Gov. Little orders 1% budget cut due to coronavirus

BOISE, Idaho (AP) - Idaho Gov. Brad Little on Friday ordered a 1% cut in state agency spending because of the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus.

The governor said the 1% cutback doesn't apply to healthcare workers.

He also directed the Idaho Department of Labor to make it easier for people who've lost their jobs to file unemployment claims.

He also ordered a $40 million transfer of funds to fight the virus.

More than 13,300 people filed unemployment claims last week, a 1,200% increase over the previous week, and the largest the state agency said it has ever recorded.

Idaho has 200 cases and three deaths, according to numbers from local health districts.