Idaho voters will choose an official state gun from 6 firearms on the November ballot

Idaho voters will choose an official state gun this November after Gov. Brad Little signed legislation placing a nonbinding advisory question on the general election ballot.

House Bill 932, which passed the House 68-0 and cleared the Senate before Little signed it into law on April 2, asks voters to select one of six firearms to be designated as Idaho’s official state gun. The results will guide future legislative action but do not carry the force of law on their own.

The ballot question will read: “Which of the following guns should be designated as the state gun of Idaho?”

The six choices are:

• Winchester Model 1894 (.30-30)
• Winchester Model 1873 “Gun that Won the West” (.44-40)
• 1873 Colt Single Action Army Revolver “Peacemaker” (.45 Colt)
• M1 Garand rifle (.30-06)
• Colt M1911 .45 automatic Colt pistol (.45 ACP)
• Remington Model 700 bolt-action rifle (.30-06)

The measure, brought by the House Ways and Means Committee, ties the effort to the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which falls in 2026. The bill’s text describes firearms as central to both American independence and Idaho’s frontier history.

“In United States history, citizen militias were armed with long rifles in the Revolutionary War to secure liberty,” the legislation states.

It goes on to cite the Lewis and Clark expedition’s passage through Idaho in 1805-06, fur trappers in the Snake River region, and gold rush-era miners in Pierce, Boise Basin and Idaho City who “carried revolvers and rifles for protection from bandits, claim jumpers, and bears.”

The bill also notes that Idaho has one of the highest per-capita gun ownership rates in the nation and a “strong tradition of responsible gun ownership.”

Idaho would join at least 10 other states that have designated an official state firearm

The advisory question represents an unusual use of the ballot measure process for a symbolic designation. Idaho already recognizes dozens of official state symbols, including a state bird (mountain bluebird), state horse (Appaloosa) and state vegetable (potato). A state gun would be a newer category, though not unprecedented nationally. At least 10 other states have designated official state firearms, according to the NRA.

Under the law, the Idaho Legislative Council had until July 1 to prepare a dossier for the secretary of state containing a brief description of each firearm and a plain-language explanation of the question’s purpose. The council also had the authority to add firearms to the list before that deadline.

The bill drew no opposition in the House, passing on a vote of 68-0 with two members not voting. Records show 60 Republicans and eight Democrats voted in favor. Senate passage followed on March 31.

The measure was declared an emergency, making it effective immediately upon the governor’s signature to ensure election administrators had enough time to place the question on the Nov. 3 ballot.

Gun politics have been a defining feature of Idaho’s political identity. The state has some of the most permissive firearms laws in the country, including permitless concealed carry. The Legislature has in recent years passed a series of measures reinforcing gun rights, including a 2014 law that allowed concealed carry on public university campuses.

For voters, the question will appear alongside other statewide ballot measures in what is expected to be a busy November election. The results are advisory only; a separate bill would be required in a future legislative session to formally codify the winning firearm as an official state symbol.

The question will be included in the voters’ pamphlet prepared by the secretary of state.

Utah was the first U.S. state to designate an official state firearm in March 2011.

Manda Factor is the host of “Seattle’s Morning News” on KIRO Newsradio. Follow Manda on X and email her here. 

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