Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Honors Resolution topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Idaho House passes resolution honoring Lyndon B. Bateman after Idaho Day program
Summary
The Idaho House passed House Concurrent Resolution 31 on March 4, 2026, recognizing the life and public service of Lyndon B. Bateman. The chamber opened with an Idaho Day program featuring historian Justin Vipperman and multiple lawmakers’ tributes; the resolution passed 68–0 with two members absent and was sent to the Senate.
The Idaho House on March 4, 2026, approved House Concurrent Resolution 31 recognizing the lifetime public service of Lyndon B. Bateman, the long-serving legislator and founder of Idaho Day. The chamber paused routine business for an Idaho Day program that included guest remarks by historian Justin Vipperman and a series of personal tributes from current lawmakers.
Representative Jeff Ehlers, who chaired the Idaho Day committee, introduced the day’s program, noted commemorative pins and challenge coins distributed to members, and introduced Justin Vipperman as the guest speaker. Vipperman, identified in the program as an assistant professor of history at the College of Southern Idaho and a trustee of the Idaho State Historical Society, framed Idaho’s civic history in the context of early American governance and frontier institutions. "The founding ideals of liberty...were tested on the frontier," Vipperman said in his address.
Former Idaho Attorney General David Leroy, introduced to the House for the program, delivered a personal tribute to Bateman, recounting Bateman’s long service as a teacher, legislator and community historian. "He showed up. He listened. He cared," Leroy said, urging the chamber to recognize Bateman’s contributions to Idaho civic life.
After the tributes, a sponsor requested the House suspend rules for immediate consideration of HCR 31. The motion carried by the required two-thirds threshold and the House proceeded to consider the resolution. The Clerk recorded a roll-call vote of 68 ayes, 0 nays, and 2 absent/excused; the resolution passed and its title was approved. The concurrent resolution will be transmitted to the Senate for its consideration.
The resolution’s text as read into the record lists Bateman’s biographical details, including his birth in 1940, his teaching career at Bonneville High School and as a faculty supervisor, volunteer service at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, leadership roles in local historical organizations, and sponsorship of legislation designating March 4 as Idaho Day. The House’s action on HCR 31 was procedural and ceremonial—no regulatory or funding changes were authorized by the resolution.
The Idaho Day program and HCR 31 recognition were the most prominent items on the floor that day; the House returned afterward to routine business and to the committee and reading calendars.
