Idaho
Remembering Idaho's founding fathers and the controversial debate in the road to statehood – East Idaho News
IDAHO FALLS – There was a “pensive and awful silence” as John Hancock took pen in hand and became the first of 56 delegates to sign the document Thomas Jefferson and the rest of the committee had drafted.
It was Aug. 2, 1776 and after months of debate, the Second Continental Congress now felt the magnitude of what they were doing.
The final draft of the document now known as the Declaration of Independence had been approved on July 4 after the written text had passed with a 12-0 vote two days earlier.
The words expressed what the colonists had been fighting for nearly a year and a half after the start of the Revolutionary War.
“We, therefore … solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved,” the document said. “With a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
Each delegate approached the table to sign the document in large, bold ink, knowing full well it was an act of treason against the British Crown.
It “was believed by many at that time to be our own death warrants,” Benjamin Rush, a delegate from Pennsylvania, wrote of that historic moment.
It would be another 11 years before the Constitution was ratified and the United States of America, with its system of laws and democratic republic form of government, was born.
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Two hundred and forty-eight years later, the Declaration now sits in the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C. Americans gather every July 4 to celebrate its existence and the accomplishments of the nation’s founding fathers.
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Wednesday, July 3, was another historic occasion for Idahoans. On that day in 1890, Idaho became the nation’s 43rd state. It also had a contentious beginning. Here’s a look back at some of the Gem State’s founding fathers and the issues of the day.
Idaho’s Constitutional Convention and the ‘anti-Mormon’ Test Oath
It was Benjamin Harrison, America’s 23rd president, who signed the act that created the state of Idaho. He later paid a visit to the Gem State and planted a tree at the Statehouse in Boise.
George Shoup, for whom Shoup Avenue in downtown Idaho Falls is named, was integral in getting the Constitutional Convention to assemble and begin the process of debate that would lead to statehood.
“As territorial governor, Shoup guided the convention until they produced a constitution,” F. Ross Peterson writes in the book “Idaho’s Governors.”
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William Clagett, an attorney who practiced law in several territories, including Idaho, served as president of the convention.
Between July 4 and August 6, 1889, representatives throughout the Idaho territory met in Boise to debate every important topic covered by the Constitution, according to the Idaho State Historical Society.
One of the most controversial issues was the Test Oath, a bill passed by the Idaho Legislature in 1884 and written into the Constitution that prevented members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from voting or holding public office.
The church practiced polygamy at the time, which the general public opposed. The increasing amount of Latter-day Saints coming to Idaho caused concerns about their voting power, which prompted the legislation.
Fred Dubois, a Republican delegate at the convention from whom the eastern Idaho town gets its name, was one of the legislation’s most ardent supporters. He’d previously served as a U.S. Marshall for Idaho who “became absolutely obsessed with the Mormon problem.” In that capacity, he felt it was his duty as a government agent to make sure Latter-day Saints obeyed the laws of the land, which outlawed polygamy.
On May 9, 1885, Dubois raided Paris, Idaho, where a large number of church members lived. He rounded up several polygamist men who were arrested and sent to prison.
“In December 1887, five Mormon men from southeastern Idaho, convicted of plural marriage, were sent to the United States Penitentiary at Sioux Falls, Dakota Territory, probably because the territorial penitentiary in Boise was overcrowded. They were the first Mormon men from Idaho sent to another territory to serve their time, and no doubt felt that they were martyrs to their religious beliefs,” a 2015 Idaho Statesman article reports.
This led to a rising anti-Mormon sentiment among the general population.
Dubois and others adamantly attached the Test Oath to the new Constitution. Shoup avoided any personal involvement in the issue, according to Peterson.
Shoup issued a proclamation on Oct. 5, 1889 calling for a November 5 election to ratify the Constitution. Voters ratified it 7 to 1.
“Shoup signed the document and it was forwarded to Washington,” Peterson writes.
It passed the House of Representatives in April 1890 and the Senate in June.
Dubois paid a visit to President Harrison at the White House on July 3, 1890. Harrison hadn’t yet signed the statehood bill and Dubois wanted it to be signed on July 4 so Idaho could celebrate its birthday on Independence Day.
President Benjamin Harrison | Courtesy Wikipedia
Harrison explained stars were added to the flag on July 4 for all states admitted in the previous year. If he signed then, Idaho wouldn’t get its star on the flag until 1891.
Despite overwhelming support for a July 4 signing, Dubois reversed course.
“The responsibility is all mine and I ask you to sign the bill now. I want the star of Idaho on the flag tomorrow,” Dubois responded, according to the Idaho Statesman.
“I think you have chosen well,” Harrison told him.
After signing the bill, Harrison presented the 39-year-old delegate with the gold pen and a holder, saying, “There is no honor which can come to a young man greater than that of bringing your state into the Union.”
The LDS Church abolished polygamy that same year. The anti-Mormon clause was later appealed and ultimately upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. The Idaho Legislature removed the restrictions against church members in 1893, but the constitutional provision remained on the books until 1982.
A territorial governor’s role in Idaho’s creation
Twenty-seven years earlier, on March 4, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln created the Idaho Territory as America was at the height of the Civil War.
At the time of its creation, the territory “sprawled across an area one-quarter larger than Texas,” as reported on the state’s website, encompassing all of present day Idaho, Montana and most of Wyoming. Lincoln’s close friend, William Wallace, whom he appointed to serve as Idaho’s first territorial governor, came up with the design.
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It was President Grover Cleveland who appointed Edward Stevenson to serve as Idaho’s first and only Democratic territorial governor in 1885. Stevenson was also the first Idaho citizen to serve as governor.
A native of New York, Stevenson lived in Michigan before heading west with the California gold rush in 1849. He was active in state politics, serving in multiple positions, including four terms in the state legislature. He settled in the Boise Basin in 1863.
A 2016 Idaho Falls Magazine article calls Stevenson “Idaho’s best territorial governor” because of his non-partisan and moderate approach to controversial issues, including the anti-Mormon legislation. It isn’t clear where he stood on the issue.
He is best remembered for preventing a measure that would’ve placed the northern part of the territory in Washington and the rest in Nevada.
Stevenson strongly objected to this move and requested an audience in Washington to be heard on the matter.
“He was denied the trip, but gained his point,” Robert Sims and Hope Benedict write in “Idaho’s Governors.” “Cleveland wanted to discourage absence of territorial governors from their posts of duty, and Stevenson was promised that if he would only stay home, the bill would not be signed.”
Cleveland’s prediction proved correct. Congress refused the plan in its next session and Governor Stevenson “took personal credit for having saved Idaho.”
He went on to be a huge supporter of Idaho’s application for statehood. Though he was replaced as governor after Benjamin Harrison took office, he continued to “work vigorously” to that end.
Though he was unsuccessful in a second bid for governor in 1894, he is regarded today as “one of Idaho’s most influential pioneers.”
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Idaho
Changes at Idaho's DMV: $5 online license renewal discount, eight-year CDL and more – East Idaho News
The following is a news release from the Idaho Transportation Department.
BOISE— The Idaho Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) implemented several changes that became effective on July 1 as new legislation takes effect. These changes will improve customer service and offer more options to Idahoans.
Driver’s License and ID Cards
- Customers who are eligible to renew their driver’s license online will get a $5 discount for completing the transaction online.
- The requirements for getting a free identification card (ID) for voting have been reduced. Legislation has removed the rule that applicants must not have had a valid driver’s license for 6 months before applying for the free ID.
Commercial Drivers and Vehicles
- Commercial drivers will now be able to get a commercial driver’s license (CDL) for eight years. The previous limit for CDLs was four years. CDLs will also be checked against the National Drug and Alcohol Clearing House.
- DMV will now issue two-year weighted registrations for commercial and non-commercial vehicles up to 60,000 pounds. The previous limit was one year.
License Plates
- Idaho will offer a Space Force Plate to eligible customers.
- All Purple Heart recipients will be able to get a Purple Heart plate for free. Previously the fee exemption only applied to disabled Purple Heart recipients
- Legislation also created a Gadsden Flag “Don’t Tread on Me” plate. Plate sales will help fund educational grants for firearms safety training. While the legislation goes into effect on July 1, per the timeline included in the law, plates will be made available by January 1, 2025.
Driver’s Education
- Parents in rural school districts or districts without driver’s education programs will be able to teach the on-the-road portion of driver’s ed. Parents must keep a log of drive time and skills learned. Students will complete the classroom driver’s ed course through the Idaho Digital Learning Alliance (IDLA). More information is available from the Idaho Department of Education.
Other
- The definition of “resident” to get a vehicle registration, title, license, or identification card has been changed from 90 days to 30 days. This does not change the definition of resident for voting purposes.
- If an owner wants to sell a vehicle that has no active registration, they can get up to two 30-day temporary registrations for the purpose of selling the vehicle.
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The following is a news release from Idaho National Laboratory.
Idaho National Laboratory will host a bilingual recruiting event, INL Sin Límites, at the John E. Christofferson Building 3 at the College of Eastern Idaho in Idaho Falls on Tuesday, July 9. The event will feature bilingual recruiters from the laboratory and will be offered in Spanish and English. The event will provide information about careers at the laboratory, English language courses, GED preparation, internship opportunities for college students, and more from INL and partnering organizations Idaho State University, College of Eastern Idaho, Idaho Department of Labor, Community Council of Idaho and Express Employment Professionals. The event will run from 6 to 8 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Food and drinks will be provided.
INL Sin Límites is free and open to the public, though registration is requested. Individuals interested in learning about careers at the laboratory are encouraged to attend. Attendees can register for the event by filling out this form.
The event is the latest in a series of Spanish language recruiting events hosted by INL.
About Idaho National Laboratory
Battelle Energy Alliance manages INL for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy. INL is the nation’s center for nuclear energy research and development, celebrating 75 years of scientific innovations in 2024. The laboratory performs research in each of DOE’s strategic goal areas: energy, national security, science and the environment. For more information, visit www.inl.gov. Follow us on social media: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.
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COEUR d’ALENE — North Idaho College trustees agreed this week on how to prepare for a worst-case scenario where the college loses accreditation next spring, though administrators are optimistic it won’t come to that.
Since last February, NIC has operated under a show-cause sanction issued by its accreditor, the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Show cause is the last step before loss of accreditation.
NIC was not sanctioned because of problems with finances or academics, as is usually the case for colleges facing loss of accreditation, but rather because of board governance issues stretching back to 2020.
“The board, overall, is heading in a better direction now,” NIC President Nick Swayne said Friday. “I think we’re getting to be back on track.”
Indeed, NIC has addressed several of the problems outlined by the NWCCU. Interim President Greg South’s 18-month contract expired June 30, leaving the college with only one president, as the commission recommended. NIC has also resolved multiple lawsuits, including the Supreme Court appeal of Swayne’s reinstatement that trustees voted 4-1 to drop.
Some areas of concern remain. For example, the board must “resolve the issues underpinning all no-confidence votes” from staff and students and “demonstrate a willingness to work with and support faculty, staff and students when their concerns are communicated.”
Federal regulations stipulate that NIC has until April 1, 2025, to return to good standing. If the college has not done so by that deadline, the NWCCU will be required to withdraw accreditation.
Given the progress made so far, Swayne said he’s optimistic.
“We are in a much better place now than we have been in the past,” he said.
If NIC loses accreditation, it’s unclear what would happen next. Idaho law provides no framework for how to manage the loss of accreditation; it has never happened in this state.
“We are in a situation right now that is unprecedented,” Trustee Brad Corkill said Friday. “There’s no road map for us to follow. We are under teach-out entirely because of board behavior.”
During a special meeting Tuesday, trustees considered what options will be available if accreditation is lost.
Federal regulations require NIC to negotiate formal “teach-out” agreements with other institutions, which would enable currently enrolled students to complete their degrees elsewhere. No new students could enroll. After the teach-out agreements are executed, the college would close.
NIC could reapply for accreditation after two years, but the college would effectively start over from scratch.
“This option here really results in the permanent closure or demise of NIC,” Steve Kurtz, NIC’s accreditation liaison officer, told trustees Tuesday.
Swayne noted that implementing teach-out agreements would be burdensome for students, requiring them to commute or relocate to another campus or take only online classes.
“That just isn’t practical in Idaho,” he said.
Another possibility is for NIC to ask accreditors and the federal government to temporarily place NIC under the control of another accredited institution. Course offerings and student services would remain the same.
“This will allow the college time for us to regain status as a separate, accredited entity,” Kurtz said. “This is the least disruptive (option). Currently enrolled students, in this case, we would do our best to make sure they don’t even feel the impact of the change.”
A final option, which trustees did not entertain, would be to take no further action. Such inaction would likely lead to immediate and permanent loss of accreditation.
“If we get our accreditation pulled, the only way that we can tell to really leave the community whole is by putting it at another school,” Trustee Mike Waggoner said Tuesday. “The issue is the local community loses control temporarily.”
Trustee Greg McKenzie expressed reservations about turning to the University of Idaho for temporary control and initially said he would prefer for NIC to execute teach-out agreements and then close permanently rather than operate under U of I’s authority.
Trustee Todd Banducci shared similar concerns.
“It just felt too convenient,” he said Tuesday. “It feels like there are folks that have driven us to this corner and then it’s put back on us trustees. ‘Well, if you blow up the college or kill the college, it’s on you.’ But no, we didn’t drive that bus.”
Banducci has previously cast blame for NIC’s accreditation woes on the joint regional human rights task forces that filed complaints with the NWCCU in 2021, citing numerous violations of the NWCCU’s eligibility requirements and NIC policy. After investigating the complaints, the commission went on to sanction NIC with a warning.
Trustees ultimately directed staff to prioritize creating an agreement for temporary control and to reach out to the College of Western Idaho, the College of Southern Idaho and Lewis-Clark State College for that purpose.
“I think, in the end, that was a really good perspective for the board to take,” Swayne said Friday.
Trustee Tarie Zimmerman agreed.
“In the worst-case scenario, (that option) appears to be really the only way to allow NIC to continue,” she told The Press. “I don’t know what that would look like for the board. But that option means the board is interested in preserving NIC.”
Swayne emphasized that neither the teach-out agreements nor any agreement for temporary control will go into action unless NIC loses accreditation.
“We’re really taking positive action to ensure that the failsafe doesn’t kick in,” he said.
The NWCCU’s next site visit to the North Idaho College campus is scheduled for Oct. 14 and 15.
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