April 8, 2026 – Idaho has become the 25th state to pass a resolution urging Congress to propose a constitutional amendment restoring the authority of Congress and the states to set reasonable rules on election spending.
Key points:
- Idaho is the 25th state to pass such a resolution.
- The 25-state threshold marks a significant turning point in the movement.
- States are acting to reclaim from the federal courts the authority to set those rules on election spending.
The Idaho House passed SJM 109 on March 30, following the Senate’s passage earlier in March. Both chambers overwhelmingly passed the resolution affirming the 10th Amendment and supporting a constitutional amendment to restore state authority over campaign finance.
Idaho’s action builds on momentum from Oklahoma, which became the 24th state earlier this year, and Utah, which passed a similar measure in 2025. Legislatures in more than a dozen other states are actively considering similar resolutions.
The 25-state threshold marks a significant turning point in a growing movement, supported by American Promise, to restore elected representatives’ authority over money in politics. From Massachusetts to Montana, Alaska to Nevada, West Virginia to California, and now Idaho, states across the ideological spectrum have passed similar resolutions, reflecting a broad, cross-partisan push for states to reclaim that decision-making authority from the federal courts.
The increasing influx of campaign money influencing Idaho elections, specifically out-of-state cash infusions, are motivating the call for change. In 2024, more than $17 million was spent on campaign and independent expenditures on legislative races across Idaho, with more than $9.3 million spent by outside groups on ads and other materials to support or oppose candidates.
A case in point is the more than $700,000 spent by one Virginia-based PAC to oppose certain candidates and influence elections in 2024.
“It’s time to do something to reverse a trend that is fueling distrust, cynicism, and inequity in our electoral process,” said Sen. Carl Bjerke, R-Coeur d’Alene, the SJM 109 sponsor in the Senate. “It starts by Idahoans reforming our campaign finance system and laws, and that’s why we supported this resolution and its core principle that election control belongs in the hands of the state — not federal judges.”
Rep. Brandon Mitchell, the co-sponsor in the House, said SJM 109 is an appropriate first step in Idaho asserting its sovereignty and taking control of its own electoral destiny.
“Campaigning for a seat in the Legislature or statewide executive office is more challenging than it’s ever been, and at the root of it is a financial arms race powered by dark money and big checks written by out-of-state interests that don’t understand Idaho politics, priorities, and values,” Mitchell said.
For decades, a series of federal court rulings has steadily narrowed what states and Congress can do to address election spending, placing those decisions increasingly in the hands of the federal courts. A constitutional amendment would restore that authority to elected representatives in Congress and the states.
With 25 states now on record, American Promise, the cross-partisan organization supporting the effort, says the movement has reached an inflection point, with more state legislatures expected to act ahead of what analysts project could be the most expensive midterm election cycle on record.
“Americans are calling for change, and with half the states now backing the constitutional solution to the money in politics crisis, momentum is growing,” said Jeff Clements, CEO of American Promise. “As our country approaches our 250th anniversary, Americans across party lines are coming together to restore the constitutional freedom and balance our founders envisioned. For 50 years, Supreme Court decisions have put federal courts at the center of election policy. Americans are ready to put that authority back where it belongs: with the people and our elected representatives.”
The U.S. Constitution provides that amendments are proposed by Congress with a two-thirds vote of both chambers and ratified by three-fourths of the states. Unlike ordinary legislation, constitutional amendments are not signed by the president, and state ratification does not require gubernatorial approval.
About American Promise
After a series of Supreme Court decisions, starting in the 1970s, opened the floodgates to unlimited political spending, Americans have watched money speak louder than their votes. American Promise is a cross-partisan organization working to pass the For Our Freedom Amendment, to restore the power of Congress and the states to set reasonable rules on election spending. With 25 states now signaling support, American Promise is building a national movement to put voters back at the center of our elections.
