STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX – Arizona House Speaker Steve Montenegro today announced that the Arizona Legislature, alongside Montana and 18 other states, filed a legal brief at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals supporting Idaho’s voter ID law, which excludes student ID cards as an acceptable form of identification at the polls.

The case, March for Our Lives Idaho v. McGrane, centers on a challenge to Idaho’s decision to prohibit the use of student IDs for voter registration and in-person voting. The amicus brief filed by the Arizona Legislature and other states urges the court to uphold Idaho’s common-sense law, defending both the integrity of state legislative processes and the constitutionality of voter ID requirements.

“Arizona is proud to stand with Idaho and any state that chooses to enact reasonable protections like voter ID,” said Speaker Montenegro. “Student IDs vary widely in design and security features. States have every right to require more reliable documentation to ensure only eligible voters are casting ballots.”

The brief challenges the plaintiffs’ attempt to use the courts to override neutral, democratically enacted laws. It emphasizes the Supreme Court’s repeated affirmation of states’ authority to regulate elections and the importance of applying a strong presumption of legislative good faith. The brief also argues that courts should not treat political or ideological motives as evidence of discriminatory intent and should not rely on isolated statements by individual lawmakers to invalidate entire legislative acts.

“Arizona’s election laws are under constant attack by activists who want to chip away at basic security measures. If we don’t fight back, we risk undermining public confidence in our elections,” Speaker Montenegro added. “Every eligible voter should be able to vote—and every illegal vote must be prevented.”

Defending election integrity is a core pillar of the House Republican Majority Plan, and today’s action is another step in delivering on our promise to protect the rights of Arizona voters and strengthen public trust in our elections.

A copy of the amicus brief is attached and available here: https://bit.ly/3YYgfBV. The Ninth Circuit is expected to hear the appeal later this year.

Steve Montenegro is the Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives and serves Legislative District 29 in the West Valley, Goodyear, and Surprise. Follow him on X at @SteveMontenegro.