Author: KIFI

Fox13

Originally Published: 15 APR 26 14:16 ET

By Julia Sandor

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    ELKO, Nevada (KSTU) — Police in Elko are still trying to piece together and come to terms with how something so tragic as Monday’s murder-suicide involving an 11-year-old boy could happen in their community.

The town of Elko, which is about 200 miles away from Salt Lake City, is one with just over 20,000 people.

“It typically is pretty quiet,” said Elko Regional Airport Manager Jim Foster.

The airport sees about 3,800 travelers each month, and one to two commercial flights a day.

“I’ve grown up with this airport and grown into this airport, and it’s engrained in me,” said Foster.

But Monday’s events changed everything.

“This was a first for me,” Foster shared. “It kind of shakes you a different way.”

The Elko Police Department responded to reports of an active shooter at the airport, and found 37-year-old Giovanni Perez dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and his young son, Callan, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds inside a bathroom. Despite being transported to the hospital, Callan later died from his injuries.

“We did find some paperwork inside the vehicle,” said Lt. Shane Daz with the Elko Police Department. “We believe Mr. Perez, Giovanni, had some mental health issues, so we are exploring that. Other than that, we don’t have a motive as to why he went into the bathroom and did what he did.”

The police department is a small team with 44 sworn officers. At the time of the incident, they only had four officers on duty and three emergency dispatchers. It goes without saying that tragedies such as Monday’s are taxing for their team.

“This is a tragic incident,” said Lt. Daz. “Nobody wants to see this. I didn’t expect this 22 years ago when I started this career, and I hope in the next three years before I retire, I hope I never see it again.”

But for Daz and Foster, their work continues.

“We’re going to come together as a community,” said Foster, “and we’re going to come together as an airport and make sure everyone is taken care of.”

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

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KIVI Staff

Originally Published: 15 APR 26 13:39 ET

By Riley Shoemaker

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    BOISE, Idaho (KIVI) — An 11-year-old golfer from Boise is already chasing a dream many spend a lifetime pursuing.

Owen Zaragoza recently competed in the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals, held in part at Augusta National – one of the most iconic venues in golf.

“That was super awesome knowing like, you gotta putt where all the pros and all the winners gotta putt,” Zaragoza said.

Zaragoza finished seventh in the nation after advancing through multiple qualifying rounds. He started at a local competition, moved through regional events and ultimately won at Pebble Beach to earn his spot at Augusta.

Once there, he says the experience went beyond just the competition.

“It felt like, super awesome and I loved it, having everybody rooting for me,” Zaragoza said.

His father, Adam Zaragoza, said the event gave young golfers a taste of the professional level.

“They roll it out, and you get the pro experience walking through the patron corridor… a couple thousand people just applauding the kids for what they’re doing,” Adam Zaragoza said.

Zaragoza’s journey began in the backyard with plastic clubs, and even pine cones.

“He would be hitting pine cones at his sister in the backyard… and it’s taken off ever since,” Adam Zaragoza said.

Now, Owen continues to train, compete and grow his game while learning to manage the pressure that comes with it.

“He’s been able to progress and control it… now he’s taking those emotions and channeling into a better shot,” Adam Zaragoza said.

With another world competition on the horizon, Zaragoza says he’s just getting started.

“My dream is to compete on the PGA Tour,” Zaragoza said.

The tournament may be over, but Zaragoza is already looking ahead to what’s next.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

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Sean Dolan

By: Sean Dolan

Originally posted on IdahoEdNews.org on April 15, 2026

Editor’s note: This story is part of a series of candidate profiles Idaho Education News will publish ahead of the May 19 primary election. We’re highlighting competitive races impacting education policy. Click here to see our Elections webpage featuring a list of all candidates and much more. Click here to see your voter information. Follow our elections blog for breaking news and insights.

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — An Idaho Falls firefighter is challenging a House Education Committee member who believes schools should teach students to love our country.

Rep. Barbara Ehardt, R-Idaho Falls, will face Republican Connor Cook in the May 19 primary election in District 33 House Seat A. She is seeking a fifth term.

In her four Republican primary elections, Ehardt has been challenged by a Republican just once. She faced her first and only Republican in 2022, when she beat Jeff Thompson with 57% of the vote.

Cook, a newcomer to politics, said he thinks Ehardt has stopped listening to her constituents. He said he would bring common sense to the Statehouse from a blue collar perspective. He’s worked as a paramedic and firefighter for 10 years and is a union member.

Ehardt has been vocal in her support of legislation that restricts the LGBTQ community. She sponsored the nation’s first law prohibiting transgender girls from participating in girls’ sports. She told EdNews that the transgender community started the culture war, not the Idaho Legislature.

Meanwhile, Cook said he thinks Idaho is becoming more authoritarian, with the toughest restrictions in the nation on which bathrooms transgender people can use. He said bills like that are a distraction from the state budget.

Ehardt didn’t have a primary challenger in 2024, so political action committees didn’t report any spending on her campaign. But this year is different.

The Citizens Alliance of Idaho PAC, a group with out-of-state backers that support school choice, recently reported $25,165 to support Ehardt.

On campaign fundraising, Ehardt has raised $13,792 to Cook’s $11,075. But Ehardt started with a $24,657 war chest from previous election cycles.

Incumbent: Barbara Ehardt

Occupation: Basketball coach
History of elected service: Four terms in the House. Elected in 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024
Campaign website: standupidaho.org

 

 

The Idaho Legislature did not start the culture war against the transgender community, Ehardt told EdNews.

“I think it’s important to understand that the trans ideology was a cultural war perpetrated on all of us,” Ehardt said. “We didn’t start it.”

About 10 years ago, Ehardt said, no one was allowed to voice opposition to a “biological male feeling like they were a biological female.”

The “transgender ideology people” demanded that everyone affirm who they are and if someone disagreed, they were silenced, canceled, mocked or de-platformed.

“Your choice was affirmation or experience the backlash, and that’s not right,” she said.

So, Ehardt acted. She sponsored a piece of legislation in 2020 that would become the first-of-its-kind in the nation. The Fairness in Women’s Sports Act prohibits biological males from participating in girls’ and women’s sports. After Gov. Brad Little signed the bill into law several other states followed suit, including Florida and Arkansas.

“I could see the direction we were going, and, ultimately, the Fairness in Women’s Sports created an entire cultural shift,” Ehardt said. “Up until that point, people were too afraid to talk about guys in girls bathrooms, about pronouns, about all these other things.”

Since then, the Legislature has passed a litany of laws aimed at the LGBTQ community, including: 

A bill that established there are only two sexes, which can be observed at birth

A bill that prohibits governments from compelling employees and students to use someone’s preferred pronouns

A bill that establishes criminal penalties for transgender people who use their preferred bathroom

“When people talk about cultural wars, they forget that those who started it were the trans ideology people,” she said.

Fundraising – 2026 election cycle to date

Barbara Ehardt

Beginning cash balance: $31,066
Total contributions: $13,792
Total expenditures: $3,407
Ending cash balance: $35,041

Connor Cook

Beginning cash balance: $0
Total contributions: $11,075
Total expenditures: $2,960
Ending cash balance: $8,115

Source: Idaho Sunshine, as of April 13

Ehardt is also passionate about what educators teach kids.

This session, she sponsored Senate Bill 1336 to overhaul Idaho’s civics curriculum. Little recently sign it into law.

On the final day of the legislative session, Ehardt delivered an impassioned speech in support of the bill, which declares that public schools should inspire a love of nation and exemplify patriotism.

She told her colleagues in the House that it’s impossible to teach someone to love our country by teaching propaganda that is “antithetical to how this country came about.”

“Too many students right now believe that socialism and communism are better options to the republic,” Ehardt told EdNews. “Why is that? Somewhere we are failing in teaching about the virtues of a republic.”

Rep. Barbara Ehardt, R-Idaho Falls, debates in favor of a civics curriculum bill on the House floor on Thursday, April 2, 2026. (Sean Dolan/EdNews)

In an interview, she said the bill deals with the “heart of America” and our founding principles. She said educating students on historical documents would help them understand how to uphold and maintain the republic.

When asked if she thinks intentionally teaching students to love our country is an example of propaganda, she said absolutely not.

On other issues, Ehardt said she would pursue eliminating property taxes for primary residences, if re-elected, and would offset the loss of revenue by raising sales tax.

“It has been a humbling honor to serve the people of District 33 in the state of Idaho, and I hope to continue,” Ehardt said.

Challenger: Connor Cook

Occupation: Firefighter and paramedic
Other experience: Member of the Idaho Falls firefighters union
Campaign website: connorcook4idaho.com

 

 

Cook says Idaho has moved away from common sense.

Legislation that targets which bathrooms transgender people can use and forces students to have a minute of silence are a distraction from the real issue: the state budget. And he believes the Legislature is taking away local control from counties, cities and school districts.

“People feel like the state of Idaho has just gone rogue and is doing whatever they want,” Cook said. “I think being out and about and talking to people, people are very excited for a grassroots down home, blue collar guy to take the leap for them.”

As a firefighter and paramedic in Idaho Falls for over 10 years, Cook said he sees the impacts of cuts to Medicaid, the Idaho State Police and public education. He said chasing tax cuts has compromised the state.

“We’re last or second to last in the country as far as spending (per student), and I feel like we’re celebrating a break even policy,” Cook said. “Teachers are kind of under siege as far as wages and benefits.”

As a member of the Idaho Falls firefighters union, Cook said he is concerned about the Legislature’s crackdown on teachers’ unions. Gov. Brad Little signed HB 516 into law last week, prohibiting taxpayer funding of teachers unions.

“The big question that I have to ask is, where’s the threat?” he said. “You can’t tell me that the teachers union is bankrupting the state.”

Connor Cook and his girlfriend, Allie. (Photo courtesy of Connor Cook)

Cook said he plays hockey with school teachers and has been meeting educators over the past month. He said teachers are doing the best they can with what they have, and schools face challenges with recruitment and retention.

“They’re just trying to see our youth become educated,” he said. “They’re trying to see them become competitive.”

He said he fears the Legislature won’t stop at the teachers’ union. He said the “far far right” is going to come after any bargaining ability or labor rights in the state.

“I feel like they will inevitably come after firefighters,” he said.

Cook attended Idaho schools and graduated from the College of Southern Idaho. This is his maiden voyage into politics. He said he decided to run to stand up for regular people in Idaho Falls.

His top three priorities are education, infrastructure and public safety.

While on the job, he said he’s seen the same people get stuck with the same problems when they lose Medicaid. And he sees more narcotics in his community when state troopers are stretched thin.

Cook describes himself as a traditional, common sense Republican. He said voting on party lines has gotten the state into a mess.

“The good thing about me is I am my own man,” Cook said. “I am not bought and paid for by anybody. I’m not chasing a Freedom Foundation score. I’m not chasing anything like that. What I’m chasing is bringing Idaho back to Idaho.”

As the election nears, Cook said his campaign will have local cops, firefighters and teachers knocking on doors in his district.

“I would have never imagined I was going to have this much momentum and have this much support, but I think it just shows how hungry people are here for a change,” Cook said.

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Par Kermani

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — The Monarch building, A historic brick building in downtown Pocatello, is set to come down this summer after years of decay, despite efforts to revive it.

The building was believed to have been built around 1909, and has sat open to the elements for more than a decade after a fire left it roofless and unsafe. The Pocatello Development Authority, which now owns the property, says demolition is necessary to protect public safety and make way for new development.

The Monarch was originally built as a hotel, with a separate entrance leading to rooms on the second and third floors and retail space on the ground level. Over the years, the upper floors were used as low-income housing while the street level continued to host various businesses.

The building remained in use until the 2014 fire effectively ended its life as a functioning property.

After the fire, the original owners sold the building to private individuals who attempted to clean out and renovate the structure. Those efforts stalled early, leaving the building exposed.

Eventually, the building was gifted to the Pocatello Development Authority, but recent safety concerns contributed to the decision of tearing down the building.

“We feel it’s a really important asset to downtown, and we went through many steps to try to preserve it,” said Brent McLane, executive director of the Pocatello Development Authority. “But it’s just financially not feasible.”

As debate continues over the loss of a familiar landmark, McLane said he hopes residents will understand that the agency tried to save the building but ultimately had to balance sentiment with safety and financial reality.

“We really wanted to see it saved, but it needs to be saved in a way that is going to economically enhance the downtown as well,” he said. “We want it to be something that comes back that is going to really enhance and add to the downtown and enhance and add to the experience of Pocatello.”

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Danielle Mullenix

With prom season right around the corner, several organizations and businesses across Eastern Idaho are stepping up to make sure every student has the chance to dress up for the big night—without the big price tag.

Prom can be one of the most memorable experiences of high school, but for many families, the cost of formalwear can be a challenge. That’s why local schools and community partners are offering free or low-cost options for students in need—while also encouraging others to give back.

At Idaho Falls High School, students and staff are teaming up with the Tiger Club to host the “Prom-Swag Swap.” The event serves as a free prom dress and formal wear closet, giving students access to outfits at no cost. Donations from the school community are being accepted now through April 24 at the school’s media center.

The College of Eastern Idaho Center for New Directions is also collecting gently used prom dresses, men’s suits, and ties. The program aims to support individuals working toward new opportunities by helping ease the financial burden of special events like prom.

In Blackfoot, the Village Foster Care Closet is accepting donations specifically for girls in foster care. The organization hopes to ensure these students can experience the excitement of prom without the added financial stress.

Meanwhile, in Pocatello, KATZ Formal Wear is offering students a unique opportunity. With a referral from their school, girls can receive personalized assistance in finding their dream dress at no cost. The store also accepts donations year-round to keep the program going.

Organizers say these efforts go beyond just providing clothing. They’re about giving formal wear a second life, promoting sustainability, and most importantly, helping students create lasting memories.

For those doing a little spring cleaning, donating a dress, suit, or accessory could make a meaningful difference in a student’s prom experience—and help ensure everyone gets a chance to feel their best on a special night.

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David Pace

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – One of the most impactful U.S. energy initiatives in decades, a federal proposal to construct a Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus, received an application from Idaho on March 31.

“Nuclear power presents an opportunity for Idaho families to continue receiving affordable, clean energy far into the future, and I support the growth of Idaho’s nuclear industry,” Governor Little said. “I hope the Department of Energy will recognize Idaho’s historic nuclear leadership and its strong candidacy for this initiative.”

Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke and state Senator Dave Lent, (R)-Idaho Falls, and a Trump administration official have spent the last two days touring Idaho National Laboratory, meeting with venture-capitalist investors and hearing from experts about the laboratory’s capabilities.

“I feel strongly this is our game to win,” Lent said. “If we can stand up a strong response back and willingness to step up, this is really a chance for us again to lead – be the national leader in nuclear for the next 50 to 60 years.”

You can watch our full interview on the Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus with state Senator Dave Lent below.

Lent is one of two Idaho legislators serving on the newly-created Idaho Advanced Nuclear Energy Task Force.

The 20-person task force is led by Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke and Idaho National Laboratory Director John Wagner.

The Department of Energy solicited Requests For Information (RFIs) for the Nuclear Innovation Campus in January.

“Securing this designation would bolster Idaho’s economy, expand access to reliable baseload power, and position the state at the forefront of next-generation nuclear technologies,” according to a release from the Idaho Office of Energy and Mineral Resources.

The state faces competition from Utah, Texas, and other states vying for the same designation, Lent said.

The DOE’s original proposal asks for states interested in hosting “integrated, full‑cycle nuclear ecosystems that could colocate and support the entire nuclear value chain while exploring durable pathways for managing used nuclear materials in a safe, secure, and fiscally responsible manner.”

“These campuses must support functions such as fuel fabrication, enrichment, reprocessing used nuclear fuel, and disposition of waste, and could additionally support functions such as advanced reactor deployment, power generation, advanced manufacturing, and co‑located data centers,” the request continues.

The Idaho National Laboratory already features much of the infrastructure and programs required to implement a national Nuclear Innovation Campus, Lent explained.

“At the INL, we already do most of this stuff already and have for many years and have developed many of the technologies that are used throughout the world,” he said.

Currently, Idaho National Laboratory employs 9,000 to 10,000 individuals, he said, in addition to the secondary work its activities generate throughout the region and state.

“There’s a potential there to come close to doubling that workforce – if some of this work were to come through as it’s being described by the Department of Energy,” Lent said.

Eastern Idaho is uniquely situated to launch the next renaissance in advanced nuclear technology.

“Idaho is prepared to continue our tradition of nuclear excellence and build on the foundation that has already made our state great,” Little said.

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Seth Ratliff

UPDATE:

The memorial and plaque dedication honoring William “Bill” F. Bacon on Friday, April 17, 2026, from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., has been moved to the Racehorse Room at the Shoshone-Bannock Casino Hotel to better accommodate attendees. All other details will remain the same.

ORIGINAL:

FORT HALL, Idaho (KIFI) — The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes will gather this Friday to pay tribute to the life and enduring impact of William “Bill” F. Bacon, a longtime Tribal Judge and General Counsel described as a “tireless advocate” for Indigenous rights.

Judge Bacon passed away on March 26 following a tragic car accident along I-15 near Pocatello. In the weeks since, Tribal leadership and community members have continued to reflect on a career defined by “dedicated service, steady leadership, and meaningful contributions to the Tribes and the community.”

RELATED: “Tireless advocate” for Shoshone-Bannock Tribes identified as victim in fatal I-15 semi-truck crash

Memorial Service Details

Tribal leadership has organized a formal memorial and plaque dedication ceremony to ensure Bacon’s contributions are permanently recognized. According to a Shosone-Bannock Tribes Facebook post, the open-house-style event will be held indoors at the Tribal Business Center Council Chambers on Friday, April 17, 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

“The memorial will bring together Tribal leadership, family, friends, and community members to reflect on his life and lasting impact,” states the post.

The program will include an opening prayer, reflections, recognition of Bacon’s family, an honor song, and the plaque dedication. Light refreshments will follow the ceremony.

Because seating within the Council Chambers is limited the event will be held in an open house format, and attendees are welcome to come and go throughout the program. For more information, click HERE.

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Par Kermani

POCATELLO, IDAHO (KIFI) — When someone in Bannock County dials 911, the first person they talk to isn’t a police officer, firefighter, or paramedic. It’s a dispatcher like April Neal, who has spent nearly a decade on the other end of the line.

Neal, a 911 dispatcher for the Pocatello Police Department, says one of the biggest misconceptions about her job is that dispatchers are “just secretaries.”

“A lot of people think that we’re just secretaries, but we multitask constantly,” Neal said. “We are taking calls. We are dispatching out medical for the entire county of Bannock County, and we also dispatch police for the city of Pocatello. We are constantly doing something and entering paperwork into the NCIC database.”

Neal has been a dispatcher for 10 years. She works 12-hour day shifts, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., helping manage everything from life‑threatening emergencies to parking problems and utility questions.

“We deal with everything under the sun,” Neal said.

On a typical weekday, Neal estimates she and her fellow dispatchers handle around 100 calls each.

Not every call is a true emergency. Some are transfers to records or detectives. Others are for city services, like paying a utility bill. But all of them must be answered and routed correctly, while genuine emergencies are entered into the computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system and prioritized in real time.

The center is staffed with a minimum of three dispatchers per shift — one for police, one for 911/medical, and one for the non-emergency line. That’s the minimum, Neal says, not necessarily the ideal.

“We definitely need more dispatchers,” she said. “If a big incident occurs, then it’s really difficult when there are only two call takers on the floor. The more dispatchers, the easier the incident can complete itself.”

During fire season, dispatchers often receive a flood of calls about the same incident.

“We’ll answer the phone, ‘911, are you calling about the West Bench fire?’” she said. “If they don’t have any new information and nobody is hurt, we tell them we have help on the way and move to the next call so we can get to someone who might be in dire straits.”

Neal says dispatchers are frequently exposed to callers’ worst moments, and that can take a toll.

She keeps the details of the most traumatic calls private out of concern for victims and their families, but says some still stay with her.

To cope, Neal focuses on separating work from home.

“One of the things I do is I go home, and I go for a walk if it’s been an extremely stressful day,” Neal said. “I have other outside activities that I do, I still pitch softballs, or I officiate volleyball. It’s separate from what I do day in and day out, to help realize that there are good people, there are good things out in the world.”

Becoming a dispatcher in Pocatello is not a simple process. Neal says training takes about 27 weeks, depending on how quickly a trainee progresses.

“Roughly, it can you can go quicker or longer, just depends on how you are accelerating with the program.” Neal said, “So we are trained with the computer system, with paperwork, and then we’re trained in call taking EMD, which is emergency medical dispatch, which we are the only Police Department in Idaho that is certified. And then we’re trained in the police. Police is the hardest discipline, because, obviously, officers are officer safety is the biggest issue, and making sure that they’re safe and knowing where their locations are and making sure we check on them constantly and do whatever quests they they need us to do to complete the investigation.

“We have to ask certain questions, and it depends on what the chief complaint is,” Neal said. “We ask those specific questions to make sure we get the correct amount of units to the person in trouble.”

Often, Neal never meets the people whose lives she may have helped save, but she hears about outcomes through officers and paramedics.

“I do hear feedback … that we saved them or they were able to be transported to the hospital where they received the help they needed and survived their injuries,” she said. “That’s what keeps me coming back to the job. I love helping people.”

From Neal’s perspective, the most important thing people can know before they dial 911 is their location.

“That is the first and foremost question that a dispatcher will ask you,” Neal said. “Just answer the questions that the dispatcher asks you directly. We are getting help there. It’s not delaying.”

Neal says she tries to treat every caller as if she were speaking to a friend or a family member.

“That gives me the drive to come to my job every single day,” she said. “I just want to make sure that I get help to the public the best that I can, and to make sure all my officers go home.”

As communities across the nation mark National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, Neal wants people to remember the unseen voices who answer the phone when someone dials 911.

“Dispatchers, any emergency telecommunication officers, they are the first responders, and they do not get enough credit,” Neal said. “If anybody’s looking for a career and likes to help serve their community, help people, then a 911 dispatcher is a good career for someone to apply for.”

She also had a message for her colleagues across Idaho and the country.

“I just want to say thank you to all the 911 dispatchers out there,” Neal said. “The police department and every agency couldn’t do what they do without serving the public the way that dispatchers do. They’re amazing.”

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Seth Ratliff

MINIDOKA COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — A late morning semi-truck crash in Heyburn snarled I-84 traffic near Heyburn on Tuesday.

According to the Idaho State Police, the crash took place at 11:59 a.m. near mile marker 211. A 33-year-old man was driving eastbound in a 1995 Freightliner when he hit a concrete barrier blocking the eastbound lane of travel.

Fortunately, police say the driver was wearing a seatbelt and was not injured. Construction crews made an emergency lane on the right shoulder to move traffic through the area.

As of 5 p.m., ISP says the lanes are still blocked.

ISP were assisted at the scene by the Idaho Department of Transportation, the Minidoka County Sheriff’s Office, and the Heyburn Fire Department. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

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Kaelyn Blessinger

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) – The Reproductive Freedom & Privacy Act is 1,000 signatures away from being added to the ballots this November.

The initiative, spearheaded by the coalition Idahoans United for Women & Families, seeks to restore reproductive healthcare access by introducing specific protections into the state constitution.

What the Act Proposes

If passed, the initiative would create a legal right in Idaho for individuals to make their own reproductive health decisions, including abortion, without excessive government interference.

According to Idahoans United for Women & Families, the right to abortion access means one could obtain an abortion before fetal viability (the stage when a fetus could survive outside the womb). There would also be some post-viability exceptions to protect the life or health of the pregnant person.

Privacy protections would keep information about these decisions on reproductive care between patients and their healthcare providers.

“They can plan their lives, their health, their future, their finances. Without government at the table. And that is a quite essential Idaho value,” Melanie Folwell, the executive director of Idahoans United for Women and Families, stated, “When it comes to the hard decisions, those belong to you, not the government. You call the shots in your family, not the government.”

“Idaho is a Pro-Life State”: The Opposition

The initiative faces stiff resistance from conservative advocacy groups who argue the measure againts Idaho’s values as a traditionally “pro-life” state. Critics argue the Act would dismantle existing Idaho laws that strictly limit abortion.

“The radical ballot initiative would turn back all of the pro-life victories that Idaho has achieved in recent years that provide so many protections for babies and for mothers,” Blaine Conzatti, president of Idaho Family Policy Center, stated. “Idaho is a pro-life state.”

The Final Push

With the deadline looming, Idahoans United will host signing blitz events across the state tomorrow, April 15. The events will target key districts where additional signatures are needed.

If the final 1000 signatures come through, ultimately, the fate of the Act rests with the voters. A copy of the language of the initiative has been included below.

RFPADownload

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