BOISE, Idaho — Idaho welcomed a new era in state politics on Monday, as Gov. Brad Little gave his first state of the state address, kicking off the legislative session.
The state's 33rd governor revealed plans for his proposed budget, education, health care, public lands, and the opioid epidemic, among many other priorities.
Overall, the tone was encouraging as Gov. Little and state leaders look ahead to improving different systems. Little and legislators on both sides of the aisle say they're excited to work together for future generations, and for the opportunity for a fresh start.
Now sitting in the state’s highest seat, Gov. Brad Little laid out his roadmap for Idaho's future, through a long-term lens.
“As governor, I will seek to reflect our shared Idaho values and aspirations. This means making decisions through one lens: the lens of ensuring the best possible opportunities for us, our children and grandchildren to remain in Idaho and enjoy our unparalleled quality of life,” Little said.
“It means having world-class schools. It means delivering accessible and affordable healthcare. It means giving citizens a reason to be confident in state government, by making government responsive, transparent, and accountable,” the governor added.
Education is the first pillar: he's proposing doubling literacy program funding to $26 million a year and creating a new cabinet comprised of parents, education stakeholders and advocates called the Children’s Cabinet.
He’s also planning to ramp up teacher recruitment.
“Our goal must be to ensure all kids begin at the same starting line in life. By the third grade, our students must learn to read so they can read to learn,” Little said. "Our state still has many challenges when it comes to recruiting teachers. In addition to supporting the next phase of teacher salary increases, my budget recommendation fulfills my promise to raise starting teacher pay to $40,000 a year."
MORE: Gov. Little wants to boost starting teacher salaries in Idaho to $40,000 a year
Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra told KTVB after the State of the State that there’s a lot to be excited about.
“The starting salary for teachers at 40,000 is huge. We’re very excited about that. As you know our priority has been attracting and retaining great teachers and leaders since I took office,” Ybarra said, "So I can't say enough great things about the direction things are going, as well as the literacy investment that he mentioned, I'm excited about that too, our students need to be on grade level by third grade.”
In a press conference post-address, Idaho Democratic leaders said there’s an opportunity for a fresh start 'that Idaho needs.'
“We know that education and jobs go hand-in-hand. If you are weak on education, you are weak on jobs and opportunity. In 2017, Idaho's workforce development task force issued a report to our last governor which read, in part, 'If Idaho does not act now there is a real risk we could become a talent exporter and lose businesses to those states that have created' a skilled workforce,” Senate Minority Leader Michelle Stennett (D) said, “Governor Little's words are encouraging, but it will take real action by our leaders to turn the corner. Idaho Democrats continue to lead on education and job security. We offer the governor any help he requires to get results.”
Also pillars of his plan: lowering health care costs and implementing voter-passed Medicaid expansion.
MORE: Gov. Little calls for 'spring in safety net'
“For months I made it clear I would honor the will of the people. I intend to work with you to implement Medicaid expansion using an Idaho approach,” Gov. Little told legislators. "I intend to continue developing Idaho solutions that bring health care costs down for all Idahoans."
Meanwhile, Democrats and expansion advocates want to ensure 'Idaho solutions' don't include sideboards.
“An Idaho solution is what the voters told us to do. Which is a simple Medicaid expansion,” Sen. Stennett said.
When asked about work requirements, Stennett said, "No work requirement. Many of those that were in the gap population - or are in the gap population - are already working, and it would cost the state a tremendous amount of money to hire and regulate a work component to it.”
“The people have spoken loud and clear: a simple, straightforward Medicaid expansion is what voters approved. It is the Idaho solution,” House Minority Leader Rep. Mat Erpelding (D) said in a press conference, “Idahoans want to bring hundreds of millions of our federal dollars back home. They want quality healthcare for their family, friends, and neighbors. They want to stabilize our rural hospitals that fight for survival every year.”
"The legislature has a straight-forward job: fund a law, passed by voters without adding harmful and costly provisions,” Dr. Steve Montamat said in the Close the Gap press conference about Medicaid expansion, "The speedy implementation of Medicaid expansion will ensure that my patients are able to access preventative healthcare, avoid delaying necessary treatments and afford needed medications."
Speaker of the House Scott Bedke (R) touched on how the legislature would fund expansion:
“Let’s talk a little bit about the Millennium Fund - that is an ongoing source of money. The income from the endowment is an ongoing source, and what better way to spend that than on that program,” Bedke said in a press conference. “There's also ongoing money that goes out each year to the local units of government that have - up to this point - been tasked with running the catastrophic health care fund. If that obligation is removed from them, in my opinion, the money that has been going to them to support that program in their budgets should come back to the state to finance the expanded Medicaid population.”
Also among the governor's priorities is increasing prison space and resources to reduce overflowing populations.
"This will be done by expanding the St. Anthony work camp in eastern Idaho and opening a community reentry center in northern Idaho,” Little said. "Former offenders cannot be successful after reentry and on parole if we don't have the necessary bed space and programs – such as drug courts – to halt the revolving door."
Speaker Bedke says Republicans in the House are happy with the fiscal responsibility undertone.
“I thought it was particularly well-received when he talked about the principle of if there's going to be a tax exemption or a reduction that had to be accompanied with a reduction in government spending or real growth,” Bedke said.
The governor told legislators he wants to use the budget surplus to eliminate the grocery tax credit. Rep. Bedke feels there's support in the House to remove the sales tax on food.
“But I also think that statewide there's a little bit of lack of knowledge on that. Most Idahoans, I think, don't understand that most of the tax on their food right now is removed already with the grocery tax credit,” Bedke added.