From id_gov_news at gov.idaho.gov Fri Apr 1 11:06:27 2022 From: id_gov_news at gov.idaho.gov (Gov. Brad Little) Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2022 17:06:27 +0000 Subject: Governor Little appoints Ed Allen as Valley County Commissioner Message-ID: [Graphical user interface, text Description automatically generated] ?FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 1, 2022 Governor Little appoints Ed Allen as Valley County Commissioner Boise, Idaho ? Governor Brad Little announced today the appointment of Ed Allen as Valley County Commissioner in District 3. Allen is a Lewis-Clark State College graduate. Currently retired, he previously worked as a schoolteacher in Donnelly and as a smokejumper and fire management officer in the Payette National Forest. Allen has also held numerous volunteer positions in the community. The seat became open after Commissioner Dave Bingaman announced his resignation from the office. Valley County Democrats submitted a list of three names to Governor Little for appointment, consistent with Idaho law. # # #? ?? NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: Marissa Morrison Hyer, Press Secretary? 208-943-1686 or?marissa.morrison at gov.idaho.gov?? --? Sign up to receive news from Governor Little? Reply to this e-mail to unsubscribe -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/png Size: 41261 bytes Desc: image.png URL: From id_gov_news at gov.idaho.gov Mon Apr 4 15:27:12 2022 From: id_gov_news at gov.idaho.gov (Gov. Brad Little) Date: Mon, 4 Apr 2022 21:27:12 +0000 Subject: =?utf-8?B?R292LiBMaXR0bGUgaGlnaGxpZ2h0cyDigJhCYWNrIHRoZSBCbHVl4oCZIGlu?= =?utf-8?Q?vestments?= Message-ID: [Graphical user interface, text Description automatically generated] ?FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 4, 2022 Gov. Little highlights ?Back the Blue? investments Coeur d?Alene, Idaho ? Governor Brad Little joined members of law enforcement in Coeur d?Alene today to highlight portions of his ?Leading Idaho? plan that invest in public safety. ?I am proud Idaho is a state that openly appreciates and supports law enforcement. Our law enforcement in Idaho care deeply about maintaining strong relationships with the communities they serve, and it is important for us to also make sure they are equipped with what they need to do their jobs effectively,? Governor Little said. Governor Little?s Leading Idaho plan this year ?backs the blue? by increasing the number of state police troopers, adding a new Idaho State Police district facility in Idaho Falls, and standing up a new forensics lab to ensure fair and impartial scientific analysis is provided to the criminal justice system. While in Coeur d?Alene today, Governor Little also kicked off the North Idaho Roundtable for ?Operation Esto Perpetua.? The Legislature also approved $250,000 to implement Operation Esto Perpetua ? the Governor?s plan to help to combat the smuggling of fentanyl and other high-profile narcotics into the state due to the ongoing border crisis. ?Meth and fentanyl are the most serious and growing drug threats in Idaho, and there is a direct tie to the loose border with Mexico. Recognizing there is much more we can do to make Idaho?s communities safer, I asked law enforcement, lawmakers, cities, counties, tribes, families, and the public to come together in a new way with one goal ? to meaningfully reduce the flow of fentanyl and meth the State of Idaho,? Governor Little said. Overall, the added investments represent a 20-percent increase for ISP across all funds ? and 15-percent on General Fund. Additional investments in public safety and other areas of the Governor?s Leading Idaho plan can be found here: https://gov.idaho.gov/leading-idaho/ Additional information on Operation Esto Perpetua can be found here: https://gov.idaho.gov/operation-esto-perpetua/ # # #? ?? NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: Marissa Morrison Hyer, Press Secretary? 208-943-1686 or?marissa.morrison at gov.idaho.gov?? --? Sign up to receive news from Governor Little? Reply to this e-mail to unsubscribe -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 41261 bytes Desc: image001.png URL: From id_gov_news at gov.idaho.gov Tue Apr 5 13:29:18 2022 From: id_gov_news at gov.idaho.gov (Gov. Brad Little) Date: Tue, 5 Apr 2022 19:29:18 +0000 Subject: Idaho promotes safe communities through added investments in behavioral health resources Message-ID: [Graphical user interface, text Description automatically generated] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 5, 2022 Idaho promotes safe communities through added investments in behavioral health resources Boise, Idaho ? Governor Brad Little joined Idaho Supreme Court justices, legislators, members of his administration, and others today in highlighting tens of millions of dollars in new funding to advance the state?s behavioral health priorities. The Legislature approved all of the Governor?s ?Leading Idaho? proposals for increased behavioral health resources this session. The proposals grew out of recommendations from the three-branch Behavioral Health Council?s strategic plan. ?Promoting safe communities is our top priority. Our vision is for Idahoans who live with mental illness and addiction ? and their families ? to receive the behavioral health care services they need when they need them. We believe if this vision is realized, then our communities will become healthier, safer places,? Governor Little said. Governor Little highlighted the following behavioral health successes from his ?Leading Idaho? plan this legislative session: * 9-8-8 ? Idaho is conforming to the new national suicide and crisis lifeline. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to strengthen and expand the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in Idaho. 9-8-8 is easy to remember and available to Idahoans in need. It directly connects Idahoans to compassionate, accessible care and support for anyone experiencing thoughts of suicide, mental health or substance use crisis, or any other kind of emotional distress. Calls and texts to 9-8-8 will become live July 16, 2022. * Community behavioral health clinics that stabilize people in crisis and provide necessary treatment for those with the most serious, complex mental illnesses and substance use disorders * Recovery centers that provide critical services for people in recovery from behavioral health or substance use disorders to receive the support they need * Psychiatric residential care facilities and programs, allowing us to bring children back to Idaho who were receiving these services elsewhere * Safe teen reception centers that provide a placement option for arrested or runaway youth and connect their families with long term community-based resources, avoiding further entrance into the juvenile justice and child welfare systems * Youth crisis centers across the state for youth safety, stabilization, and immediate case management services Details on the priorities are available here: https://gov.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/ibhc-leading-idaho.pdf In addition, Governor Little applauded the passage of Senate Bill 1327, which properly defines someone who is mentally ill and restores the safety net for involuntary commitments to ensure those who might be in crisis have full access to care, as well as House Bill 699, which ensures first responders, our front line for traumatic events, can rely on the support of peer specialists ? a proven and effective tool in behavioral health treatment ? while maintaining privacy. The three-branch Behavioral Health Council was established in 2020. All five Idaho Supreme Court justices and legislative leaders joined Governor Little for the signing of an executive order creating the council. At that time, the Idaho Supreme Court also issued a proclamation, and the Legislature passed a concurrent resolution supporting the council. ?This has been a historic three-branch collaboration to study the state behavioral health delivery system and improve care for Idahoans with mental health and substance use disorders. Never before have the executive, legislative, and judicial branches come together to make a shared vision on behavioral health become reality,? Governor Little added. # # #? ?? NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: Marissa Morrison Hyer, Press Secretary? 208-943-1686 or?marissa.morrison at gov.idaho.gov?? --? Sign up to receive news from Governor Little? Reply to this e-mail to unsubscribe -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 41261 bytes Desc: image001.png URL: From id_gov_news at gov.idaho.gov Tue Apr 5 13:36:38 2022 From: id_gov_news at gov.idaho.gov (Gov. Brad Little) Date: Tue, 5 Apr 2022 19:36:38 +0000 Subject: Washington, D.C., looks to Idaho on how to cut red tape Message-ID: [Graphical user interface, text Description automatically generated] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 5, 2022 Washington, D.C., looks to Idaho on how to cut red tape Idaho?s Risch leads bill to reduce federal regulations Washington, D.C. ? The State of Idaho?s extraordinary success in cutting red tape since Governor Brad Little took office is setting the example for new efforts to streamline regulations at the federal level. U.S. Senator Jim Risch announced today he introduced the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act to limit federal overreach and reduce federal spending. The bill requires agencies to repeal two existing regulations for each new significant regulation issued. The ?one-in, two-out? method codifies a 2017 Trump-era executive order to weed out old, unnecessary, and inefficient regulations. Agencies will be required to initiate simpler, cost-saving regulations which will benefit the federal government, small businesses, and American taxpayers. ?In Idaho, we?ve taken an axe to state regulations for three straight years. We?ve cut or simplified 95-percent of red tape, and we?re not done yet. We?ve seen the results first-hand: when you remove regulatory friction, good jobs follow. Idaho?s economy outpaces every other state in the nation. I applaud Senator Risch for bringing the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act to rein in the Biden administration?s penchant for adding regulations that amount to little more than rocks in the shoes of small businesses. Washington, D.C., could learn a thing or two from Idaho, and this Act will help create jobs and save taxpayer dollars,? Governor Little said. ?Idaho has been on the leading edge of cutting red tape, but federal spending and regulations continue to have far-reaching effects on Idaho small businesses and taxpayers,? Senator Risch said. ?The federal government should follow Idaho?s lead in reducing costly and burdensome regulations with this effective one-in, two-out rule.? ?Idaho?s recent deregulation efforts have strengthened its position as a magnet for ingenuity, growth and free enterprise,? co-sponsor Senator Mike Crapo said. ?The federal government should follow suit, take a hard look at its laundry list of regulations and get rid of those that are mere power grabs that drown American innovation in paperwork and inefficiency. We must continue to do more to stop federal control from creeping into more aspects of our lives.? Idaho is the least regulated state in the country. In one of his first acts in office, Governor Brad Little spearheaded the Red Tape Reduction Act, which required state agencies to simplify or repeal two existing rules for each new rule proposed. Cutting red tape has been key to Idaho?s success, and it is past time the federal government follows Idaho?s lead. More information on Idaho?s success in cutting red tape is available at https://gov.idaho.gov/cutting-red-tape/. # # #? ?? NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: Marissa Morrison Hyer, Press Secretary? 208-943-1686 or?marissa.morrison at gov.idaho.gov?? --? Sign up to receive news from Governor Little? Reply to this e-mail to unsubscribe -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 41261 bytes Desc: image001.png URL: From id_gov_news at gov.idaho.gov Thu Apr 7 13:14:27 2022 From: id_gov_news at gov.idaho.gov (Gov. Brad Little) Date: Thu, 7 Apr 2022 19:14:27 +0000 Subject: Idaho accelerates investments in literacy, education Message-ID: [Graphical user interface, text Description automatically generated] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 7, 2022 Idaho accelerates investments in literacy, education Kuna, Idaho ? Governor Brad Little joined legislators, teachers, and education leaders at Reed Elementary in Kuna today to highlight successes this legislative session in accelerating investments in literacy and K-12 education. K-12 funding will increase by $300 million, the single largest increase in state history, which amounts to a 12.5-percent increase over FY22. The Legislature approved Governor Little?s plan for an additional $47 million for literacy ? his top priority in education. ?With this added investment, funding for literacy will increase five-fold since I took office more than three years ago. It is an accomplishment I am truly proud of,? Governor Little said. ?My priority has been and will continue to be getting all Idaho kids to read proficiently by the end of third grade. It just makes sense. Our investments in education later will have more impact if we can give students a strong start. It is not only our constitutional obligation but our moral obligation as well. I appreciate my legislative partners for sharing my passion for making sure we meet our obligations to our education system and ensure success for Idaho students and families!? The additional $47 million can be utilized by school districts to address literacy based on their needs. Some districts may choose to use the dollars for full-day Kindergarten and other districts may choose after-school reading programs or other uses. Governor Little said he has always supported addressing needs through flexibility. Each district is different, and the money needs to be flexible to ensure success. The Legislature also approved the Governor?s new Empowering Parents grants that help families take charge of education expenses for their children. In addition, Idaho has strengthened the ability to recruit and retain quality teachers by giving them up to 10-percent pay increases plus bonuses along with opportunities for better and more affordable health insurance. # # #? ?? NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: Marissa Morrison Hyer, Press Secretary? 208-943-1686 or?marissa.morrison at gov.idaho.gov?? --? Sign up to receive news from Governor Little? Reply to this e-mail to unsubscribe -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 41261 bytes Desc: image001.png URL: From id_gov_news at gov.idaho.gov Tue Apr 12 13:26:59 2022 From: id_gov_news at gov.idaho.gov (Gov. Brad Little) Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2022 19:26:59 +0000 Subject: =?utf-8?B?SWRhaG8gam9pbnMgbGF3c3VpdCBjaGFsbGVuZ2luZyBCaWRlbuKAmXMgVGl0?= =?utf-8?Q?le_42_border_decision?= Message-ID: [cid:image001.jpg at 01D84E70.3D918400] OFFICE OF GOVERNOR BRAD LITTLE OFFICE OF ATTORNEY GENERAL LAWRENCE WASDEN NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 12, 2022 Idaho joins lawsuit challenging Biden?s Title 42 border decision Boise, Idaho ? Governor Brad Little and Attorney General Lawrence Wasden announced today they are working together to add Idaho to the list of states joining a lawsuit filed by Arizona, Louisiana, and Missouri challenging the Biden Administration?s termination of the Title 42 Orders, Trump-era border policies that helped minimize the flow of illegal immigration across the United States-Mexico border. ?As Idaho?s Attorney General, I?ve consistently fought the federal overreach and federal agency rulemaking that?s taken the place of congressional lawmaking. This suit is yet another example of states being forced to take action because Congress continues to refuse to address an issue that should be its priority. The Constitution expressly assigns to Congress responsibility for immigration, but members of Congress have - for years - failed to act. In joining this suit, I am calling on Congress to show up and fulfill its constitutional responsibility,? Attorney General Wasden said. ?Last year, I joined half our nation?s governors in releasing 10 policy solutions ? including the continuation of the Title 42 Orders ? to protect America, restore security, and put our country on a path to end the crisis at the southern border. The Trump Administration invoked the Title 42 restrictions to protect the American people, and it worked. The policy kept tens of thousands of illegal immigrants from crossing the border. Idaho?s participation in this multistate lawsuit reinforces the fact that border security is interconnected to the health and safety of American citizens,? Governor Little said. The lawsuit challenges ?an imminent, man-made, self-inflicted calamity: the abrupt elimination of the only safety valve preventing this administration?s disastrous border policies from devolving into an unmitigated catastrophe.? A copy of the complaint is available here. Idaho and other states received the invitation to join the lawsuit on the morning of Tuesday, April 5, and the Governor and Attorney General immediately began a thorough review of the suit and then took steps to ensure Idaho was represented. # # #? ?? MEDIA CONTACTS: Scott Graf, Office of the Attorney General, 208-334-4112 or Scott.Graf at ag.idaho.gov Marissa Morrison Hyer, Office of the Governor, 208-943-1686 or Marissa.Morrison at gov.idaho.gov ?? --? Sign up to receive news from Governor Little? Reply to this e-mail to unsubscribe -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 9695 bytes Desc: image001.jpg URL: From id_gov_news at gov.idaho.gov Tue Apr 12 17:18:12 2022 From: id_gov_news at gov.idaho.gov (Gov. Brad Little) Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2022 23:18:12 +0000 Subject: With illegal public encampment gone, Idaho continues fight for public health and safety Message-ID: [Graphical user interface, text Description automatically generated] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 12, 2022 With illegal public encampment gone, Idaho continues fight for public health and safety Boise, Idaho ? The State of Idaho filed a notice of dismissal Monday to end its lawsuit seeking to stop illegal public camping on the Capitol Annex in downtown Boise because all individuals have dispersed and the property has been cleared for weeks. Now, with a new lawsuit from public encampment advocates emerging today, Governor Brad Little said Idaho will continue its fight to protect public health and safety. ?Idaho does not tolerate illegal public encampments and destruction of public property. Idaho is not San Francisco, Portland, or Seattle, where public officials have engaged in failed experiments to permit and encourage unsafe and destructive public camping. ?I am proud of my administration?s deliberate strategy to address a highly complex situation involving state statutes, case law, and the First Amendment while ensuring the state meets its obligation to protect public health and safety. ?The approach was effective, and the encampments have been gone for weeks. Idaho will continue to fight against illegal public camping, and I appreciate Attorney General Lawrence Wasden, my administration and law enforcement for their careful response and continued work to protect Idahoans,? Governor Little said. Attorney General Lawrence Wasden and Governor Brad Little?s administration filed a lawsuit in March to stop illegal public camping and the associated health and safety violations taking place on state property. In the days following the lawsuit, individuals started to clear out of the encampment, where a growing number of violations and dangerous conduct requiring increased calls for police service and enforcement action had occurred since mid-January. # # #? ?? NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: Marissa Morrison Hyer, Press Secretary? 208-943-1686 or?marissa.morrison at gov.idaho.gov?? --? Sign up to receive news from Governor Little? Reply to this e-mail to unsubscribe -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 41261 bytes Desc: image001.png URL: From id_gov_news at gov.idaho.gov Mon Apr 18 16:45:06 2022 From: id_gov_news at gov.idaho.gov (Gov. Brad Little) Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2022 22:45:06 +0000 Subject: Governor Little appoints Jennifer Riebe as Payette County Commissioner Message-ID: [Graphical user interface, text Description automatically generated] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 18, 2022 Governor Little appoints Jennifer Riebe as Payette County Commissioner Boise, Idaho ? Governor Brad Little announced today the appointment of Jennifer Riebe as Payette County Commissioner in District 2. Riebe has served on the Payette County Planning and Zoning Commission, as a board supervisor for the Payette Soil and Water Conservation District, as well as on the Idaho Potato Commission. She is a University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate. The seat became open after the passing of Commissioner Marc Shigeta. As per Idaho Code, the Payette County Republican Central Committee submitted a list of three possible replacements to Governor Little. Governor Little selected his choice as the most qualified candidate from that list. # # # ? NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: Marissa Morrison Hyer, Press Secretary 208-943-1686 or marissa.morrison at gov.idaho.gov -- Sign up to receive news from Governor Little Reply to this e-mail to unsubscribe -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 41261 bytes Desc: image001.png URL: From id_gov_news at gov.idaho.gov Tue Apr 19 14:14:52 2022 From: id_gov_news at gov.idaho.gov (Gov. Brad Little) Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2022 20:14:52 +0000 Subject: 26 Governors announce creation of American Governors' Border Strike Force Message-ID: [Graphical user interface, text Description automatically generated] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 19, 2022 26 Governors announce creation of American Governors' Border Strike Force Boise, Idaho ? Governor Brad Little and 25 other governors announced the creation of the American Governors' Border Strike Force today, a multi-state partnership designed to disrupt and dismantle the transnational criminal organizations taking advantage of the open border with Mexico. ?Meth and fentanyl are the most serious and growing drug threats in Idaho, and there is a direct tie to the loose border with Mexico. Border security is interconnected with the health and safety of American citizens. The Biden Administration has refused to address the crisis at the border, so once again America?s governors are stepping up,? Governor Little said. The new strike force targets cartels and criminal organizations operationally and financially by increasing collaboration, improving intelligence, investing in analysis, combating human smuggling, and stopping drug flow among each of the participating states. View the Governors? memorandum here: https://gov.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/american-governors-border-strike-force.pdf President Joe Biden?s immigration policies and the lack of adequate federal resources have caused an unprecedented increase in criminal operations along the southern border and in communities across the country. Every state is a border state dealing with the impacts of illegal immigration. America?s governors have repeatedly stepped up to fill the void with state National Guard and state law enforcement reinforcements in Texas and Arizona. Governor Little sent a team of specialized state troopers to Arizona in 2021 to assist with drug interdiction, and he joined Governors in requesting a meeting with President Biden to offer 10 policy solutions that could immediately relieve the crisis at the border. Signatories to the memorandum include: Brad Little (ID), Governors Doug Ducey (AZ), Greg Abbott (TX), Kay Ivey (AL), Mike Dunleavy (AK), Asa Hutchinson (AR), Ron DeSantis (FL), Brian Kemp (GA), Eric Holcomb (IN), Kim Reynolds (IA), Larry Hogan (MD), Tate Reeves (MS), Mike Parson (MO), Greg Gianforte (MT), Pete Ricketts (NE), Chris Sununu (NH), Doug Burgum (ND), Mike DeWine (OH), Kevin Stitt (OK), Henry McMaster (SC), Kristi Noem (SD), Bill Lee (TN), Spencer Cox (UT), Glenn Youngkin (VA), Jim Justice (WV), and Mark Gordon (WY). # # #? ?? NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: Marissa Morrison Hyer, Press Secretary? 208-943-1686 or?marissa.morrison at gov.idaho.gov?? --? Sign up to receive news from Governor Little? Reply to this e-mail to unsubscribe -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 41261 bytes Desc: image001.png URL: