States findings of the Senate, recognizes the importance of Italy as a trade partner with Idaho, and supports the strengthening of ties between Idaho and Italy.

LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO Sixty-eighth Legislature Second Regular Session - 2026 IN THE SENATE SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 117 BY STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE A SENATE RESOLUTION1 STATING FINDINGS OF THE SENATE, RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF ITALY AS A2 TRADE PARTNER WITH IDAHO, AND SUPPORTING THE STRENGTHENING OF TIES BE-3 TWEEN IDAHO AND ITALY.4 Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Idaho:5 WHEREAS, the United States established diplomatic relations with Italy6 in 1861 following the unification of most of the peninsula into what became7 the Republic of Italy; and8 WHEREAS, Italy is an important trade partner with the United States. In9 2024, goods exported from the United States to Italy were worth $32.4 billion10 and goods imported to the United States from Italy were worth $76.3 billion;11 and12 WHEREAS, Italians have had a presence in Idaho even before Idaho became13 a state. Italian immigrants arrived in Idaho beginning in about 1880, re-14 sponding to the need for workers to build railroad lines across Idaho. Ital-15 ians also became loggers, miners, and farmers in Idaho and were mentioned16 in passing in the debates recorded in the proceedings of the Constitutional17 Convention of Idaho in 1889-1890; and18 WHEREAS, according to Leonard Arrington's "History of Idaho," there19 were about 2,627 Italians living and working in Idaho by 1910, including20 about 400 families in Pocatello tied to the railroad industry, and also21 loggers, farmers, miners, and shopkeepers in the areas of Kellogg, Wallace,22 Bonners Ferry, Naples, Lava Hot Springs, Roston, Mullan, and Priest River,23 with Priest River even being called "Little Italy" for a time; and24 WHEREAS, Italy has long been a partner in trade with the State of Idaho;25 and26 WHEREAS, Micron Technology, Inc., which was founded in Boise in 1978 as27 a four-person semiconductor design company and is now a Fortune 500 company,28 now has three sites in Italy, employing over 400 team members in Vimercate,29 Arzano, and Avezzano; and30 WHEREAS, in 2025, the Honorary Consulate of Italy in Idaho was estab-31 lished in Boise by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International32 Cooperation to provide Italian consulate services in the states of Idaho and33 Montana; and34 WHEREAS, the establishment of the Honorary Consulate in Idaho is ex-35 pected to facilitate an increase in tourism and trade between people and36 businesses in Idaho and Italy; to host official visit delegations from37 Italy; to promote local cultural events; to facilitate the ability of38 students to study abroad; and to help create partnerships with Idaho univer-39 sities to facilitate research ventures.40 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the members of the Senate, assembled41 in the Second Regular Session of the Sixty-eighth Idaho Legislature, that42

2 the Senate recognizes the importance of Italy as a trade partner with Idaho1 and supports the strengthening of ties between Idaho and Italy.2