New Idaho Falls legislator working to increase housing affordability and access to mental health care

IDAHO FALLS — Idaho State Rep. Erin Bingham is very busy these days, just over two months after taking over for former Rep. Wendy Horman.

The Idaho Falls Republican was appointed by Gov. Brad Little as the Idaho state representative for District 32 House Seat B in January.

This came after the Horman, the previous representative, left the Legislature for a job in the Trump administration. Horman joined the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as director of the Office of Child Care in the Administration for Children and Families in January.

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Horman’s legislative term would have ended in November 2026, and Bingham is filling in for the rest of the term. Bingham announced in February that she would be running for re-election.

Ever since the quick transition, Bingham has been working to learn her new role in the state and how to bring her own perspectives and ideas to the Legislature.

Bingham also currently serves as chief financial officer of Bingham Ventures, a family-operated development organization, according to a news release from Gov. Little’s Office.

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“As a new legislator this session, I’ve spent a lot of time listening and learning and just doing my best to represent my constituents in District 32,” Bingham tells EastIdahoNews.com. “I am an accountant by trade. I’ve primarily been involved in business management. I have four children, so I’ve worked a lot in schools, in the classroom, been a PTO president, been involved in all the things that my kids are involved in, and in serving my community.”

For Bingham, being a part of the Legislature gives her further opportunity to positively impact the lives of the people she loves.

“I feel like it’s important that we serve where we stand, and that looks different at different times in our lives. And when my kids were young, that was working in the classroom every week, being the room mom and the PTO president, and being involved in what sports they were playing or the different activities they were involved in,” Bingham says. “As my children have gotten older, I’ve become more involved with the local Republican Party. And so it’s been fascinating to be over in Boise this session, learning a lot, trying to learn the ropes and make sure that I understand what’s going on so I can best represent my constituents.”

‘Keep our children safe’

In February, Bingham presented her first piece of legislation, Idaho Bill H540, which would amend Idaho Code 74-105 to ensure that juveniles at the Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections have the same safety and security record protections as adults at the Idaho Department of Correction.

“There are certain safety procedures that are followed for adults, and we just included children in that,” Bingham says. “I feel like it’s important to keep our children safe, and that was something that we noticed was missing in the law. So it was something we are adding to the existing Idaho code.”

The House passed the bill 69–0–1, and was filed for a third reading in the Senate on March 11.

Housing

Bingham is also sponsoring Idaho Bill H0800, which would revise existing Idaho law concerning the placement of manufactured homes in residential areas by amending two sections of the Idaho Code.

To Bingham, housing affordability and availability are two of the biggest issues in Idaho, and are only getting worse.

“Right now the the average family gets approved for about $310,000 to $320,000 for housing. But yet, in Bonneville County, our average sales price is $438,000, and so there’s a large discrepancy between what people can get approved for and what housing is costing,” Bingham says. “So we need to look at that and find and look at ways that we can help decrease the cost of housing. Whether it’s through not having overregulation or increasing the supply, there are lots of different avenues.”

The bill would update the definition of a “manufactured home” to include multi-dwelling unit manufactured homes constructed to federal standards. It would also amend provisions regarding the siting of manufactured homes in residential zones, clarifying that single-dwelling unit manufactured homes can be placed on lots where single-family homes are allowed, while multi-dwelling unit manufactured homes can only be placed in areas designated for multi-family dwellings.

“People are used to being able to have a stepping stone, like a small, single-family home. But yet, as prices have increased through the years and housing has become more expensive, that has been something that’s not attainable for most people, because of what they can get approved for right now,” Bingham says. “We’re looking to provide housing opportunities and create housing attainment for individuals in Idaho, and we’re looking at what that looks like, and how we can help to improve that.”

The bill was introduced to the House on March 2 and passed in the House 60-6- 4. On March 10, the bill was introduced to the Senate.

Social media

Among many others, Bingham is also sponsoring Idaho Bill H0542, which would add to the Stop Harms From Addictive Social Media Bill. Rep. Stephanie Mickelson, R-Idaho Falls, is also sponsoring this bill.

According to the bill’s statement of purpose, the additions will “empower parental authority, respect First Amendment freedoms, and reduce the causes of addiction of children to social media.”

The filing says the goal of the bill is to require “Covered Social Media platforms,” which it defines as online platforms that collectively generate at least one billion dollars in advertising, to obtain parental consent to maintain accounts for children aged 16 years old and under, and to refrain from presenting addictive interface design features to children.

Mental health

After a whirlwind of uproar over state budget cuts, particularly tens of millions of dollars in cuts to Medicaid, Bingham says she is highly concerned about what the cuts will mean for those who rely on state resources for mental health.

According to the Idaho Capital Sun, the Idaho House passed a party-line vote Thursday on a bill that would cut nearly $22 million from Medicaid disability services.

“We’re hearing a lot from our constituents regarding cuts, primarily for Medicaid, education, transportation, and public safety, and these are things that affect all of our constituents in their everyday lives,” Bingham says. “I think people are really concerned about the cuts in mental health, and they are worried that it is going to shift into our emergency rooms, to our police officers and Department of (Correction), and so it’s not going to be a cost savings. It would be a cost savings on the state side, but it’s really just going to be a tax increase on our local communities.”