Amendment to Idaho Constitution - House Joint Resolution 4 (psychoactive substances)
fiscal_impact is the bill sponsor-prepared Statement of Purpose/Fiscal Note (Idaho Joint Rule 18), not a nonpartisan fiscal office estimate.
Arguments for/against legislative amendments are prepared by the Legislative Council (not campaigns); no fiscal statement published.
GAP-FILL 2026-10-10: fiscal_impact quoted verbatim from Idaho Legislature, Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Note attached to the bill, "FISCAL NOTE" section (https://legislature.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/sessioninfo/2025/legislation/HJR004SOP.pdf). Single-sourced (one official document). Per the document disclaimer, the SOP/fiscal note is prepared by a proponent of the bill, not by a nonpartisan fiscal office.
“Shall Section 26, Article III of the Constitution of the State of Idaho be amended to provide that only the Idaho Legislature shall have power and authority to legalize the growing, producing, manufacturing, transporting, selling, delivering, dispensing, administering, prescribing, distributing, possessing, or using of marijuana, narcotics, or other psychoactive substances?”
A YES vote would give the Legislature exclusive authority to legalize marijuana, narcotics, or other psychoactive substances in the State of Idaho.
A NO vote would make no change to Idaho’s Constitution, which currently allows changes to Idaho’s controlled substances laws using the initiative process.
This proposed constitutional amendment would give the Legislature exclusive authority to legalize marijuana, narcotics, or other psychoactive substances in the State of Idaho.
This constitutional amendment proposes no changes to existing statutes. Hence, there is no fiscal impact, except the cost of placing this on the ballot. According to the Secretary of State, the approximate cost of any ballot measure is not more than $200,000.00. Historically, the Secretary of State receives a biennial appropriation of $300,000.00 to cover the costs of ballot measures.
Drugs destroy lives, tear apart families, and threaten the safety of our communities. Decisions about legalizing marijuana, narcotics, and other psychoactive substances are too important to be made lightly. The proposed amendment would ensure that any proposal to legalize these dangerous substances would go through the legislative process. Public hearings would be held on the proposal, where law enforcement and people whose lives have been damaged by drugs would be able to testify. Legislators would carefully consider each proposal and would be publicly accountable for their votes.
Legislative Council (statement for the proposed amendment)
The Idaho Constitution says that all political power belongs to the people. But the proposed amendment would take power away from the people by getting rid of their ability to pass drug legalization laws on their own through ballot initiatives. The people are as capable of making good, careful decisions about drug policy as legislators are. The amendment is also unnecessary because if the people did ever pass a poorly considered law legalizing drugs, the Legislature would have the power to amend or repeal it.
Legislative Council (statement against the proposed amendment)
Both columns use the same layout. Text is quoted from the official state guide. Views expressed belong to the argument authors.