Pushback of the Week, April 19, 2026

Idaho Freedom Caucus Leads the Charge against Digital ID

On April 1, Idaho Governor Brad Little signed Senate Bill 1299 into law. The bill—introduced by Sen. Tammy Nichols and pushed forward by her allies in the Idaho Freedom Caucus—prohibits government entities from requiring “any person to obtain, maintain, present, or use digital identification.”

As a summary at Reclaim the Net explains, the bill does several other things:

• It prohibits public entities “from denying, delaying, conditioning, or reducing ‘any service, benefit, license, employment, education, or access based on a person’s refusal or inability to use digital identification.’”
• It says that government entities also cannot require anyone “to surrender, unlock, or relinquish control of a personal electronic device for identity verification.”
• Finally, it bars government agencies from using digital ID for surveillance purposes, including prohibiting use of digital ID “as a universal or shared credential across agencies.”

On that latter point, Reclaim the Net digs into why digital IDs pose such a threat to privacy and freedom:

“That last restriction is particularly significant. It blocks the creation of a de facto digital identity system where a single credential follows you from the tax office to the library to the health department, linking every interaction into a unified government profile.”

Sen. Nichols and Rep. Heather Scott (who appeared in a 2024 “Vision of Freedom” backcasting at Solari) together are the powerhouse co-chairs of the Idaho Freedom Caucus. Of the nearly 40 bills and legislative measures that Nichols ran during the 2026 legislative session, an impressive 29 passed into law.

Nichols describes the 2026 session as “one of the most difficult and important in recent memory,” characterized by challenges such as “growing pressure from outside interests, and major debates about the future direction of [Idaho].” But as Scott posted on X, “Idaho Freedom Caucus gets it DONE!”

Idaho has set a precedent, putting what Catherine refers to as “guardrails” in place for digital IDs. What we need now is for other states to follow Idaho’s courageous lead.