Little: High hopes for session

COEUR d’ALENE — Gov. Brad Little on Thursday outlined a plan to help school districts fund capital projects during a speech in Coeur d’Alene.

Little said a draft bill may be out soon on a proposal that includes a $1 billion state bond for districts. He said it could also lower the burden for school taxes on property owners.

He said with the difficulty in passing bonds as they require two-thirds approval, he wanted to provide districts with another option.

“It will simplify a lot of the things the school districts have to do going forward,” he said to about 375 people at the Hagadone Event Center. “I think it’s going to be a big game-changer.”

The plan calls for dedicating sales tax revenue to help fund school facilities.

He said school districts generally receive a significant amount of property taxes.

“I can lower the burden for school taxes on the taxpayers,” he said.

Little said $1 billion toward a facilities bond would result in sound, safe schools that are essential for education.

“It’s going to make a difference in school facilities,” he said as the crowd applauded.

The governor gave a 30-minue talk before the Coeur d’Alene Regional Chamber's luncheon. He covered a lot of ground, from bridges and road work to teacher pay to affordable homes.

He said the state is doing well financially and he expects that to continue.

“I never frankly in my wildest dreams thought that we could have the most tax relief per capita of any state in the nation, and make record investments in education and transportation, in water, in sewer, in all the areas that were important to the state," he said.

On the lack of affordable housing, Little said, "If I was Janet Yellen (U.S. secretary of the Treasury) and I was in charge of Federal Reserve, I’d lower mortgage rates and I would have that problem taken care of.”

He said the state's investments in sewer, water and roads benefit home ownership.

“Those all have an impact on housing affordability,” he said. 

Little said he would like to increase funding avenues so people with lower incomes can purchase homes, but that alone won't solve the lack of affordability.

“The problem is going to be solved by a more normalization of the mortgage rates,” he said.

Little addressed behavioral health issues at schools and said cellphones are a big part of the problem. He wants to tackle the “negative impact of social media on young people.”

“We’ve got a problem with what these kids are getting off these devices,” he said, holding up his phone.

Little said he would like to see teachers have some fundamental training on behavioral health "so we can recognize these kids early before the problem manifests itself later on either in school or in life.”

    Gov. Brad Little speaks on Thursday in Coeur d'Alene.