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Guest Columnist ID Senator Glenneda Zuiderveld: What If We’re Fighting the Wrong Battle?

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September 5, 2026

What If We’re Fighting the Wrong Battle?
The Lindsay Clancy verdict, three innocent lives, and a hard question for our generation: Have we become “always learning” while failing to recognize the spiritual battle before us?

By: Glenneda Zuiderveld

With the verdict in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial, this passage immediately came to mind:

2 Timothy 3:6–7 (NKJV)

“For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

The Greek word translated “gullible women” is gynaikaria (γυναικάρια). It carries the sense of women who are weak, foolish, or easily influenced. Paul is not saying women in general are gullible. He is describing those who have become vulnerable to deception and are being led away from truth.

But we need to read this in context.

Paul begins the chapter:

“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come.”
—2 Timothy 3:1 NKJV

He describes people as lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, disobedient, unthankful, unholy, and “having a form of godliness but denying its power” (vv. 2–5).

Then comes the warning about those who exploit the spiritually vulnerable and lead them away from truth.

I am not going to get into everything being argued and shared on social media about the Clancy case. Yes, I have questions. I have wondered how a labor and delivery nurse could find herself in such a desperate condition without recognizing the danger. I have wondered why someone did not see what was happening before three innocent children lost their lives.

But that is not where I want to focus.

I want to focus on the times in which we are living.

Jesus repeatedly spoke of having eyes to see and ears to hear. Those willing to look honestly at what is happening around us can see that something is deeply wrong.

We are surrounded by information, experts, diagnoses, opinions, podcasts, news, and social media. We have endless opportunities to learn, yet Paul warns of people who are:

“always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

Think about that.

Always learning. Never arriving at truth.

Perhaps one of the greatest dangers of our time is not a lack of information. It is having so much information and so many competing voices that we lose our ability to recognize truth.

And there is one truth I believe we desperately need to acknowledge:

We are in a spiritual battle.

Ephesians 6:12 (NASB)

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

Yet our culture tries to explain almost everything in purely human terms. We talk about mental illness, hormones, trauma, stress, medication, environment, and countless other factors.

Those things can be very real. But what if, in explaining everything through the physical and psychological, we have forgotten the spiritual?

Scripture tells us evil is real. Satan is real. Demonic forces are real. Spiritual deception is real.

Yet we keep trying to fight a spiritual battle almost exclusively with the weapons and wisdom of man.

There is a proper place for medical care, medication, counseling, and other forms of help. But they cannot replace spiritual discernment or the truth of God’s Word.

If our struggle is “not against flesh and blood,” we need to stop acting as though flesh and blood are the only things involved.

So How Do We Fight?

This has become very personal to me as a state senator.

I sit in a place where people continually come looking for answers. When something goes wrong, one of our first responses has become:

“What is the government going to do about it?”

Another law. Another program. Another appropriation. Another agency. Another government solution.

Government has a legitimate role. Romans 13 makes that clear. We have a responsibility to protect the innocent, punish wrongdoing, uphold justice, and maintain order.

But there is something government simply cannot do.

Government cannot heal the human heart.

We can pass laws against murder, but we cannot legislate hatred out of someone’s heart.

We can spend millions addressing addiction, broken families, mental illness, homelessness, and violence, while never addressing what is breaking the culture in the first place.

Have we become so accustomed to running to government for answers that we have forgotten to run to God?

God has already given us His prescription for a land that needs healing:

2 Chronicles 7:14 (NASB)

“and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

Notice where God begins.

Not with government.

Not with politicians.

Not with another program.

“My people.”

Humble yourselves. Pray. Seek My face. Turn from your wicked ways.

Maybe we have been asking government to do something only God can do.

That doesn’t mean Christians withdraw from government, medicine, education, counseling, law enforcement, or our communities. We should be engaged in all of them. But we must understand their limitations.

Government has a role. Medicine has a role. Counseling has a role. But none of them can take the place of God.

And if Scripture tells us the battle is spiritual, Scripture also tells us how to fight it:

“Therefore, take up the full armor of God…”
—Ephesians 6:13 NASB

Truth. Righteousness. The gospel of peace. Faith. Salvation. The Word of God. Prayer.

And notice what comes first:

TRUTH.

That brings us right back to where we started:

“Always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

Maybe we don’t need more information as much as we need discernment to recognize the battle and courage to fight it the way God told us to.

Because if we misidentify the enemy, we will inevitably choose the wrong weapons.

What Is Our Responsibility?

We cannot read these Scriptures, look at the world around us, shake our heads, and then go back to life as usual.

Truth demands a response.

As believers, we have a responsibility to know God’s Word, pray, discern truth from deception, put on the full armor of God, and stand.

As parents and grandparents, we need to pay attention. Know what is happening in your home. Know who is influencing your children. Notice changes. Ask difficult questions. Listen to the answers.

We need spiritual situational awareness.

Don’t dismiss warning signs because dealing with them might be uncomfortable.

Don’t assume somebody else will handle it.

Don’t wait until tragedy forces everyone to ask, “How did we not see this coming?”

Then we need courage.

James 4:17 (NASB)

“So for one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, for him it is sin.”

Sometimes knowing isn’t enough.

Sometimes you have to do something.

Speak up. Ask the question. Make the phone call. Protect the child. Help the struggling mother. Confront the lie. Pray with the hurting. Get involved. And when someone is in immediate danger, get them to safety and get appropriate help.

As civil servants, we must remember that we are not called to be saviors. We are called to be servants.

Protect innocent life. Administer justice. Restrain evil. Defend liberty. Steward authority with humility. And have the courage to acknowledge that some things no legislation, appropriation, or government program can heal.

Finally, we need steadfastness.

1 Corinthians 15:58 (NASB)

“Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be firm, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

Doing the right thing once can be easy.

Doing it repeatedly when nobody applauds, when you are criticized, when you are tired, and when standing becomes costly requires steadfastness.

That is where I believe we need to be:

Situational awareness to recognize what is happening.

Courage to do something about it.

Steadfastness to stay in the fight.

Not fear.

Not apathy.

Not waiting for government to save us.

We have been given the truth. We have been told who the enemy is. We have been given the armor. We have been told how to stand.

Now we have a responsibility to do it.

Open your eyes. Pay attention. Pray. Know the Word. Protect those God has entrusted to you. Speak when truth needs to be spoken. Act when action is required.

And when the battle becomes difficult, remain steadfast.

Because perhaps the question for our generation is no longer whether we can see what is happening.

The question is: Now that we see it, what are we going to do about it?

Ed. Superintendent Critchfield: This Year’s K-12 Public School Budget Looks Towards Idaho’s Future, Not its Past

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Observer Staff
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(Idaho Department of Education Press Release, September 4, 2026)

Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield (Photo Credit: Idaho State Board of Education)

Boise–Last year when I was pressed to identify cuts to our public schools, I declined. I knew schools couldn’t sustain mid-year cuts, let alone ongoing reductions. When I submit a K-12 public school budget, it comes after months of consideration and work, informed by where schools are financially and what they need.

In the background of this back-to-school season, my team and I have been preparing that budget. Everything we see at the surface of our schools – buses transporting students, teachers welcoming kids to their classrooms, and students learning and succeeding – is fueled by the dollars allocated through the K-12 public school budget.

Preparing it is a huge responsibility, and in this tight fiscal environment, we had to be agile in finding money and allocating it effectively. We have to look at the pot of money available and find the most efficient ways to use it so districts and charters can maximize their appropriation for the betterment of their students and communities.

Here are some things I’d like Idahoans to know about this year’s requested K-12 budget:

We prepared this budget knowing that the one-time funding the Legislature appropriated to support high-needs students in FY27 was just that: one-time. Amidst cutbacks and reductions, we successfully funded a new policy with interest from existing accounts. That matters. We were very clear that this wasn’t the long-term fix and that we’d return with another request tied to interest.

We had to work again this year to secure funding for FY28. That work meant funding for high-needs students was $1.7 million, rather than zero. Our commitment is unchanged, but the current funding mechanism requires us to return to the negotiation table to receive any support for this much-needed fund.

That broken mechanism – the reason we’re negotiating one-time funding instead of ongoing support – is one of the most important issues this budget begins to address. During the 2026 legislative session, my department and I had countless conversations about overhauling Idaho’s public school funding formula, created in 1994

Revising that formula to get the right funding into the right places will help solve problems for high-needs students, our educators, and our educational communities. It will create a flow of money that reflects today’s needs, not 1994’s.

To say that work will not come with growing pains would be naïve. That’s why we’re asking for $20 million in new operational funding. Operational funding allows schools to address a variety of needs and, most importantly, is the largest source of dollars used to fund special education services. Your child’s classroom should not have to endure these growing pains. This budget request helps ensure it won’t.

This request should also assure taxpayers of one thing: we remain committed to supporting students who need more to succeed while moving toward a solution that eliminates the need for one-time asks and constant negotiation. We want a funding formula that works for Idaho’s modern classrooms, and this budget request is an important step in that direction.

P.A.G.E.: Why Do Commissioners Ignore Constituents While Sharing Info with Third Party Interests?

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Observer Staff
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Pocatello for Accountable Government Entities: Keeping Government Accountable

(Pocatello for Accountable Government Entities, September 4, 2026)

The public was told “No single draft, no early feedback, no outside group—whether a solar company, an agricultural association, or a neighborhood coalition—gets preferential standing in this process.”

So why is it that some parties – parties with a vested interest in the future outcome of the Land Use and Development (LUDO) ordinance – were denied requests to meet with Commissioners in 2025? Here is one example.

The only reason given was . . . “When commissioners discuss a matter with constituents outside of a public hearing, it creates the possibility that they may have to RECUSE themselves from voting on the issue. Addressing them all together at the hearing avoids this potential outcome.”
Yet – other third-party interests (Balanced Rock Power, private landowners, etc.) in favor of industrial solar projects, etc. are allowed access to Commissioners with no acknowledgement of any conflict and no concerns for a “possibility they (the Commissioners) may have to recuse themselves from voting on the issue.”
This is a classic example of what “preferential standing” looks like.
Our interest as P.A.G.E. is to ensure that government decisions are made fairly and without bias, especially when it comes to the Land Use and Development Ordinance that will impact entire communities. We all need to do our part to ensure our elected leaders are receiving (and allowing) ALL the information to be presented and considered.

Editor’s Note: for supporting documentation, see P.A.G.E.’s Facebook post, here.

AG Labrador Secures Major Legal Victory against New York’s Climate Change Superfund Act

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Observer Staff
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(Attorney General’s Office Press Release, September 8, 2026)

BOISE, ID —  Attorney General Raúl Labrador announced today the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York struck down New York’s Climate Change Superfund Act, declaring the law unenforceable. The law aimed to impose $75 billion in fines to energy producers for prior lawful energy production. Attorney General Labrador joined a coalition of attorneys general to challenge the law. The Trump Administration and attorneys representing the coal, oil, and natural gas industries also joined the fight.

Climate Superfund laws target select traditional energy producers with severe penalties for decades of prior energy production. New York’s statute specifically targeted energy production from 2000–2024 and aimed to impose $75 billion in fines, even while New York used and profited from the use of fossil fuels during those years. During that time, energy producers were regulated by the EPA and subject to state laws that allowed them to legally produce energy for the nation.

“New York forced their job-killing climate agenda on critical industries,” said Attorney General Labrador. “That $75 billion bill would have landed on Idaho families every time they filled up their truck or heated their home. Extortion disguised as regulation is unacceptable to our coalition, and the District Court agreed.” 

In late July, the Court heard arguments in West Virginia v. James. Chief Judge Brenda Sannes issued a written ruling in favor of West Virginia. The Court held that the Climate Change Superfund Act was “simply beyond the limits of state law.”  New York’s law conflicts with federal interests in applying uniform air pollution regulations. The federal Clean Air Act provides exclusive rules for regulating interstate air pollution. Because New York’s law is inconsistent with the Clean Air Act, it cannot be enforced. The Court also ruled that the foreign affairs doctrine preempted the Superfund law’s attempt to regulate international emissions.

This victorious ruling is the first on this issue. This coalition of attorneys general is currently also challenging a similar Superfund law in Vermont. Legislation is also pending in several other states.

Idaho joined West Virginia, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming in the lawsuit.

Read the order here.

‘Please Just Stay’ Suicide Awareness Month Kickoff Is Tonight, September 8

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Observer Staff
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September 8, 2026 (Cover image credit: Please Just Stay FB)

Pocatello–The ‘Please Just Stay’ Suicide Awareness campaign begins tonight with a special event at Lookout Point. The event organizers shared the details on Facebook:

Join us at Lookout Point as we come together to kick off Suicide Awareness Month with hope, remembrance, and community.

This free, all-ages event is a space to connect, reflect, and raise awareness around suicide prevention and mental health. Together, we’ll honor those we’ve lost, support those who may be struggling, and remind one another of something we all need to hear:

You are not alone. Your life matters. Please just stay.

Honor Beads — Wear a bead in remembrance, support, or solidarity
Community Resources — Connect with local organizations offering mental health and wellness resources
Short Program — Hear messages of hope, connection, and encouragement

Whether you’ve lost someone to suicide, love someone who struggles, advocate for mental health, or simply want to stand with your community, this night is for you.

Our goal is simple: to help create a community where it’s okay to talk about mental health, okay to ask for help, and where we remind each other that staying matters.

Tuesday, September 8, 2026 • 7 PM
Lookout Point • Pocatello, Idaho
All ages welcome • Free to attend

Hope. Remembrance. Community.
Please just stay.

The Simpson Standard: Honor Flight, Socialism, and Mining

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Observer Staff
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(U.S. Representative Mike Simpson, September 6, 2026)

It was a privilege to welcome some of Idaho’s finest to our nation’s capital earlier this week. Every year, the Idaho Honor Flight gives veterans the opportunity to visit the memorials built in recognition of their service and sacrifice to our nation. I was thankful to attend and see more than 45 Idaho veterans.

During my speech at the Idaho Honor Flight event, I quoted President Reagan’s “Freedom is a fragile thing, and it’s never more than one generation away from extinction.” Wasn’t he on to something? With the rise in socialism and communism, now more than ever, common sense is at stake. This week, the House passed a resolution condemning socialism. I was a proud YES vote.

Additionally, the House passed a bill this week to protect domestic mining. The Protecting Domestic Mining Act will strengthen America’s mining and mineral processing capabilities by providing regulatory certainty for producers and permitting agencies. You can read more about this legislation below.

Honoring Idaho’s Veterans

The Idaho Honor Flight marks a historic moment for our state. Standing alongside these distinguished Idaho veterans at the Honor Flight was a privilege.

I will never take it for granted. We are grateful to Honor Flight and Anheuser-Busch, who hosted this event, for their commitment to ensuring these veterans receive the recognition they so richly deserve.

Freedom is Never More than One Generation Away from Extinction

192 Democrats voted against condemning socialism. Common sense is at stake.

The extreme ideas like replacing the President and the Supreme Court, abolishing law enforcement, and extending voting rights to illegal aliens are not about fairness or equality – they are simply anti-American. I’m pleased to see a resolution condemning these radical ideas pass the House, but it makes it abundantly clear where the Democrats stand.

Protecting Domestic Mining

Reducing our dependence on foreign adversaries for critical mineral production should be one of our top priorities.

Under the Biden administration, we depended on sourcing critical minerals from our enemies. I applaud the Trump administration’s efforts to strengthen domestic mining, but it’s well past time for Congress to act and cut bureaucratic red tape. Mining in America is critical for our national security, and we have the resources and workers to mine and produce right here at home.

Idaho Secretary of State: At the Heart of Idaho’s Elections

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Observer Staff
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(Idaho Secretary of State, September 4, 2026)

The day is long, beginning at least an hour before the polls open at 8 a.m. and not ending until well after the last voter’s name has been called out and the last ballot cast after 8 p.m. There is equipment to set up, signs to post, and stickers to hand out.

To most voters, poll workers make the process look effortless.

What you don’t see are the hours of training and the rules and procedures they learn to make Election Day easy, secure, and consistent for every voter who walks through the door.

And when the polls close, their work continues. The remaining unvoted ballots must be carefully accounted for against the number of voters who checked in that day. Records are completed, materials are secured and sealed, and everything is returned to the county elections office.

It is meticulous work. It is also an incredible act of public service.

This is the very heart of the democratic process. In Idaho, around 5,000 poll workers are needed to help Idahoans exercise their right to vote. They are your neighbors and community members, and many of them have other obligations they put on hold to serve at the polls.

In 2020, I had the distinct pleasure of celebrating one of those committed Idahoans. At age 91, June Pack was retiring after an impressive 55 years of continuous service that began in 1965. She became chief judge and tended to her precinct with the precision of a veteran and the care of someone who takes civic duty seriously. She passed away only a few months later, but I have never forgotten her or her service. She left a profound legacy: her daughter also volunteered at the polls and, after her retirement, took on June’s role managing the precinct.

June may have been exceptional in the length of her service, but the spirit behind it is something I see in poll workers across Idaho.

I’m living a version of it myself. I was a proud dad this week as my daughter served as a poll worker for a local school district election. If I’m a fourth-generation Idaho government nerd, she’s the fifth, and democracy runs in her blood. She loves to serve, and I love watching her confidently go about the work of elections that I love so much. Whether it’s someone serving for the first time or someone like June who returned election after election for more than half a century, our elections depend on Idahoans willing to step up and serve.

County election offices across the state are gearing up for Idaho’s November general election, and they need poll workers. It’s a long day, but it’s also a day spent alongside your neighbors, helping them take part in something bigger than themselves. Consider becoming a poll worker. I can almost guarantee the experience will leave you better than it found you.

Phil McGrane

ABOUT SECRETARY PHIL McGRANE

Phil McGrane was elected Idaho’s twenty-eighth Secretary of State and took office on January 2, 2023. McGrane served as elected Clerk of Ada County from 2019-2022.McGrane holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, a juris doctorate, and a Master of Public Administration. As a fourth-generation Idahoan, Phil has dedicated his career to making elections in the state of Idaho accessible, secure and transparent.

Pocatello: Road Closure and Traffic Report for Week of September 7, 2026

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Observer Staff
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(Photo Credit: City of Pocatello)

September 7, 2026 (Cover Photo Credit: City of Pocatello)

The City of Pocatello’s Road Construction & Traffic Report for the week of September 7, 2026, has been published and may be read here.

Highlights include:

  • Street sweepers are currently performing their regular sweeping schedule.
  • The Street Services crew will be patching potholes and curb lines throughout the City.
  • Traffic Operations crews are repainting crosswalks throughout the City.
  • Crews will be jetting and cleaning sewer mainlines throughout the City.
  • Street Services will be milling and paving Howard Avenue (W Eldredge Rd to W Alameda Rd).
  • The Water Department will be working on the water mains on Deon Dr. and on W Wyeth St.
  • Demolition of the Monarch Building continues.
  • Work continues on the Benton Street Bridge, Johny Creek’s Expanded Sewer Project, the Center Street Underpass, and the safety improvements in the area of Hiline Rd. and El Rancho Blvd.
  • MLK Jr Way between Memorial Drive and S 8th Ave will be closed from 12:00 PM
    to 9:30 PM on September 11 for the Bengal Block Party.
  • South Garfield Avenue between Center Street and West Lewis Street will be closed from 2 PM to 9 PM on Mondays for Curbside Cravings.
  • South Garfield Avenue between Center Street and West Lewis Street will be closed from 2:00 PM to 9:00 PM on Wednesdays for the Bannock Civitan Club’s Revive @ 5 Summer Concerts.
  • South Garfield Avenue between Center Street and West Lewis Street will be closed from 6 AM to 3 PM every Saturday for the Portneuf Valley Farmers Market.

 

Looking for Work? Bannock County Is Hiring

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Observer Staff
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(Bannock County HR, September 4, 2026)

Court Supervisor – Deputy Clerk
Bannock County – Pocatello, ID
Read the full job description:  CLICK HERE!

Booking Deputy
Bannock County – Pocatello, ID
Read the full job description:  CLICK HERE!

Deputy Sheriff – Detention
Bannock County – Pocatello, ID
Read the full job description:  CLICK HERE!

Equipment Operator 2 – McCammon
Bannock County – McCammon, ID
Read the full job description:  CLICK HERE!

Maintenance Technician, Level 2
Bannock County – Pocatello, ID
Read the full job description:  CLICK HERE!

Deputy Prosecuting Attorney
Bannock County – Pocatello, ID
Read the full job description:  CLICK HERE!

On-call Juvenile Detention Deputy
Bannock County – Pocatello, ID
Read the full job description:  CLICK HERE!

For a complete list of available jobs… please visit our career site at: https://bannockcounty.applicantpro.com

Patriots for Liberty and Constitution to Continue Discussing “The American Covenant” TODAY, September 7

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Observer Staff
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Patriots for Liberty and Constitution

September 7, 2026

Pocatello–Local book group “Patriots for Liberty & Constitution” plans to meet this evening as usual.  The members plan to continue discussing Chapter 1 of Marshall Foster’s book, The American Covenant, including an in-depth discussion of Benjamin Franklin’s address to the Constitutional Convention on the topic of prayer.

A PDF of the book is available for download here.

Patriots for Liberty & Constitution meets at Mountain Valley Baptist Church, 202 S. 7th Avenue in Pocatello, every Monday evening at 6:30.

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