Idaho

Idahoans could receive state voter guides under new bill – Idaho Capital Sun

Published

2 years ago

February 17, 2024

Idahoans could receive state voter guides under new bill – Idaho Capital Sun

Idahoans could receive a state-issued voter guide for primary and general elections under a new bill headed to the Idaho Senate.

Senate Bill 1273, brought by Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane, would require the Idaho secretary of state to prepare and distribute voter guides before primary and general elections. The bill would expand upon and replace a voters pamphlet already mailed to Idahoans.

Many Western states, where many new Idaho residents are often moving from, have state-issued voter guides, McGrane said.

An Idaho guide, he said, would provide crucial information to voters in need. Voters headed to the polls often know their vote for president, McGrane said. But not necessarily for races further down the ballot, he said.

“A common thing I hear from voters is they’ll request an absentee ballot not because they want to vote absentee, but they just want to get the ballot in advance so they can go do their research,” McGrane said.

Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane at the State Capitol building on January 8, 2024. (Otto Kitsinger for Idaho Capital Sun)

The Idaho Senate State Affairs Committee voted unanimously Friday to advance the bill to the full Senate. To become law, the bill would also need to clear the full Idaho House and be reviewed by Gov. Brad Little. A similar bill McGrane sought last year passed the Idaho Senate, but did not advance in the House.

Under the bill, Idaho’s new voter guide would have “uniform information about issues, measures, and candidates to be voted on.” Candidates could also submit a photo, a statement and campaign contact information.

McGrane, answering questions, said the state does not intend to censor or change information. But he said the state would need to create policy for the guide, referencing requirements in other states for proof of endorsements or quotations.

Sen. Treg Bernt- R-Meridian, said the bill would provide consistent election information across the state. Bernt also said honest people shouldn’t worry.

“Those who are against it are those who are biased, and those who provide misinformation to voters. If you’re honest, and if you provide honest information about candidates, then you have absolutely nothing to worry about,” Bernt said.

Seventy-eight percent of Idahoans favor a state-issued voter guide, according to Boise State University’s Idaho Public Policy Survey released last month.

The bill, if approved, wouldn’t create an Idaho voters guide for this year’s primary election, scheduled for May, McGrane said. He said the first guide would be issued starting next fall.

A 2024 general election voter guide wouldn’t cost the state extra, the bill’s fiscal note estimates. The fiscal note says the guide’s distribution to 800,000 Idaho households would be funded through a $350,000 annual budget request. The Idaho Secretary of State’s Office requests funds every other year for its voter pamphlet, which the voter guide would replace and expand upon. The voter guide would only be produced every other year, agency spokesperson Chelsea Carattini told the Idaho Capital Sun.

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State-issued voter guide could have more info than other guides

Idaho has historically relied on third parties such as newspapers and the League of Women Voters for voter guides, McGrane said, but some private guides can struggle to get information from candidates. He also held up a copy of the “infamous” newspaper-like publication called The Idahoan, funded by partisan interest in 2018.

“It was portrayed as a state publication, but the editorials and descriptions of some of the officers in the Legislature were not kind. And so this is an example of where it’s being pitched to voters as neutral, when really it’s clearly not,” McGrane said.

States with different political leanings have statewide voter guides, former Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson wrote in a letter to the committee. Grayson, who was also president of the National Associations of Secretaries of State, said statewide voter guides have “proven especially effective in rural Western regions” with less news coverage or active civic groups.

“Today’s fractured media landscape and polarized politics make it difficult for voters to find reliable information about elections,” Grayson wrote. “By offering the basic facts about the candidates running for office, a voter guide provides a base level of knowledge without partisan spin. For many, it’s one of the few unbiased resources available ahead of election time.”

A state-distributed Idaho voter guide would likely have a higher rate of candidates participating than the 65% participating in the League of Women Voters of Idaho guides, Kendal Shaber, who represented the organization, told the committee.

“And, if we’re lucky, increase voter turnout,” she said.

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Idaho

Idaho’s state park system remains a major draw more than a c…

Published

3 hours ago

May 30, 2026

Press Room

Idaho’s state park system remains a major draw more than a c…

The park, which today spans 4,800 acres was made possible in part through the Recreation & Public Purposes Act, which allowed the agency to sell public lands to state and local governments for recreational purposes.

The state park system expanded precipitously in the decades that followed, and today spans 28 state parks, 60,000 acres of land and 2,500 overnight campsites, far from the “embarrassment” Heyburn had once anticipated. It was less than two decades ago, however, the state was considering pulling back on some of its established public sites that had been frequented for decades.

In 2009, when the state was in the throes of the Great Recession, IDPR was at one point being considered to be parted out to other agencies. At the time, Just joined former IDPR director Yvonne Farrell to form the Friends of Idaho State Parks and garner support for the state’s park system — the agency ultimately survived the economic downturn, but not without a more than 80% cut to it budget, Just said.

Engagement in the parks has continued to be elevated since the COVID-19 pandemic, after people in Idaho and across the country were itching to get outside their homes and into the outdoors. In 2020, a record 7.6 million people visited Idaho state parks and IDPR has reported an average of 7.1 million visitors between 2020-2023.

While serving as a senator on the Idaho Legislature in 2023, Just served as a bill sponsor for an $100 million expansion of IDPR’s budget — the largest in state history, This was followed in 2024 with an allocation of $20 million in funds for deferred maintenance at state parks.

“COVID frankly showed us how much people love the state parks,” Just said. “When they were stuck at home, they got out in the fresh air where they could enjoy themselves and just inundated state parks. Not just here, but everywhere.”

McCandless covers Idaho politics for the Lewiston Tribune, Moscow-Pullman Daily News, Idaho Press of Nampa and Coeur d’Alene Press. He may be contacted at rmccandless@idahopress.com.

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Idaho

Cattle ‘suffered’ after being shot, left to die on Idaho rangeland, police say – East Idaho News

Published

13 hours ago

May 29, 2026

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Cattle ‘suffered’ after being shot, left to die on Idaho rangeland, police say – East Idaho News

GOODING (Idaho Statesman) — Idaho law enforcement agencies are investigating the killing and mutilation of livestock across southern Idaho in recent weeks, according to a news release that Idaho State Police shared Friday.

The agency said the State Brand Inspector, which verifies livestock ownership through brands, and multiple county sheriff’s offices are investigating incidents of cattle shot and killed in Jerome and Gooding counties. Officials said three cattle deaths have been confirmed as illegal killings, while five others are under investigation.

The news release said the killings happened in “remote grazing areas” and included multiple incidents near Wendell, and cases in Jefferson and Payette counties.

Idaho State Brand Inspector Cody Burlile told the Idaho Statesman in an email that investigators don’t believe the killing of a calf that was found “dead and partially mutilated” near New Plymouth in late April or the killing of a calf in Jefferson County are related to the other cases.

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Killing livestock that are valued at $1,000 or more is a felony under Idaho law.

“This is a serious crime that directly impacts Idaho ranching families and their livelihoods,” Burlile said in the Idaho State Police news release. “These producers invest significant amounts of time, money and effort into caring for their livestock. The losses associated with these incidents are in the thousands of dollars.”

Burlile told the Statesman that five ranchers have reported suspicious cattle deaths, and the three confirmed illegal deaths were each linked to a different ranch.

“The other deaths were suspicious and in near proximity to the confirmed deaths in Gooding County, but we have not been able to positively determine foul play was involved,” Burlile said in an email.

Officials said some of the cattle were partially butchered, while others were left untouched where they died. They said it appeared some of the animals suffered before they died. Some of the cattle were cows with calves.

“When people hear about livestock being shot, they often think only about financial loss,” Burlile said in the news release. “What they don’t see is the suffering these animals endure, the impact on calves that depend on their mothers, and the effect on the livelihood of those who care for them. These aren’t just property crimes we are investigating.”

Anyone with information related to the killings is urged to contact local law enforcement or the State Brand Inspector at 208-884-7070 or ContactBrands@isp.idaho.gov.

The Idaho Cattle Association is offering a reward for tips that lead to the successful identification and prosecution of the person or people responsible, officials said.