Little outlines legislative agenda

BOISE — Idaho Gov. Brad Little kicked off the 2024 legislative session with the State of the State and budget address Monday. 

Education continues to be a top priority for Little, who shared some of the success from last year’s implementation of the Idaho LAUNCH grant program.

LAUNCH covers 80 percent of the cost of enrollment in an education or training program for high school graduates seeking an in-demand career. The scholarship was unveiled last year during the 2023 State of the State and has since received over 12,500 applicants. 

“The interest in LAUNCH far exceeded everyone’s expectations, and we’re excited for these young Idahoans,” Little said. 

Little said that while there was much progress made during the last session, more work needs to be done to improve the conditions of the state.  

Little unveiled, “Idaho Works,” his plan to strengthen Idaho’s water and transportation infrastructure as well as a 2-billion-dollar investment over the next ten years for school facilities and unmet capital construction needs. The Governor expressed his concern over the condition of school buildings across the state and referenced touring a school whose cafeteria had raw sewage seeping beneath it. 

Gov. Little says “Idaho Works” will be addressing various student-related issues by doubling the funding for school advisors and recommending a new Statewide Student Behavioral Health Initiative for additional suicide prevention.  

“Idaho Works” also aims to curb human trafficking by sending two teams of Idaho State Police troopers to our “lawless southern border” to be trained on better tactics to respond to human traffickers as well as acting as a force multiplier. Little expects that the state troopers will return to Idaho with a greater knowledge on how to stop human trafficking in Idaho, as well as the skill set to train their fellow law enforcement colleagues. 

Human trafficking is not the only concern facing our community explained Little.  

The “Idaho Works” plan also works to revitalize Idaho infrastructure- specifically concerning the repair or replacement of the last third of Idaho’s bridges. Little said 900 bridges in Idaho have been rated poor or predate the moon landing.

“We have put $400 million into this effort in the past few years, and it’s time to buckle up and finish the job,” he added.

Little said that by continuing to invest in transportation, particularly in rural areas, commerce will be more easily facilitated and provide property tax relief. He believes that by prioritizing transportation projects now, Idahoans will benefit for generations to come. 

Outdated infrastructure is not the only concern facing our community explained Little.  

The governor also called out social media as one of the primary causes of the mental health decline for youth, calling it addictive and a platform for bullying. He continued to explain that social media makes kids compare themselves to artificial standards of beauty and lifestyles and replaces quality time with friends and family. Little called upon lawmakers to pass reforms this session that would better protect children from the harmful effects of social media and referenced legislation passed in Arkansas and Utah as an example that requires social media platforms to confirm parental permission and to verify their users’ ages before opening an account. Little also explained how he banned the popular social media app TikTok in the state government to protect private data and information from being obtained by the Chinese government. 

Little ended his speech by referencing the late Gov. Phil Batt and his unrelenting human rights leadership, determined fiscal conservatism, and enduring love of Idaho. He shared an anecdote from Batt’s first week as a legislator where he stood up in the Senate chamber and said, “Let’s get this show on the road.”

The governor concluded by saying, “Let’s get to work for the people of Idaho. Let’s focus on the big things. And let us all aspire to leave a legacy like Governor Batt – a legacy that will outlive us all. God bless Idaho.” 

Sophie Spanbauer is an intern with the University of Idaho McClure Center for Public Policy Research and the UI JAMM News Service.

• The full transcript of the Governor’s 2024 State of the State and Budget Address can be found at bit.ly/47pMH1y.
• The full video of the Governor’s 2024 State of the State and Budget Address can be found at bit.ly/3NXUzAo.
• The FY2025 IDAHO WORKS Budget Highlights can be found at bit.ly/3tN9N4n.

    Idaho Gov. Brad Little addresses the Idaho Legislature, state officials and members of the public as he outlines his goal for the coming legislative session during Monday's State of the State address.

    Idaho Gov. Brad Little addresses the Idaho Legislature, state officials and members of the public as he outlines his goal for the coming legislative session during Monday's State of the State address.