Latest news with #HouseJointResolution6
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
English could become Idaho's official language, under constitutional amendment
Idaho Gov. Brad Little gives his annual State of the State address on Jan. 6, 2025, on the House floor at the Statehouse in Boise. (Pat Sutphin for the Idaho Capital Sun) Idaho voters will be asked whether the Idaho Constitution should be amended to declare English as the state's official language. The Idaho Legislature widely approved House Joint Resolution 6, the resolution that proposes the constitutional amendment. The amendment would also specify that English will be used in 'all public proceedings, public documents, public instruction, and any other public acts of any public institution in the state of Idaho,' except as required by federal law. 'This is a resolution that essentially says that language matters,' said Sen. Brian Lenney, R-Nampa, who cosponsored the resolution. 'It speaks to who we are as a nation. It binds us together as a people. It ties us to our history, our heroes and our heritage.' The Idaho Senate passed the resolution on a 30-5 vote on Tuesday, about two weeks after the House passed it on a 59-8 vote. The resolution needed two-thirds support in each legislative chamber to pass. All but two of the 15 Democrats serving in the Idaho Legislature opposed the resolution. Sen. James Ruchti, D-Pocatello, and Rep. John Gannon, D-Boise, voted for it. Ruchti told the Idaho Capital Sun he saw the resolution as just acknowledging 'what we already do.' 'The language of it was not restrictive of other languages being used in … the official government operations (in the) state of Idaho,' he told the Sun in an interview. 'It was just acknowledging what I believe is already taking place, which is English is the primary language we use here. It's used in our communications, in government agencies, things like that.' On March 1, President Donald Trump signed an executive order declaring English as the United States' official language, the Associated Press reported. Idaho is in the United States. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The proposed constitutional amendment is slated to be on Idaho's November 2026 general election ballots. To pass, it would need a simple majority support from Idaho voters. The proposed constitutional amendment will ask Idaho voters: 'Shall Article X of the Constitution of the State of Idaho be amended by the addition of a new Section 8, to provide that the English language shall be the official language for the state of Idaho, and to further provide that, except as required by federal law, English shall be used in all public proceedings, public documents, public instruction, and any other public acts of any public institution in the state of Idaho?' the resolution says. Pursuing the constitutional amendment is expected to cost as much as $300,000, according to the resolution's fiscal note. But if other amendments or ballot initiatives qualify for that election, the resolution's fiscal note says those costs 'will occur anyway.' Idaho Senate Minority Leader Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, said she thought putting the amendment on the ballot was a waste of taxpayer dollars. She also worried it could impact court reporting and interpretations of court services. 'It's pretty clear that English is our official language, and now we're going to spend $300,000 to put it on the ballot — when we are struggling to pay the bills,' Wintrow said. Idaho lawmakers who sponsored the resolution that proposes the amendment include House Speaker Mike Moyle, R-Star, Sen. Lenney, Rep. Dale Hawkins, R-Fernwood, and Rep. Kyle Harris, R-Lewiston. As part of the process of amending the Idaho Constitution, state legislators finalize arguments for and against the amendment to be distributed to voters through mailed pamphlets. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alaska House requests support for program that helps rural internet access with billions
Rep. Zack Fields, D-Anchorage, speaks Friday, April 26, 2024, on the floor of the Alaska House of Representatives. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon) The Alaska House of Representatives is backing the preservation of a multibillion-dollar federal aid program that subsidizes phone and internet service in rural America. The legality of the Federal Communications Commission's Universal Service Fund is being considered by the U.S. Supreme Court, and on Monday, the state House voted 33-6 to request that Congress preserve the fund whether or not the court rules against it. No state benefits more from the USF than Alaska, which in 2023 was the beneficiary of $509 million in spending from the fund. That spending subsidizes internet access for rural schools, clinics and households. House Joint Resolution 6, which advances to the Senate, was sponsored by the House Labor and Commerce Committee. 'There's broad, bipartisan support for the Universal Service Fund,' said committee chair Zack Fields, D-Anchorage. The organizations supporting HJR 6 include the Alaska Federation of Natives, the Alaska Chamber of Commerce, the Alaska Municipal League, and 'just about every school district in the state,' Fields said. The Alaska Department of Law has also filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the fund's legality. Rep. Will Stapp, R-Fairbanks, spoke in support of the resolution, saying that 'on balance, (it) is a very beneficial program, especially in the area of delivering communication services in the rural health portion of it, which provides critical needs to all Alaskans, especially those in rural communities. Rep. Neal Foster, D-Nome, was excused absent from the vote, and six Republicans voted against the resolution: Reps. Jamie Allard of Eagle River, Kevin McCabe of Big Lake, George Rauscher of Sutton, Dan Saddler of Eagle River, Cathy Tilton of Wasilla, and Sarah Vance of Homer. McCabe, speaking against the resolution, said he opposes the USF because it is funded by a fee on telecom companies. 'This is a tax. It's a big, beautiful tax,' McCabe said. 'I understand the need for it. I just can't support a tax. If you're a conservative Republican, and you're worried about taxes, this is a tax.' Fields attempted to rebut the assertion by noting that most of the fund's fees are collected outside Alaska, which benefits from the result. 'If you think that Alaskans should have good infrastructure and that maybe people from New York or Silicon Valley should pay for it, this is a good resolution for you,' he said. 'Our citizens should not be saddled with the worst telecom access on the planet. We deserve equity and access.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
