Idaho’s top leaders emphasize the economy at Chamber Leadership Session

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – The state of Idaho’s economy and budget loomed large at a Leadership Session featuring Governor Brad Little, Lt. Governor Scott Bedke and U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson on Friday.

Three of Idaho’s top leaders addressed “5 I’s” – Idaho’s economy, Idaho Launch, Immigration, Irrigation and Iran at a forum hosted by the Greater Idaho Falls Chamber at the Downtown Event Center.

Idaho Economy

Gov. Little struck an optimistic tone for the state of Idaho’s economy.

“One thing that I'm proudest of is Idaho – from top to bottom, – has the fastest growing personal incomes of any state in the union,” Little said. “... We're going to get by. We're going to have a balanced budget guaranteed.”

Bedke warned that legislators overstepped in appropriating $600 million in tax and revenue cuts for 2027, triggering this year’s budget cuts.

“The people you sent to the Legislature chose to create a list of things that had short-term political bang to it – mostly tax cuts,” he said. “...C’mon Idaho, you're acting more like the federal government than you did, than you do Idaho. You don't have the luxury to go over the top here.”

On the federal level, Congressman Simpson said that 72 percent of the federal budget is spent on entitlement programs, and 28 percent on discretionary programs.

“We have to have courage to tackle the entitlement programs or Social Security or anything else, but you better change it,” Simpson said. “... That's the only way you're going to address this deficit, and get the economy going.”

Tune in tonight at 10 PM for full coverage of the Leadership Session.

This is a developing story and will be updated later this evening.