unions
HB 98 now moves to the Idaho State Senate, where union lobbyists will undoubtedly try to stall its momentum. But the tide is turning against public-sector unions nationwide:
- The Trump administration has aggressively dismantled leftist bureaucratic strongholds at the federal level.
- Utah Republicans just voted to strip teacher unions of their collective bargaining privileges entirely.
- More and more conservative states are realizing that teacher unions are nothing more than political operations disguised as professional organizations.
Idaho’s lawmakers now have a choice: Follow the example of true conservative leadership—or stand in the way and pay the price when voters hold them accountable.
HB 98 is not the end of the fight. It’s just the beginning.
