Gov. Little talks 2024 Legislative Session

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) - The Idaho legislature is in full swing at the Idaho Capitol.

Lawmakers are dealing with issues that will have big impacts on all of us.

Idaho Governor Brad Little was in Pocatello this week talking about his legislative priorities focusing on the Idaho Works Plan which outlines property tax relief, budgets and a big part of this week's agenda education funding. Idaho State University plays a key role in the Idaho Launch Program.

"The three big priorities the state board has are all very relative titles to Idaho State University, health care, cybersecurity and the nuclear industry. All three of those are huge programs right here at Idaho State University," the governor said. "That's the priority that all the university presidents in the state board have agreed on. So I'm excited about the new president. And I think there's a bright pathway ahead for Idaho State University."

"We're hearing a lot of feedback in Idaho Falls," Linda Larsen said to the governor. "One of the districts has some big concerns about money because of the funding being based on attendance, rather than on enrollment."

"They're going to use the same amount of money is going to be we're not taking money away from schools. But my position has been and will continue to be that we need kids in class. Initially, it shouldn't be a problem, but if you don't pay for kids being in class, there's going to be I'm afraid there's going to be some perverse incentives for kids to not be in class. And you know, the really good students with great family lives and lots of resources. They're going to still get an education, but it's the kids in the middle and in the lower end that have to be in class and that's why I'm so set that I want kids in class," he said.

We also talked to the governor about the state budget this year.

On Tuesday, the Idaho Legislature's Joint Finance Appropriations Committee set aside $1.5 billion to maintain current operational budgets. This bare bones approach will keep the lights on and doors open at nearly all state agencies this year. Those budgets will reduce state general spending. New spending requests from each state agency on top of that bare bones money will be considered.

"We've got a balanced budget. I propose and the legislature disposes, and we think we've got a really, really good pathway for going forward with only a 1.7% increase in spending," Governor Little said.

Is this bare bones issue  going to change anything?

"Yes. Mainly because we've addressed a lot of our our one time needs. If you got your one time needs taken care of, you can you can get by with that. I was surprised we got it down that low, but we asked our agencies, we said, 'Here, you can have 3%. Anything over 3% you got to get a kind of a note from your mother' and I'm the mother," he said.

The governor says most agencies are coming in with conservative budgets for this legislative session.

The governor also said since its an election year, he thinks the legislature will be motivated to finish this session as soon as they can.