From id_gov_news at gov.idaho.gov Thu Apr 6 13:29:38 2023 From: id_gov_news at gov.idaho.gov (Gov. Brad Little) Date: Thu, 6 Apr 2023 19:29:38 +0000 Subject: Gov. Little applauds productive legislative session Message-ID: [Graphical user interface, text Description automatically generated] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 6, 2023 Gov. Little applauds productive legislative session Boise, Idaho - The Idaho Legislature adjourned "sine die" today, and Governor Brad Little thanked his legislative partners for working with him to advance his "Idaho First" plan this session. The Idaho Legislature approved 99-percent of the Governor's "Idaho First" plan for tax relief and education and infrastructure investments. "Working together, we achieved major investments in teacher pay, workforce training, roads, water, and other critical infrastructure to improve the lives of the people we serve, in addition to passing simple enduring property tax relief. I am grateful my legislative partners prioritized my 'Idaho First' plan to keep Idaho strong and prosperous for many years to come," Governor Little said. The Governor and Legislature's major "Idaho First" achievements this session include: * Launch - The Governor recommended and the Legislature approved the expansion of the successful Idaho Launch program, providing $8,000 grants for qualifying high school graduates to use at any community college, career technical program, or workforce training provider of their choice starting in 2024. * Teacher pay and education investments - The Governor recommended and the Legislature approved raising starting teacher pay to $47,477, targeting Idaho for a top 10 spot nationally, up from 41st when Governor Little took office. The plan also strengthened pay for all teachers, including our most experienced educators, as well as school staff. The Governor and Legislature fulfilled a historic commitment to public schools - a 16.4% increase in state funding. Other education achievements include improving teacher health insurance benefits, improvements to school facility security, and more discretionary funding to defray reliance on local property taxes. * School choice - The Governor recommended and the Legislature approved making permanent the popular Empowering Parents grant program to help families take charge of education expenses for their children outside the classroom. The Governor and Legislature strengthened Idaho's already abundant landscape of school choice options by expanding parents' ability to choose the best public school for their child, regardless of their zip code. Governor Little maintains his commitment to a responsible, transparent, and accountable approach to expanding school choice in Idaho. * Simple property tax relief - The Governor recommended an additional $120 million of state funding in FY 2024 for ongoing tax relief to be directed to local government property tax mitigation, and the Legislature passed $117 million in ongoing property tax relief and $20 million in one-time relief for FY 2024. In the past three years, Idaho has turned back more taxpayer money through tax relief than any other state per capita. * Transportation, water, and infrastructure - In recent years, Governor Little and the Legislature have championed investments in critical infrastructure without raising taxes or fees. The Governor and Legislature this session fully funded the known ongoing transportation safety gap, making Idaho roads safer. They funded the second tranche of an effort to improve local bridges. They leveraged federal funds to increase broadband capacity in Idaho and made investments to expand water projects to ensure a stable water supply and safe local drinking water and wastewater systems for this generation and the next. Outdoor recreation opportunities will be improved with added investments in state parks. * Public safety - The Governor and Legislature renewed their commitment to safe communities by increasing pay for law enforcement officers, beefing up resources to fight fentanyl, and improving behavioral health resources for Idahoans in need. A full summary of achievements from the Governor's "Idaho First" plan this session is available at: https://gov.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/fy24-budget-activity-summary.pdf # # # Please DO NOT REPLY to this message. For press inquiries only, contact the Governor's press office at (208) 854-3015 or e-mail Madison.Hardy at gov.idaho.gov. To unsubscribe from these announcements, send an e-mail to news at gov.idaho.gov -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 98275 bytes Desc: image001.png URL: From id_gov_news at gov.idaho.gov Tue Apr 11 16:53:08 2023 From: id_gov_news at gov.idaho.gov (Gov. Brad Little) Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2023 22:53:08 +0000 Subject: =?Windows-1252?Q?Malad_City_to_host_Governor_Little=92s_=91Capital_for_a_?= =?Windows-1252?Q?Day=92_event?= Message-ID: [Graphical user interface, text Description automatically generated] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 11, 2023 Malad City to host Governor Little?s ?Capital for a Day? event Boise, Idaho ? Governor Brad Little?s next ?Capital for a Day? event will be held in Malad City on April 27 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The public is invited to join officials at the Oneida County Event Center, located at 459 S. Main St. in Malad City, from 10 a.m. to noon. Following a lunch break, officials will meet with and take questions from the public in the Malad High School gymnasium, located at 181 Jenkins Ave in Malad City, from 1:15 to 3 p.m. Officials joining Governor Little include: * Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane * Idaho Supreme Court Justice Robyn Brody * Idaho Department of Health and Welfare Director Dave Jeppesen * Idaho Department of Water Resources Director Gary Spackman * Idaho Transportation Department Director Scott Stokes In addition, local officials and representatives of the following agencies and state entities will be on hand to help answer questions: Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Idaho Lottery, and the Idaho Division of Veterans Services. ?It is an honor to bring my next Capital for a Day to Malad City,? Governor Little said. ?This event will give the good people of Oneida County a chance to discuss what?s on their minds when it comes to good government and how we can better serve them.? # # # NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: Madison Hardy, Press Secretary 208-547-7485 or Madison.Hardy at gov.idaho.gov Madison Hardy Press Secretary | Idaho Governor Brad Little Phone: 208-854-3015 Mobile: 208-547-7485 Email: Madison.Hardy at gov.idaho.gov Web | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram Sign up to receive news from Governor Little -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 68980 bytes Desc: image001.png URL: From id_gov_news at gov.idaho.gov Tue Apr 18 13:24:05 2023 From: id_gov_news at gov.idaho.gov (Gov. Brad Little) Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2023 19:24:05 +0000 Subject: =?Windows-1252?Q?Gov._Little_marks_=93100_Days_of_Achievement=94?= Message-ID: [Graphical user interface, text Description automatically generated] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 18, 2023 Gov. Little marks ?100 Days of Achievement? Boise, Idaho ? Governor Brad Little wrapped up the first 100 days of his second term as Idaho?s 33rd Governor last week, noting historic achievements in education, infrastructure investments, and tax relief. ?Idaho?s success is no accident. When we improve schools, roads, water systems, internet access, outdoor opportunities, and public safety while delivering historic tax relief, we will see economic success. In Idaho, we create a tax and regulatory environment where business and the American dream can thrive. We live within our means, invest where it matters, give money back to the people, and save for a rainy day,? Governor Little said. ?The first 100 days of my second term were a huge success. We secured 99-percent of my ?Idaho First? plan, and now we?re focused on implementing the improvements to schools, workforce training, safe communities, and infrastructure to ensure a strong Idaho for this generation and the next.? Achievements from the first 100 days of Governor Little?s second term include: * Launch ? The Governor recommended and the Legislature approved the expansion of the successful Idaho Launch program, providing $8,000 grants for qualifying high school graduates to use at any community college, career technical program, or workforce training provider of their choice starting in 2024. * Teacher pay and education investments ? The Governor recommended and the Legislature approved raising starting teacher pay to $47,477, targeting Idaho for a top 10 spot nationally, up from bottom 10 when Governor Little took office. The plan also strengthened pay for all teachers, including our most experienced educators, as well as school staff. The Governor and Legislature fulfilled a historic commitment to public schools ? a 16.4% increase in state funding. Other education achievements include improving teacher health insurance benefits, improvements to school facility security, and more discretionary funding to defray reliance on local property taxes. * School choice ? The Governor recommended and the Legislature approved making permanent the popular Empowering Parents grant program to help families take charge of education expenses for their children outside the classroom. The Governor and Legislature strengthened Idaho?s already abundant landscape of school choice options by expanding parents? ability to choose the best public school for their child, regardless of their zip code. Governor Little maintains his commitment to a responsible, transparent, and accountable approach to expanding school choice in Idaho. * Simple property tax relief ? The Governor recommended an additional $120 million of state funding in FY 2024 for ongoing tax relief to be directed to local government property tax mitigation, and the Legislature passed $117 million in ongoing property tax relief and $20 million in one-time relief for FY 2024. In the past three years, Idaho has turned back more taxpayer money through tax relief than any other state per capita. * Transportation, water, and infrastructure ? In recent years, Governor Little and the Legislature have championed investments in critical infrastructure without raising taxes or fees. The Governor and Legislature this session fully funded the known ongoing transportation safety gap, making Idaho roads safer. They funded the second tranche of an effort to improve local bridges. They leveraged federal funds to increase broadband capacity in Idaho and made investments to expand water projects to ensure a stable water supply and safe local drinking water and wastewater systems for this generation and the next. Outdoor recreation opportunities will be improved with added investments in state parks. * Public safety ? The Governor and Legislature renewed their commitment to safe communities by increasing pay for law enforcement officers, beefing up resources to fight fentanyl, and improving behavioral health resources for Idahoans in need. In addition, Governor Little was victorious in winning a lawsuit stemming from an encampment on the Capitol Annex, protecting the state?s ability to prevent illegal encampments that harm public property and pose significant health and safety risks. A full summary of achievements from the Governor?s ?Idaho First? plan this session is available at: https://gov.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/fy24-budget-activity-summary.pdf # # # Please DO NOT REPLY to this message. For press inquiries only, contact the Governor?s press office at (208) 854-3015 or e-mail Madison.Hardy at gov.idaho.gov. To unsubscribe from these announcements, send an e-mail to news at gov.idaho.gov -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 98275 bytes Desc: image001.png URL: From id_gov_news at gov.idaho.gov Tue Apr 25 09:58:28 2023 From: id_gov_news at gov.idaho.gov (Gov. Brad Little) Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2023 15:58:28 +0000 Subject: =?Windows-1252?Q?Malad_City_to_host_Governor_Little=92s_=91Capital_for_a_?= =?Windows-1252?Q?Day=92_event?= Message-ID: [Graphical user interface, text Description automatically generated] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 25, 2023 Malad City to host Governor Little?s ?Capital for a Day? event Boise, Idaho ? Governor Brad Little?s next ?Capital for a Day? event will be held in Malad City on April 27 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The public is invited to join officials at the Oneida County Event Center, located at 459 S. Main St. in Malad City, from 10 a.m. to noon. Following a lunch break, officials will meet with and take questions from the public in the Malad High School gymnasium, located at 181 Jenkins Ave in Malad City, from 1:15 to 3 p.m. Officials joining Governor Little include: * Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane * Idaho Supreme Court Justice Robyn Brody * Idaho Department of Health and Welfare Director Dave Jeppesen * Idaho Department of Water Resources Director Gary Spackman * Idaho Department of Labor Director Jani Revier * Idaho State Department of Agriculture Director Chanel Tewalt * Idaho State Police Lt. Colonel Bill Gardiner * Idaho Transportation Department Director Scott Stokes In addition, local officials and representatives of the following agencies and state entities will be on hand to help answer questions: Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, Idaho Lottery, and the Idaho Division of Veterans Services. ?It is an honor to bring my next Capital for a Day to Malad City,? Governor Little said. ?This event will give the good people of Oneida County a chance to discuss what?s on their minds when it comes to good government and how we can better serve them.? # # # NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: Madison Hardy, Press Secretary 208-547-7485 or Madison.Hardy at gov.idaho.gov Madison Hardy Press Secretary | Idaho Governor Brad Little Phone: 208-854-3015 Mobile: 208-547-7485 Email: Madison.Hardy at gov.idaho.gov Web | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram Sign up to receive news from Governor Little -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 68980 bytes Desc: image001.png URL: From id_gov_news at gov.idaho.gov Fri Apr 28 12:10:05 2023 From: id_gov_news at gov.idaho.gov (Gov. Brad Little) Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2023 18:10:05 +0000 Subject: Idaho is training loggers to fight forest fires Message-ID: [Graphical user interface, text Description automatically generated] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 28, 2023 Idaho is training loggers to fight forest fires Boise, Idaho - Governor Brad Little proclaimed the month of May as Wildfire Awareness Month, and as the State of Idaho actively gears up for fire season, the Governor's administration is teaming up with loggers to better fight wildfires in Idaho forests. Fighting wildfire safely requires training. The Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) is creating new opportunities to train loggers, foresters, and landowners of large tracts of industrial forestland to safely help fight wildfires, keep lands healthy, and save scarce firefighting resources. In his first State of the State and Budget Address in 2019, Governor Little talked about Idaho's leadership in embracing fresh, collaborative approaches to land and fire management. He pointed to the hundreds of ranchers and farmers who have become members of rangeland fire protection associations across southern Idaho. "I want to carry over this successful wildland firefighting model to Idaho's forestlands by expanding the initial attack capabilities of our loggers," Governor Little said. The IDL online fire training portal provides access to training resources that qualifies these boots-on-the-ground to safely fight fire within areas where the IDL provides fire protection. It is available at https://www.idl.idaho.gov/fire-management/fire-training-for-loggers-and-industrial-foresters/. The portal connects forestry professionals with traditional in-person or virtual classes and free self-directed online learning. With proper training, owners and operators of heavy equipment can become eligible to contract for fire suppression work, adding to the state's firefighting capacity while benefitting local economies. "Building wildfire suppression capacity by empowering loggers, industrial landowners and foresters to safely fight fires leads Idaho to greater self-sufficiency," Governor Little said. "We're making it easier to access the training and certification needed to safely fight fire, enabling industry folks to extend their helping hands when fire strikes." The Associated Logging Contractors of Idaho (ALC) support the new training opportunity, too. "This partnership with industry is more important than ever as wildfires have become more frequent and more severe," ALC executive director Shawn Keough said. "Our logging contractors and crews are usually close by and can provide initial attack before others can even arrive thus putting out fires or keeping them small and controlled. They also have the skills and equipment to continue working on containing a fire." "This training by IDL helps cut some of the red tape involved for our crews to do this work while keeping everyone safe," Keough added. "And given persistent drought conditions and heightened fire risks, having additional personnel and equipment available to fight wildfires is crucial." # # # Please DO NOT REPLY to this message. For press inquiries only, contact the Governor's press office at (208) 854-3015 or e-mail Madison.Hardy at gov.idaho.gov. To unsubscribe from these announcements, send an e-mail to news at gov.idaho.gov -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 98275 bytes Desc: image001.png URL: From id_gov_news at gov.idaho.gov Fri Apr 28 14:04:30 2023 From: id_gov_news at gov.idaho.gov (Gov. Brad Little) Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2023 20:04:30 +0000 Subject: Idaho stops millions in tax fraud Message-ID: [Graphical user interface, text Description automatically generated] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 28, 2023 Idaho stops millions in tax fraud Boise, Idaho - Idaho has delivered more tax relief per capita than any other state while stopping scammers from stealing millions from Idaho taxpayers. Thieves try to use stolen identities to file bogus tax returns so they can try to get refunds that aren't theirs. Governor Brad Little is highlighting the success of the Idaho State Tax Commission in stopping more than $29.7 million in tax refunds going to thieves so far in 2023, up 607% from last year. So far this year, the Tax Commission has intercepted nearly 3,400 fake income tax returns. "Idahoans expect us to safeguard their resources. The Tax Commission's efforts mean we can mark a victory over those who seek to commit fraud against our citizens," Governor Little said. "The Tax Commission successfully issued more than $943.6 million in rebates, $36.2 million in Return-to-Work bonuses, and $72.7 million in Rebound Idaho grants, and I commend their efforts to protect the interests of Idaho taxpayers." The Tax Commission conducts fraud detection reviews on income tax returns before issuing refunds. The agency also continually looks for new ways to combat tax fraud due to identity theft. When the Tax Commission suspects that thieves have filed a fraudulent return in a taxpayer's name, it sends a letter to the taxpayer. Taxpayers who receive a letter but haven't filed a return are likely victims of identity theft. In many cases, this is the first time they learn their identities have been stolen. The Tax Commission helps them take the next steps. Taxpayers can learn more about identity theft, including the signs they might be a victim, by visiting tax.idaho.gov/idtheft. # # # Please DO NOT REPLY to this message. For press inquiries only, contact the Governor's press office at (208) 854-3015 or e-mail Madison.Hardy at gov.idaho.gov. To unsubscribe from these announcements, send an e-mail to news at gov.idaho.gov -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 98275 bytes Desc: image001.png URL: