Governor touts improvements in education funding, teacher pay, public safety and rainy-day reserve
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IDAHO FALLS — During a press conference at the Upper Snake Regional Fish and Game office on Friday, Gov. Brad Little addressed the most recent legislative session and cited accomplishments of his Idaho First plan.
Little began by addressing the accomplishments they’ve made in education.
“As they were the first four years, education investments continue to be at the top of the list,” Little said.
Little referenced a September special session when the state legislature transferred $330 million annually from sales tax collections to the public school fund. It also directed $80 million a year to a fund for career-technical education programs, community colleges or four-year colleges and universities.
From the Idaho First 2023-2024 budget activity summary, the governor and the legislature raised starting teacher pay to $47,477, as well as strengthened pay for all teachers by $6,359.
“We have to have competitive teacher starting pay or are best and brightest won’t stay here,” Little said.
From the $80 million set aside, $5 million was put to the Idaho Launch program for $8,000 grants for qualifying high school graduates to use at any community college, career technical program or workforce training program.
“It’ll be an avenue where Idaho kids will stay in Idaho,” Little said.
These appropriations provided $72.9 million for community college and university infrastructure to increase the capacity of campuses and prepare for rising student demand.
Little is also proud of what Idaho has done to reduce the burden on taxpayers, recommending an additional $120 million for ongoing local government property tax mitigation. The legislature turned in $117 million for ongoing relief and $20 million in one-time relief for FY 2024.
“The session went on and on and … we did get there. There was a bill at the end. I had some issues with it,” Little said. “Three bills later and six different appropriation bills later, they really resolved the issue. There were some problems with it that we pointed out, but we’re happy.”
Little also spoke to the work they’ve done to increase Idaho’s public safety.
He recommended strengthening recruitment of state law enforcement officials with a 10% salary adjustment, and the legislature approved a 6% salary adjustment.
Lawmakers allocated $4.1 million for safe teen reception centers, which adds to the eight centers funded last year that provide law enforcement with an alternative placement option for troubled youth. These centers connect youth with long term community-based resources to avoid further entrance into the juvenile justice and child welfare systems.
The Legislature also implemented Idaho Behavioral Health Council recommendations by providing $400,000 for a court-sponsored pre-plea diversion program and a low-risk/high need treatment court evaluation pilot program. These programs help first time non-violent offenders find treatment that addresses mental health and substance-use disorders
“You can’t arrest your way, you can’t incarcerate your way out of these substance abuse problems. You have to have other programs and that’s a result of our behavioral health council,” Little said.
Little also spoke to the efforts made to prepare the state for the predicted recession.
He says the state has bolstered its rainy-day funds by $61.7 million to prepare for any coming economic downturns. The state also left a surplus in both of the budgeted years of less than $200 million to provide a greater cushion against economic uncertainty.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen in the international economy or the national economy. All I know is with what I and my legislative partners have done, we’re going to be in better shape in Idaho than any of those other states,” Little said.