StoriesJanuary 9, 2023

Gov. Brad Little delivers the annual State of the State address from the floor of the House of Representatives at the Idaho State Capitol on Jan. 10, 2022.
Gov. Brad Little delivers the annual State of the State address from the floor of the House of Representatives at the Idaho State Capitol on Jan. 10, 2022.Brian Myrick / Idaho Press

BOISE — Idaho Gov. Brad Little is looking to continue his focus on education by prioritizing teacher pay in the upcoming legislative session.

"When we show teachers we support them, we’re showing families their child’s education is our priority," Little said Monday in his annual State of the State address. 

In last year's single-day September special session, Little recommended and the Legislature passed a bill to dedicate $410 million a year in ongoing funding for education, with $330 million of that going to the public school income fund for K-12 public schools.

This year’s proposed budget “delivers” on those promises, according to the governor’s Budget Director Alex Adams. In the governor's proposed plan, which he called "Idaho first," Little emphasized that the first priority is education. 

"We are not backing down on education," Little said, "we are doubling down on education." 

The total general fund increase proposed is a 5% increase over last year’s budget.

Little also called for property tax relief, infrastructure improvements, improved pay for law enforcement and behavioral health investments. The governor additionally recommended preparations for a predicted economic recession.

Education

In his budget proposal, Little called for $145 million for improving teacher pay statewide. He wants to move the starting teacher salary to $47,477, which he said would put it in the top 10 nationally — up from where the state currently ranks at 41st. For classified staff, which include cafeteria workers, bus drivers and paraprofessionals, Little recommended the state put $97.4 million to improve their pay.

Last year, he recommended using federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to give $1,000 bonuses to all teachers and to speed up the teacher career ladder by funding two years' worth at a cost of $104 million.

For higher education, Little proposed expanding the Idaho Launch program by investing $80 million to provide $8,500 for qualifying high school graduates to use at any Idaho university, community college, career technical program, or workforce training provider. The budget also recommends spending $110 million for community college and university infrastructure to increase capacity.

“The ‘Idaho Launch’ scholarship will be the single largest investment in career technical and workforce education in state history,” he said. “We want Idaho students brought up in Idaho schools working at Idaho jobs.”

He also wants to make permanent the “Empowering Parents” grant program, which was implemented last year. The grants can be used for education needs, from tutoring to technology, and are up to $1,000 per student or $3,000 per family. Little’s recommendation is to invest an additional $30 million in this program.

"The Empowering Parents grants are effective, popular, and worthy of continued investment," he said. "Most importantly, they keep parents in the driver’s seat of their children’s education, as it should be."

He also said the state's commitment to public schools is both a "constitutional" and "moral obligation." 

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"My Idaho first plan delivers on both the constitutional mandate and the mandate from the voters of Idaho by investing in our public schools," he said.

Property taxes

Little set aside in his proposal $120 million to be directed to local government for property tax mitigation. However, it’s up to the Legislature to determine how that bill will look, Adams said.

In Little’s speech, he said the investments the state is making in infrastructure is a form of property tax relief because it takes the burden off local governments to pass bonds and levies. These investments include drinking water and wastewater improvements and road and bridge maintenance, he said.

Infrastructure

He proposed $150 million for state water infrastructure and a $15 million grant program that will be focused on critical energy infrastructure, such as for hospitals and local courthouses. He suggested another $96.8 million for transportation safety, to be used on projects such as traffic signals and widened roadways.

Little recommended $200 million in an ongoing effort to improve local bridges, $35 million for airports, and $10 million for pedestrian safety.

He also proposed using $225 million in federal funding to improve broadband infrastructure in the state.

"Let's work on better ways to facilitate growth paying for growth and give local governments the tools they need to keep taxes low," he said.

Other proposals

The governor’s budget would provide $72 million of combined state and federal funds to expand behavioral health services to Medicaid beneficiaries.

It also includes $24 million for the construction of a forensic, 26-bed mental health facility to care for patients with mental illness who are determined to be dangerous by Idaho Courts.

He’s recommending a 10% increase for state law enforcement officials, which would be a more than $6,000 increase for the average state trooper. Another $1.6 million in ongoing funding would go toward the Idaho State Police to develop a statewide drug interdiction team to respond to the fentanyl crisis.

Last week, he launched an educational campaign called "All it Takes," Little said, which includes stories of young Idahoans who died by accidental fentanyl poisoning. 

His proposed budgets takes specific steps to prepare the state for a potential recession, Adams said. It also would pay off debt in a transportation bond program and bolster the rainy day fund by $61.7 million, among other recommendations.  

"We must be prudent," he said. "We must prepare for the impending economic downturn, and now more than ever we must make wise decisions that stand the test of time. We can’t cut beyond the level of service Idahoans demand, and we must not use our one-time surplus for wasteful spending." 

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