On Monday, Idaho governor Brad Little delivered his annual “State of the State” address before the Idaho legislature, in which he highlighted budget priorities for his administration that include education, infrastructure, tax relief, water management, workforce training, and transportation.  Little’s speech marks the beginning of the legislative session, which will undoubtedly begin negotiating the governor’s announced priorities and plans.

The biggest item presented by the governor includes a plan to fund Idaho’s education system at a level of 2 billion dollars over the next ten years.  The funds would be used to “ensure all districts have the resources necessary to address unmet capital construction needs and improve student achievement.”  Little stated that “We’ve all seen the pictures and videos of some Idaho schools that are neglected — crumbling, leaking, falling apart. In one school I visited, raw sewage is seeping into a space under the cafeteria. Folks, we can do better.”  Most of Idaho’s schools use levies to create funding for school construction.  Because the levies are usually tied to property taxes, a situation where wealthier school districts are more likely to pass levies and improve infrastructure has led to a disparity in facilities across the state.  Little presented this budgetary outlay as a longterm property tax reduction, reducing the need for levies and therefor increases in taxes that would support them.  Precisely how the funding would work was not detailed in the speech.

The new elementary school in Malad was funded without a tax-increase levy, due to the equalization bond that was available at the time, as well as an increased store of district funds as a result of the way student enrollments were counted to include IHLA.  

Governor Little also discussed various aspects of what he termed the “Idaho Works” program, which would invest in water and transportation infrastructure funding.  This represents an ongoing push, as the legislature has already approved over a billion dollars toward water security and management since taking office.  The funds include improvements to drinking water and waste water systems, such as Malad’s new wastewater treatment facility.  The “Idaho Works” program also includes the remaining bridges in need of repair throughout the state, many of which are considered dangerous by the transportation department.

The governor’s speech also highlighted funds for mental health services and advisors, a statewide suicide prevention initiative aimed at students, and infrastructure for universities to expand their offerings to account for the LAUNCH program, announced last year.  LAUNCH provides $8,000 for qualifying students to pursue post-secondary education and training in high-demand fields.

Inside this edition, the Mayor of Malad City, Joan Hawkins, and the department heads throughout the county have released their own “state of” reports.