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Boise voters will head to the polls on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, to weigh in on a few key local issues. While this isn’t a major federal election year, there are still important decisions to be made that directly impact our community.
Boise City Council Races Three City Council seats are up for election:
Clean Water and Open Space Levy Boise voters are also being asked to approve an $11 million levy to fund:
How to Get Informed There are already some excellent resources available to help you make an informed decision:
Key Dates
Final Thoughts Local elections may not get the same attention as national ones, but they often have a bigger impact on your daily life. Whether it’s the future of Boise’s parks or who represents your district on the City Council, your vote matters. Happy Voting! Stay well, Tori Thomas
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The U.S. Chamber was supportive of the tax provisions in the recently passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act. To help our members more easily understand these provisions, they have developed a guide for how small businesses can take advantage of what was included in the bill. The document is listed below or you can click here to download the PDF. You can also visit uschamber.com to see this resource and more!   Below is a press release from the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance - Chairman Mike Crapo.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Invests in Families Washington, D.C.--The One Big Beautiful Bill Act invests in American families by making the Trump tax cuts permanent, enhancing the child tax credit and strengthening childcare assistance. Together, these measures make raising a family more affordable for hardworking taxpayers. “This legislation not only prevents the biggest tax hike in history, but it also provides significant tax relief for hardworking families through measures like increasing and making the doubled child tax credit permanent, and enhancing tax benefits that make child care more affordable,” said Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho). Key wins:
What they are saying: “We applaud the Senate’s action to progress this critical legislation and expand upon President Trump’s tax relief for hardworking Americans. The One, Big, Beautiful Bill will protect families and small businesses from the largest tax hike in history and deliver No Tax on Tips, No Tax on Overtime, and new tax cuts for seniors. The passage of this bill will deliver the permanence and certainty both individual taxpayers and businesses.” – U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent “Passing an extension and permanency for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) out of the Senate is the next step in extending tax cuts for working Americans. The TCJA was an unmitigated success that benefitted American families, workers, and the overall economy.” – Americans for Prosperity Click HERE to learn more about the Finance Committee provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.  Idaho’s Primary Election is Tuesday, May 20 — are you ready to vote? The Chamber is here to help you feel informed and confident as you head to the polls.
Ada County Elections and Vote Idaho are excellent resources to:
To get a personalized look at what’s on your ballot—and why it matters—check out KTVB’s voter guide for helpful insights on the races, candidates, and the importance of local elections. Staying informed and participating in local elections is one of the most impactful ways to support a strong and vibrant Idaho - Go vote!!  Dear Readers,
The Treasury Department has announced it will no longer enforce penalties or fines under the Corporate Transparency Act’s beneficial ownership reporting rule. A forthcoming rule change will limit the requirement to foreign reporting companies only—a win for U.S. small businesses and taxpayers!
To read the Treasury Department's press release click here. We will share more updates as the rule making process continues. As always, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out! Stay well, Tori  Dear Readers,
We just began the 8th week of the legislature! Below are some of the recent legislation we’ve seen as well a federal update. Local Issues: Launch remains one of the Chamber’s biggest priorities. The Idaho Senate recently approved funding for the program and now it will head to the House. We are very grateful for their leadership and the work that continues to be done to move this program forward. We highly recommend reaching out to your legislators to show your support for this program. If you’re not sure who your legislators are, here is the link to find out! House Bill 93 - This is the Idaho Parental Choice Tax Credit bill. It passed both the house and senate and was delivered to the Governor on February 21st. The Governor has 5 days upon receiving legislation to make a decision. House Bill 74 has been reprinted as House Bill 304. This property tax relief bill aims to offer ongoing tax relief as well as ongoing funding for school facilities. Earlier this month, the Idaho Chamber Allliance hosted their annual Chamber Day conference. We hosted it at the Lincoln Auditorium in the Capitol and discussed an array of topics that impact businesses and local chambers. Pictured is the Idaho Chamber Alliance Executive Team with Governor Brad Little and Lt. Governor Scott Bedke. Federal Issues: I recently posted about the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) being on hold however as of February 19th, 2025, BOI reporting requirements under the CTA are back in effect. The updated deadline is now March 21st, 2025, with a possibility of modifications. To learn more about how to report, you can visit the FinCEN website here. Below is a recent email from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, sharing more information and the work they're doing for small businesses regarding BOI reporting: "The Corporate Transparency Act's (CTA) beneficial ownership reporting requirements are back on.
Thank you for reading. As always, if you have any questions or would like to discuss anything further, please don't hesitate to reach out! Stay well, Tori  Dear Readers,
We’re ending the fourth week of the 68th legislative session and have seen numerous pieces of legislation regarding vouchers/school choice, income/property tax, Medicaid expansion repeal and transportation funding. Below are just a few of the bills the Chamber’s policy committee is reviewing:
JFAC continues with the new process they adopted last year, establishing a maintenance budget as the baseline - this only includes costs that are required to maintain current government operations and programs. Once the baseline budget is established and agreed upon, they hear from agencies about their new spending budgets and additional costs, evaluating what aligns with state goals. As of January 17th, JFAC has set the maintenance budget for FY26, totaling $12.6 billion. Over the next couple of months, they will continue to vote on new spending requests, supplemental funding requests and CEC (changes in employee compensation). If you'd like to check out the budget requests, click here. There are also several news articles discussing the past week in JFAC if you're interested:
Federally, we’ve been keeping a close eye on the federal freezes as well as the executive orders that may impact businesses. The U.S. Chamber released a memo regarding President Trump’s executive orders. This brief summary focuses on issues that are most relevant to the business community including finance and banking, trade and foreign affairs, employment policies, border security and immigration, and energy and environmental policy. To read the memo, click here. Last January, I shared about the Corporate Transparency Act, requiring small businesses to file corporate transparency reports with beneficial ownership information (BOI). This act is currently on hold and there are no filing requirements as of this time. I will continue to keep you updated if anything changes. If you’d like to learn more about this, click here. Boise State’s School of Public Policy Recently released their Tenth Annual Statewide Survey. 1,000 Adult Idahoans were surveyed on topics including economy, taxes, elections, education, housing and healthcare. Workforce and affordable housing continue to be Idahoans top legislative budget priority. To learn more and review the survey, click here. We recently released a survey (not to be confused or compared to Boise State's School of Public Policy's survey) asking our members if access to housing and affordable childcare has impacted their ability to recruit and retain talent. Click here to take the survey. Stay tuned for more updates and as always if you have any questions or would like to put something on the Chamber’s radar, please don’t hesitate to reach out! Stay well, Tori Thomas  Dear Readers,
Interested in reading the top-performing articles among the small business community from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce? From business ideas to researching the competition, CO—by U.S. Chamber of Commerce is a resource that provides practical and real-world advice on how to run your business—from managing your employees to keeping the books. Check out these articles from CO–: 4 Ways to Make Your Business More Sustainable
11 Things to Do During Small Business Month to Grow Your Company
15 Free Resources for Small Businesses to Leverage Year-Round
7 Small Business Month Events to Register for Now
How Entrepreneurs Can Find a Business Mentor
Stay well, Tori Thomas Community and Government Affairs Manager, Boise Metro Chamber  Dear Readers,
Imagine the scene: it’s mid-May, April showers brought May flowers, and Idaho’s Primary Election is just one week away. You're all set – registered to vote, knowing your polling place or ready for early voting. There's a buzz in the air, a sense of excitement mixed with empowerment. But then, a crucial question arises: "Who should I vote for?" Don't worry, our members have your back! There are numerous resources when making the decision to vote. Last week we shared voteidaho.gov, which offers great resources regarding how to vote, election data and more. Below we wanted to share the expertise of a few of our members. There is so much information being distributed and through trusted sources like these, we believe you’ll feel ready to head to the polls! Recently, KTVB's voter guide was released, which provides information about each race coming up and what you can expect to see on your ballot. They also have multiple articles regarding the upcoming election. The Idaho EdNews voter guide focuses on the legislative race, with candidates that have a role within education policy. They asked candidates about their most important education priorities and where they stand regarding education issues that divide the legislature. Idaho EdNews wants to ensure Idahoans aren’t just voters, but educated ones. Idaho Statesman's voter guide “will help you decide your favorite candidates based on their own words.” They asked candidates in contested races multiple questions including what their top priorities are and what they feel their district needs most in a legislator. You will need a subscription to view this voter guide. Additionally, below are three ways to make the most out of your voting experience.
Stay well and happy voting! Tori Thomas Community and Government Affairs Manager, Boise Metro Chamber |
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TORI THOMAS
Community and Government Affairs Manager Archives
October 2025
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Boise, Idaho 83702 Phone: (208) 472-5200 Website: boisechamber.org Email: [email protected] |
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