Local legislators prepare for trip to capital before Gov. Little’s State of State address

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) - Idaho's lawmakers are preparing to head to Boise for the first legislative session of the year.

With Governor Little set to deliver his State of the State address on Monday, some local legislators in Bannock County shared their thoughts and expectations as they make the trip up to the state capital.

"The State of the State is heavily anticipated," said State Representative James Ruchti. "We’re eager to hear what the governor is proposing for legislation and get a sense for how things are going in the state."

"With the pandemic and how things have happened, there’s quite a few people that are frustrated with how things have happened, and I want to hear what the governor has to say and what his plan is going forward," State Representative Kevin Andrus said.

Legislators from across the state are planning to convene at the capital to hear the governor's remarks and discuss ongoing statewide issues.
Rep. Ruchti says helping out working families will be of upmost importance during next week session.

"During the session, I think some of the most important things we can do are focused on working families in our area," Ruchti said. "I know working families in the Pocatello region are hurting."

Ruchti also says their needs to be improvement to the structure of the current educational system.

"There was some funding hold backs for public education, and we need to restore those funds, and then look at how we can properly fund both higher education and K-12," Ruchti said.

Rep. Andrus hopes to see his fellow colleagues get on the same page on the topic of COVID-19.

"Now we're at a crossroads with how we are going to deal with the vaccine and how are we going to move forward and get back to normal life," Andrus said. "I don't know how everyone feels on it, and this will be a great opportunity to feel that out and engage and get a plan and go forward."

For both Andrus and Ruchti, the opportunity to work in the legislature will never be taken for granted.

"The legislature is something that I feel that it's impactful to people's lives and, and I strive to do what's best and I get a great reward out of doing that," Andrus said.  

"You are meeting legislators from all over the state with different perspectives, and so it is really a great job and a lot of fun to do," Ruchti said.

Governor Little will deliver his State of the State address Monday at 1 p.m. You can watch here on https://localnews8.com.