Amendment to Idaho Constitution - House Joint Resolution 6 (English as official language)
FOR/AGAINST statements are printed side by side; paragraphs assigned by column (FOR: "cost-efficient", "encourage non-English speakers"; AGAINST: "social division", "unnecessary"). Verify visually.
fiscal_impact is the bill sponsor-prepared Statement of Purpose/Fiscal Note (Idaho Joint Rule 18), not a nonpartisan fiscal office estimate.
Arguments prepared by the Legislative Council.
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/HJR006SOP.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 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?”
A YES vote would designate English the official state language of Idaho.
A NO vote would make no change to Idaho’s Constitution, which currently does not designate an official state language.
This proposed constitutional amendment would designate English as the official state language. All official speeches, meetings, and other proceedings of state and local governments, such as city council meetings and jury trials, would be conducted in English, and instruction in public schools would be provided in English. All documents of state and local government entities would be published in English. However, the amendment would allow languages other than English to be used when required by federal law.
There is an estimated cost of up to $300,000 for the Secretary of State to publish proposed constitutional amendments and arguments in a voter's pamphlet as required by law. The costs will occur anyway if any other amendments or ballot initiatives qualify for the November 2026 general election ballot. The pamphlet with initiatives and constitutional amendments will be published and mailed to every household in the state by late September of 2026.
The amendment could promote cost-efficient government by limiting the resources spent on communications in languages other than English. The amendment could encourage non-English speakers to learn English to be able to better participate in public life. This could promote unity and create a stronger sense of community and shared identity. Non-English speakers would still have language assistance for critical government services, because that is required by federal law. The amendment could promote social cohesion without endangering anyone.
Legislative Council (statements for the proposed amendment)
The amendment could create social division by signaling to non-English speakers that they are unwelcome in the state and their communities. The amendment is unnecessary because state law already makes English the official state language. The existing law is better than the amendment because the existing law is much more detailed. For example, the law allows public schools to teach foreign languages to interested students. The amendment, by requiring that all public instruction be conducted in English, might not allow this.
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.