Gov. Little talks legislative successes during speech at Highland High School

POCATELLO — Gov. Brad Little spoke at Highland High School on Tuesday, discussing successful initiatives that arose during the most recent legislative session.

After engaging in a bit of light banter with a sprawl of students who were settled in the bleachers of the small gym at Highland High School, Little took to the podium and addressed the young crowd that had assembled before him.

It has now been a year since the April 21 fire that destroyed the D Wing at Highland, of which the resulting destruction caused a wave of uncertainty for students and faculty alike. Little was quick touch on the recently passed House Bill 521, otherwise known as the school facilities bill, which local school district officials anticipate will be largely responsible for providing the funds needed for a Highland rebuild.

“What I talked about when I was here in January was our initiative to help local school districts pass bonds or pay for maintenance,” Little said. “It’s the largest ever investment in the state in school facilities. A net of $1.5 billion over 10 years (has been set aside) to either build a new school, do unmet maintenance or decrease what is needed for bond — whether it’s an existing bond or whether it’s a new bond.”

Little also covered his robust property tax relief implementation that helps alleviate costs for small business and residents across Idaho, touting the $4.6 billion in tax relief since 2019.

“If there’s surplus left at the end of the year, and there has been over and over, some of that gets swept into additional property tax relief,” Little said. “That’s $150 million this year, an additional $200 million in property tax relief to defray what schools have to pay. Here in Pocatello that equates to $47 million.”

Little then moved on to the Idaho LAUNCH initiative, which provides $8,000 in funding to graduating high school seniors who are interested in working in career technical jobs such as engineering, manufacturing or the health sciences field.

“It’s going to be great for you students, but it’s going to be even better for the economy of Idaho because that increase in individual income is going to go along with educational attainment and training as we go forward,” Little said.

Strengthening school choice through charters schools was a topic Little spoke on briefly, before moving onto his concerted efforts to invest in transportation projects across the state.

“This year, the legislature agreed with me and we paid for the last $200 million of a $600 million project to help local communities,” Little said. “This year we put $500 million in to help locals so the transportation network is safe, and more importantly, it’s efficient. Whether you’re going to play or work or do commerce, our roads are better in Idaho.”

Little also discussed the $1 billion investment into water projects over the last few years and the $7 million that will be allocated to the Raft River pipeline. Approximately, $1.8 will be dedicated for the Portneuf and Marsh Valley canal system with $20 million invested in improving and maintaining state parks like Massacre Rocks.

Operation Esto Perpetua was a focal point near the end of Little’s speech, an initiative aimed at tackling the fentanyl epidemic. Esto Perpetua’s objective is to combat the flow of illicit drugs and all forms of human trafficking. Little also mentioned his focus on the mental health of young adults across Idaho and the implementation of new youth crisis centers across the Gem State.

At the conclusion of Little’s speech, he discussed an emphasis on retaining students in the area and his desire for them to become fixtures of the community. Little then answered a litany of questions from students and reporters that included topics like the controversial harmful materials library bill, the renewability of the LAUNCH program and the Idaho health care provider shortage.

“My one thing is that our students in Idaho will choose to stay here — that they want to live here, go to school, and come back and be with their families and be in their communities,” he said. “All of these things I mentioned are part of that magic recipe to get you to continue to prosper here, to have a good job, (create) a good economy and be part of this incredible success that I and the legislature provided.”