Idaho
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.
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.
Idaho
Mountain Home neighbors kickoff Juneteenth celebrations as Idaho marks 25 years of recognition
MOUNTAIN HOME, Idaho — Mountain Home neighbors are coming together this weekend to honor Juneteenth, commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.
June 19 marks the day enslaved people in Galveston Bay, Texas, were freed — more than 2 years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.
WATCH | Mountain Home marks 25 years of Juneteenth Celebrations—
Mountain Home celebrates Juneteenth with a weekend of community events
The Mountain Home Juneteenth Committee hosts an annual Juneteenth 5K to honor the holiday. Saturday’s festivities continue at noon at Carl Miller Park with food, live music, games, and more.
Committee Vice President Dylisaly Reed said this year’s event marks an important milestone. 25 years ago, efforts led by former Mountain Home Mayor Joe B. McNeal helped Idaho become one of the first states to officially observe Juneteenth — though the holiday did not become an official state and federal holiday until 2021.
“It took the help and the foresight and the running, and the legacy of Dirk Kempthorne and Joe B. McNeil, who did what they had to do in order to make this happen for us,” Reed said.
RELATED | Idaho Black History Museum commemorates Juneteenth
Many neighbors said they only learned about Juneteenth a few years ago. Purvis Cowens, who attended the Mountain Home Juneteenth 5K, said awareness remains a challenge.
“We don’t talk about it in school. A lot of people of color are really not familiar with it,” Purvis Cowens said. “So it’s a good deal to get it out there and get it in the community.”
To help change that, the committee uses money raised through its events to fund 5 scholarships for local high school seniors, who write essays about what Juneteenth means to them.
Charlotte Cowens, who hosts the Mountain Home Juneteenth 5K, said understanding history is essential.
“It’s nice to know history because you got to know your history to know where you’re going. So if you don’t know where you came from, you never know where you’re going,” Charlotte Cowens said.
Reed said the scholarship has already made a meaningful impact.
“This was a young Caucasian gentleman, and he won, and he said when he did the research for his essay, he found out so many things he absolutely just never knew. And that’s all we want,” Reed said.
The committee said these events and the scholarship funds wouldn’t be possible without their sponsors, including Freer Foundation, Mountain Home Black History Committee, St. Luke’s, A Taste of Texas, and many more local businesses and churches.
To learn more about the Mountain Home Juneteenth Committee and this weekend’s events, click here.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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POCATELLO, Idaho — Idaho agriculture officials are taking aggressive action after five Japanese beetles, a highly destructive invasive pest, were detected in Acequia near Rupert, according to information provided by the Idaho Farm Bureau Foundation.
The Idaho Farm Bureau Federation reports the Japanese beetle, a non-native insect that feeds on more than 300 species of agricultural and ornamental plants, poses a significant threat to Idaho agriculture. In response to the discovery, the Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) has deployed about 800 traps in the Rupert area to determine the extent of the infestation.
“We take an aggressive approach to make sure we don’t see those numbers boom before we can actually handle the situation,” said Vene Stewart, an ISDA pest survey and detection specialist helping lead eradication efforts.
Stewart said Japanese beetles are not selective feeders.
“They eat about 300 different types of flowering plants. Pretty much anything that flowers, they would love to demolish,” Stewart said.
The ISDA is also conducting eradication efforts in Caldwell and Pocatello. Last year, the department detected 160 Japanese beetles in Caldwell and 12 in Pocatello. Residents in those areas, as well as Acequia, may notice the yellow traps used to monitor the pest’s presence.
“We will be treating all three of those areas this year,” Stewart said.
Caldwell, like Acequia, is located in a major agricultural region. About 700 traps have been placed throughout the Caldwell area.
“The Caldwell infestation isn’t moving at all,” Stewart said. “In fact, where we are finding the beetles is getting to be a smaller and smaller area. You like to see that.”
The department has also placed approximately 550 traps in the Pocatello area.
Stewart said eradication efforts require ongoing monitoring and treatment.
“It’s unfortunately not something that we can just treat one time and assume everything’s going to be (OK) the following year,” she said. “It’s something we’re going to have to keep up on.”
According to a recent University of Idaho study, agriculture accounts for one in every nine jobs in Idaho, 17% of total sales and 12% of the state’s gross domestic product.
ISDA officials have worked to eliminate Japanese beetles wherever they appear in Idaho. About 15 years ago, large numbers of the beetles were detected in the Boise area. Officials say the state’s eradication campaign there resulted in no detections in Boise for several years. According to ISDA officials, the effort became the largest documented Japanese beetle eradication in U.S. history.
“We definitely want to protect our agriculture, especially in Caldwell where it is such an agriculture-(rich) area,” Stewart said. “It’s definitely important to the residents and the farmers out there to make sure that we keep our eye on it and make some progress.”
Stewart said the department’s eradication efforts have received support from farmers, local residents and city officials.
Adult Japanese beetles are about a half-inch long with metallic green bodies and copper-colored wing covers. The insects can skeletonize leaves and leave holes in plants while feeding.
Officials warn that if the beetle were to establish a permanent presence in Idaho, it could lead to reduced crop production, increased pesticide use and potential market restrictions through quarantine measures.
Native to Japan, the beetle was first detected in the United States in 1916 and is now found throughout most states east of the Mississippi River.
Although Idaho has preventative measures in place to reduce the risk of introduction from infested states, ISDA officials believe the beetles still arrive by hitchhiking with people moving from affected areas.
MOUNTAIN HOME, Idaho (CBS2) — A joint investigation by the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office and the Mountain Home Police Department has led to the arrest of a man accused of multiple sexual offenses in Elmore County and the city of Mountain Home.
An arrest warrant was issued on June 10, 2026, for Dillon Thorpe following an investigation conducted by Elmore County Sheriff’s Office detectives. Thorpe was taken into custody on June 11, 2026, on a warrant by the Idaho State Police.
Thorpe is charged with rape, child enticement, lewd conduct with a minor, and sexual abuse of a child under the age of 16.
Authorities said additional details about the investigation will not be released at this time because of the nature of the crimes and to protect the privacy of victims and witnesses.
Law enforcement believes there may be additional suspected victims and/or witnesses who have not yet been identified. Anyone with information or evidence relevant to the investigation is encouraged to contact the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office or the Mountain Home Police Department to make a report.
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