Idaho
Idaho legislators approve ballot info for noncitizen voting constitutional amendment • Idaho Capital Sun
A proposed amendment to the Idaho Constitution that would prohibit non-U.S. citizens from voting in Idaho elections will go before voters on the November general election ballot.
That comes after the Idaho Legislature in March widely approved House Joint Resolution 5, with only 12 votes against it and 91 votes in support across the Idaho House and Senate.
“No person who is not a citizen of the United States shall be a qualified elector in any election held within the state of Idaho,” the resolution says.
The Idaho Constitution already lists U.S. citizenship as a qualification to be a qualified elector.
On Monday, Idaho’s Legislative Council — a committee of legislative leaders — approved ballot language for the constitutional amendment. The council will submit the language to the Secretary of State’s Office, a spokeswoman for the office said, and the office will publish the language in several newspapers and its voter pamphlet that is sent to all Idaho voters before the November election.
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The vote by the council largely accepted ballot language drafted by the Legislature’s research arm, the Legislative Services Office. That includes statements in support of and against the amendment.
Idaho House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel — who unsuccessfully attempted several times to tweak the ballot language — decried the process used to approve the ballot language.
“It is really abusing the majority power here to totally silence those who oppose this from having a say in articulating the opposition statement,” Rubel, D-Boise, said at the meeting.
Idaho Senate President Pro-Tempore Chuck Winder, R-Boise, said legislative staff wrote the original ballot language, not the committee.
“We tried to wordsmith. And our own preferences were starting to put into it,” said House Majority Leader Jason Monks, R-Meridian. “I think we came up with a worse product than what they were able to put in a more objective process. And I think that’s why we ended up sticking with the original one.”
Monks’ motion — approved by the Legislative Council — was to accept the original version, and add language to the first statement in support to state that noncitizens can’t vote in government elections in Idaho.
Rubel said earlier in the meeting that she was concerned the amendment could be misconstrued to impact non-government, private elections, such as for parent teacher associations or nonprofit boards.
Only five public comments were submitted on the amendment, with three in favor and two against, according to Idaho Reports.
What information about the proposed constitutional amendment will be on November ballot?
The statements in support say the amendment is needed:
- “to clarify that United States citizenship is a requirement for eligibility to vote in Idaho elections because the current language does not expressly prohibit noncitizens from voting.” The statement in support says the amendment will ensure people who aren’t U.S. citizens “do not vote in any government election in the State of Idaho.”
- “to clarify that the right to vote shall not be granted in the future to individuals who are not citizens of the United States.” In some local elections in the U.S., the second statement said noncitizens have been granted voting rights, and that other states and cities have considered legislation to expand voting to noncitizens.
- Letting noncitizens vote in Idaho elections could, according to the third statement, “lead to concerns regarding election integrity and allow for foreign influence in Idaho elections.”
The statements against the amendment say:
- The amendment isn’t needed because U.S. citizenship is already required to participate in Idaho elections. Federal law also says it’s a crime for noncitizens to vote in federal elections, the statement said. “Under current law, the Idaho Secretary of State requires citizenship and proof of residency with respect to individuals who register to vote, and it is a felony for an individual to provide false information on an Idaho voter registration form.”
- In Idaho, there isn’t a significant election fraud issue involving attempts to vote or voting by noncitizens, the second statement said. But adding new language to the Idaho Constitution “in an effort to solve a problem that is not occurring could inadvertently create new problems or add an additional barrier to registering to vote by new citizens and state residents,” the statement said,
- The amendment “undermines local control of local elections,” the statement said. “The amendment would foreclose any opportunity in the future for the Idaho Legislature or local governments in Idaho to authorize noncitizens to vote in certain elections that might directly affect their interests.”
2024 HJR 5 arguments for and against – final – 6.17.24 (2)
We’re lucky to live in a place as safe as the Treasure Valley. Despite our growth, one of the things that makes our area so special is the way that we look out for one another–for our neighbors! That’s a principle that seems to have held on as Boise has boomed.
Despite low crime rates, there seems to always be one incident or so that makes us scratch our heads.
A recent string of fraud incidents in the Treasure Valley area is one of those.
Nampa Police initially warned the public of this because cases of fraud began to ‘mushroom’. Then, it took an interesting turn–people that HAD their credit cards were being ‘taken to the bank’, so to speak.
In a statement originally released on April 30th by the Nampa Police Department, officials advised the following:
We are not sure how the suspects are gaining access to the victim’s credit cards. There is a growing fraud scheme, “ghost tapping”, that scammers are using to access victims’ credit cards. This is possibly occurring in these instances. “Ghost tapping” uses stolen credit card details in Apple Pay or Google Pay, then remotely relays the tap signal over the internet to a ‘mule’ at a store, allowing them to make high-value purchases that appear completely legitimate. (We’ll share more information on ghost tapping in a later public service announcement that will also suggest ways to protect yourself.) The app used by these criminals obscures the actual credit card number, making it harder for investigators to link a victim to a particular crime. Keep in mind that victims still have their physical credit cards while suspects use the stolen card information to make purchases, which also affects how victims are alerted. So far, local investigators have not been able to identify a common theme among the victims (e.g., a specific bank, a website they visited, a gas pump they used, etc.) in the fraud cases we are investigating.
The investigation spans far and wide.
Authorities say that some suspects are in custody, others are being contacted, and others are still at large.
Now, a week later, the police are back to reaching out to the public–this time, urging people to check their bank accounts.
Nampa Police say that they have caught onto a pattern– there are fraudulent charges at Albertson’s to purchase gift cards, at Costco to purchase Apple products, and at Best Buy, also for Apple products.
Check those bank statements!
Inside The Arrest of 3 Venezuelan Fraudsters
What on earth was happening in Eagle this week?
Gallery Credit: Credit: Mateo, 103.5 KISS FM
It’s Not Hard To See Why This Idaho Police Photoshoot Is Going Viral
The Jerome Police Department is going viral thanks to Twin Falls photographer, Layton Henderson. Once you see the hilarious photos, you’ll see why!
Gallery Credit: Chris Cardenas
A powerful search engine that organizes and provides access to vast information on the internet.
The USDA has issued a public health alert for various meat and poultry products containing FDA-regulated dairy that may have been contaminated with salmonella. The recall was originally issued on April 30th, but the contaminated product list could continue to grow as more products are identified.
The Food Safety and Inspection arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued the public health alert and there have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of the products listed below, consumers are still advised to dispose of the items or return them to the place of purchase. Great Value and Pork King Good products sold at Idaho Walmart stores are included in the alert and recall.
Public Health Alert and Food Recall Issued For Pizza and Pork Rinds Sold in Idaho
As of right now, the food list includes pork rinds, breakfast pizzas, and chicken bacon ranch pizzas. The list could grow and the USDA advises consumers to check the list frequently. We will also update the list here when possible. The contaminated products carry a variety of ‘Best By’ and ‘Produced On’ dates, so check the lists carefully to make sure you don’t consume a contaminated product.
The nationwide brands to look for are Mama Cozzi’s from Aldi stores, Pork King Good, and Great Value at Walmart Stores.
Photo Credit USDA – 1
Photo Credit USDA – 1
You can also look through these label photos to see if you have the product in your freezer.
Photo Credit USDA Recalls
Photo Credit USDA Recalls
Photo Credit USDA Recalls
Photo Credit USDA Recalls
Photo Credit USDA Recalls
If you feel sick and have consumed a contaminated product, the USDA advise you to contact your health care provider.
Guy Fieri’s Top Idaho Moments On Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives
Food Network just posted a compilation video of Guy at these spots!
Gallery Credit: Shannon Buccola
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