Review ·
Idaho’s Revenue Beat Is Real. The Editorial’s Story About It Definitely Slanted Opinion.
by Brian Rogers
A review of the Coeur d'Alene Press Sunday editorial of October 11, 2026, "Idaho's strong economic numbers a welcome sight." Every figure it quotes matches the state's September revenue report. What it leaves out changes the story. The August forecast was set $291.1 million above the Legislature's estimate before the quarter was measured against it, one tax line carries the whole beat, hiring grew 0.9% while withholding grew 20%, and most of the projected $696 million surplus is last year's cash or the forecast itself. The fair reading is narrower: Idaho is growing moderately, the state cut taxes and then cut spending to stay balanced, and whether one strong quarter of withholding lasts is not known until the April 2027 filing season.