diff --git a/.github/workflows/checks.yml b/.github/workflows/checks.yml
index 85dd1251b..fe3569a56 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/checks.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/checks.yml
@@ -65,7 +65,6 @@ jobs:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         python-version:
-          - '3.8'
           - '3.9'
           - '3.10'
           - '3.11'
@@ -167,7 +166,6 @@ jobs:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         python-version:
-          - '3.8'
           - '3.9'
           - '3.10'
           - '3.11'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/nightlies.yml b/.github/workflows/nightlies.yml
index a2bf71fd8..50a096047 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/nightlies.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/nightlies.yml
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@ jobs:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         python-version:
-          - '3.8'
           - '3.9'
+          - '3.12'
         os:
           - linux
           - win64
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ jobs:
             pip-install-target: https://github.com/CCSI-Toolset/FOQUS/archive/master.zip
           - foqus-install-target: stable
             os: win64
-            python-version: '3.8'
+            python-version: '3.9'
 
     steps: 
       - name: Set up Conda
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 68b25a900..8abe3c097 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -53,4 +53,6 @@ gams
 logging.conf
 logs
 turbine.cfg
-user_plugins
\ No newline at end of file
+user_plugins
+turbine_aws.cfg
+user_ml_ai_models/__init__.py
diff --git a/docs/source/chapt_install/install_python.rst b/docs/source/chapt_install/install_python.rst
index 5fec1ab52..4eebde283 100644
--- a/docs/source/chapt_install/install_python.rst
+++ b/docs/source/chapt_install/install_python.rst
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 Install Python
 --------------
 
-Python version 3.8 up through 3.12 is required to run FOQUS.
+Python version 3.9 up through 3.12 is required to run FOQUS.
 
 We recommend using either the `Miniconda <https://docs.conda.io/en/latest/miniconda.html>`_ or
 `Anaconda <https://www.anaconda.com/download/>`_ Python distribution and package management
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ ability to create self-contained python environments without any need for admini
 privileges. These separate environments can have different set of packages, isolating version
 dependencies when working with multiple python projects.
 
-If you have a working version of Python 3.8 through 3.12, which you prefer over Anaconda, you can
+If you have a working version of Python 3.9 through 3.12, which you prefer over Anaconda, you can
 skip these steps.
 
 Anaconda or Miniconda Install and Setup
diff --git a/requirements-dev.txt b/requirements-dev.txt
index 0cfd5d444..6247b1e67 100644
--- a/requirements-dev.txt
+++ b/requirements-dev.txt
@@ -6,12 +6,8 @@
 # - also pinning the version for Astroid (used by pylint to analyze the AST)
 #   since there can be significant differences between (non-major) versions,
 #   both in terms of behavior and performance
-# - we need to use Pylint 2 with Python 3.8 b/c of a critical error (stack overflow)
-#   occurring with Pylint 3
-pylint==2.17.7;python_version=="3.8"
-astroid==2.15.8;python_version=="3.8"
-pylint==3.1.0;python_version>"3.8"
-astroid==3.1.0;python_version>"3.8"
+pylint==3.1.0
+astroid==3.1.0
 
 pytest<8.1
 ### coverage
@@ -24,8 +20,6 @@ addheader==0.3.2
 pytest-qt==4.2.*
 python-slugify
 oyaml
-# singledispatchmethod needed for < 3.8
-singledispatchmethod;python_version<"3.8"
 hypothesis 
 
 sphinx