BOISE, ID (KIFI) – The Idaho Legislature adjourned today with a “sign die,” with Governor Brad Little thanking legislative partners across the political spectrum who supported 99% of the Idaho Works Plan. expressed.
Notably, the state Legislature passed Governor Little’s School Facilities and Tax Cuts bill while also helping graduating high school seniors stay in Idaho for in-demand “real world” jobs. The company fully funded LAUNCH.
“Once again, we left a legislative session with groundbreaking achievements that will greatly improve the lives of Idahoans for generations to come.Idaho is the fastest growing state in the nation. This session, we will not only take what we know has contributed to our state’s tremendous success and prioritize its continuation. , we stepped up our efforts. We invested responsibly in our school facilities, workforce, roads, bridges, water, and other infrastructure, while providing additional tax breaks to our state’s hardworking families and businesses. Our state budget is structurally sound and well prepared for whatever happens to us. What Idaho is doing is working. Thank you to my partners in the Idaho Legislature for their hard work on behalf of the people of our state,” said Governor Little.
Highlights of the 2024 Congress include:
Educational activities in Idaho:
Governor Little and the Legislature supported House Bill 521, which makes the state’s largest investment in school facilities in history. This bill increases funding by a net $1.5 billion over the next 10 years to ensure all school districts have funding to address unmet capital construction needs and improve student achievement. It is something to do.
Governor Little and the Legislature fully funded LAUNCH in Idaho and ensured that up to 10,000 Idaho graduates will receive New Workforce Training Grants. Grants can be used at selected Idaho universities, career technical programs, or workforce training providers for in-demand careers. Demand for Idaho LAUNCH has shattered expectations, with more than 13,500 applications submitted or initiated in March alone. LAUNCH has propelled Idaho as one of the nation’s most progressive states in workforce development and post-secondary education.
Governor Little and the Legislature will strengthen charter schools, eliminate red tape, enable rapid replication of high-performing schools, and partner with the State Department of State 30 to enroll schools in need of improved performance with appropriate support services. Enhanced school choice options by providing $2,000. education.
The State of Idaho works for taxpayers:
Governor Little and the Legislature have put $3.7 billion back into the pockets of Idahoans over the past five years through income tax and property tax relief, expanded grocery tax credits, and more, more per capita than any other state. The amount of tax reduction is large. Additionally, Idahoans will get back an additional $60 million in ongoing income tax cuts by lowering their personal and corporate income taxes from 5.8% to 5.695%.
Thanks to the surplus reduction bill passed in the last legislative session, Governor Little’s Idaho Works budget includes up to $150 million in new property tax relief, on top of the hundreds of millions of dollars in property tax relief previously deployed. Includes tax relief. Passage of House Bill 521, the School Facilities Act, directs an additional $200 million in state funds for continued property tax relief to local school districts to help pay for unmet capital construction needs. Become.
Transportation of IDAHO WORKS:
Governor Little and the Legislature passed an additional $200 million to fund the final portion of the effort to improve local bridges, most of which were built before the moon landing. There are more than 900 bridges in Idaho that are more than 50 years old, which he estimates would cost him $600 million to repair or replace. Governor Little and the Legislature previously allocated $400 million to this effort, and construction of dozens of bridges is underway across the state.
Governor Little and the Legislature approved an additional $302.8 million in ongoing transportation funding to cover the state’s known deferred maintenance and safety deficiencies. These funds support state and local projects that make Idaho’s roads safer for motorists through enhanced driving capabilities and safety features such as right-turn lanes, traffic lights, and roadway widening. $182 million (60%) will go to the Idaho Department of Transportation for state roads and $121 million (40%) will go to local highway districts, counties, and cities for local roads .
Idaho is committed to water and outdoor recreation:
Since 2019, Governor Little and the Legislature have provided more than $1 billion to improve water quantity and quality and expand outdoor recreation opportunities across the state. Governor Little and the Legislature will provide an additional $30 million to ensure a reliable water supply and her $20 million to help the state responsibly manage and expand access to Idaho’s wilderness. I put in additional funds of $. They secured an additional $6.6 million to continue the fight against invasive quagga mussels.
Public Safety Activities in Idaho:
Governor Little and the Idaho Legislature have funded the Idaho State Police $200,000 for its third mission to the U.S.-Mexico border (second mission to Texas). This mission will focus on mitigating human trafficking and bringing prevention and identification training back to Idaho.
Idaho is committed to fiscal conservatism:
The state budget prepares for economic uncertainty in Idaho by maintaining a structurally balanced budget over a five-year period using fiscal stress tests that account for the possibility of recession. The budget leaves surpluses of more than $180 million in both budget years to provide a greater cushion against economic uncertainty. Additionally, as proposed by Governor Little, the Legislature passed one of the most fiscally conservative budgets in years, with General Fund spending growth at just 1.7% compared to FY24 levels.
A complete summary of IDAHO WORKS budget highlights can be found here: https://gov.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/fy25-budget-activity-summary_final.pdf
(The following information is from a news release from Governor Little’s desk.)
