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<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><img width="624" height="147" style="width:6.5in;height:1.5312in" id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image001.png@01D9243A.42C992F0" alt="Graphical user interface, text
Description automatically generated"></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">January 9, 2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><u><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Gov. Little rolls out ‘Idaho First’ plan to support schools, provide property tax relief, fight fentanyl in 2023 State of
the State and Budget Address<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Boise, Idaho – Governor Brad Little delivered his 2023 State of the State and Budget Address today, pledging to deliver on the mandate given by the people of Idaho to continue
investing in public schools, strengthen our workforce, provide more tax relief, and promote safe communities.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">“Our success did not happen by accident. What we’re doing is working. Plain and simple, the people of Idaho have given us a mandate: to stay on course, put IDAHO FIRST,
continue down this path of prosperity, and keep investing in education,”</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> Governor Little said.
<b>“To the people of Idaho, we are listening, and we will continue to deliver. We are not backing down on education – we are doubling down on education. My budget and policy recommendations deliver on the mandate given to us by the people of Idaho.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Highlights of Governor Little’s State of the State and Budget Address and IDAHO FIRST plan include:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">EDUCATION
</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">– 80-percent of Idaho voters affirmed the record education investments passed during the 2022 extraordinary session last September. Governor Little’s plan fulfills the $330 million
investment in K-12 public schools by targeting starting teacher pay in the top 10 nationally, boosting pay and benefits for all teachers to keep our state competitive, closing the salary gap for classified staff, improving school facility security, and other
steps.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">WORKFORCE</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> – The availability of skilled workers is the #1
challenge facing Idaho employers. Governor Little’s plan gets more skilled workers through their doors and opens more opportunities for Idahoans by providing access to an $8,500 scholarship starting next year to graduating high school students in Idaho to
attend an Idaho university, community college, career technical or workforce training program of their choice. The “Idaho Launch” scholarship will be the single largest investment in career technical and workforce training in state history.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">EMPOWERING PARENTS</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> – Idaho already offers an abundance of
school choice options for families, and Governor Little’s plan makes permanent the popular
</span><a href="https://empoweringparents.idaho.gov/"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Empowering Parents</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> grant program to support student learning outside
the classroom. <o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">TAX RELIEF</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> – While no local property taxes are paid to state
government and no state official can decide what local property taxes will be, Idahoans are demanding relief from rising property taxes. Governor Little’s plan puts $120 million to defray local property taxes. Governor Little’s plan also fulfills the income
tax reductions passed during the 2022 extraordinary session, which were affirmed by four out of five Idaho voters.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">FIGHT FENTANYL</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> – Fentanyl is the deadliest drug our society
has ever faced. Governor Little is calling for the development of a new statewide drug interdiction team at the Idaho State Police and enhanced testing and training. In addition, a new educational awareness campaign just launched at
</span><a href="https://www.fentanyltakesall.org/"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">FentanylTakesAll.org</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> will inform our youth about the dangers of fentanyl.
<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">BACK THE BLUE</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> – Governor Little’s plan adds 10-percent pay
raises for our brave and dedicated law enforcement officers. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, while other places seek to defund the police, here in Idaho we DEFEND the police!” Governor Little said.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> – Governor Little and the Legislature
have championed investments in critical infrastructure without raising taxes or fees. The Governor’s budget builds off these previous commitments with more than $1 billion in new investments including fully funding the known ongoing transportation safety gap
and improving local bridges, airports, and pedestrian and safety projects, and expanding broadband. His plan makes continued investments in water, energy, outdoor recreation, and agriculture.
<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">SAFE AND HEALTHY COMMUNITIES</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> – Governor Little’s plan continues
to implement recommendations from Idaho’s historic three-branch Behavioral Health Council with more than $100 million to expand resources for mental health and childcare, improve emergency medical services in rural areas, add more physicians, and make other
investments to improve services for Idaho families.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">FISCAL PRUDENCE</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> – Governor Little’s budget continues fiscal
prudence to better prepare Idaho for any economic conditions by paying off debt, addressing deferred maintenance, bolstering rainy-day funds, augmenting the fire suppression fund, maintaining a structurally balanced budget, and leaving a healthy surplus to
provide a greater cushion against economic uncertainty.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">A detailed summary of the Governor’s budget highlights, including investments in education, public safety, transportation, broadband, agriculture and natural resources,
water, fire, outdoor recreation, energy, healthcare, and other areas is available here:
<a href="https://gov.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/fy24-budget-highlights.pdf">
https://gov.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/fy24-budget-highlights.pdf</a> <o:p>
</o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">The full text of the Governor’s 2023 State of the State and Budget Address is available here:
<a href="https://gov.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2023-sots.pdf">https://gov.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2023-sots.pdf</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Special guests at today’s speech included students from Centennial Elementary School in Nampa, the student body presidents at four Idaho colleges, the parents of a boy
killed by accidental fentanyl poisoning, members of the Idaho State Police, and veterans.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"># # #<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><i><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Please DO NOT REPLY to this message. For press inquiries only, contact the Governor’s press office at (208) 854-3015 or e-mail
</span></i><a href="mailto:Madison.Hardy@gov.idaho.gov"><i><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Madison.Hardy@gov.idaho.gov</span></i></a><i><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">. To unsubscribe from these
announcements, send an e-mail to </span></i><a href="mailto:news@gov.idaho.gov"><i><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">news@gov.idaho.gov</span></i></a><i><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">.</span></i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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