Little tackles COVID, budget in State of the State address

By Lyndsie Kiebert
Reader Staff

Idaho Gov. Brad Little delivered his third State of the State address Jan. 11, taking the opportunity to urge peace among Americans, commend health care workers and others working to keep Idahoans safe from COVID-19, and to unveil his budget goals for the upcoming year.

Gov. Brad Little delivers the 2021 State of the State address Jan. 11. Screenshot from Idaho Public Television.

Little opened his half-hour speech by mentioning the “dark events” that took place at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, when thousands of supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump descended on the building as the House and Senate prepared to count the Electoral College votes of the 2020 presidential election. Several insurrectionists stormed the building, and five people died: a Capitol police officer and four Trump supporters — one was shot by police, while the other three succumbed to separate medical emergencies.

“Hostility and violence are not an expression of your rights; they are a violation of everyone else’s,” Little said. “While we should be celebrating the openness of our government, a fence is being erected around the U.S. Capitol. I mourn the loss of life and the loss of access and what it means for future generations of Americans.”

Little did not mention Trump in connection with the events at the Capitol, which were spurred by the president’s belief that he did not, in fact, lose the election to President-elect Joe Biden. Despite no evidence of fraud, Little signed onto a failed lawsuit last month in which the state of Texas wished to overturn votes in several swing states. 

James Dawson of Boise State Public Radio asked Little after his address whether he felt he “legitimized” the discredited claims of fraud through his support of the suit, to which the governor replied, “No.”

“Each state needs to take responsibility for the sanctity of the vote in their states,” he continued.

Much of Little’s speech addressed the effect COVID-19 had on Idaho in 2020, including the lives lost and economic hardship felt throughout the state. While the governor did put in place stay-at-home orders and staged reopening guidelines early in the pandemic, he did not enact a statewide mask mandate and instead relied on local agencies to make those decisions.

“Members of the seven public health boards made courageous decisions in the face of heated opposition. They have my support,” Little said. “Mayors, county and city officials, and school board members also made very tough decisions. These local leaders labored late into the evening. They navigated new technologies to inform the public. They wrestled with decisions they knew would draw criticism. Thank you.”

Little rejoiced in the arrival of the COVID-19 vaccine, and said “the dark clouds of the pandemic are starting to part.” Still, the governor cautioned against letting up on practices meant to mitigate the spread of the virus, adding that “the finish line is close, but the worst part of the pandemic may not be behind us.”

The governor also unveiled his goals for the upcoming budget, including several investments stemming from the state’s $600 million dollar surplus as well as regularly projected funds. Little is calling his plan “Building Idaho’s Future,” and it includes one-time investments of $295 million in tax relief; $126 for transportation; $60 million for water infrastructure projects; $54 million for broadband and economic development; $30 million for education; $1 million for investments into the Idaho State Police; $66 million for capital construction projects; $30 million and other priorities identified during the legislative session; and $390 million to reinvest in cuts to agency spending that occurred during the FY 2020/’21 budget process.

Little is also proposing that an ongoing $80 million be invested in transportation, and $160 million be invested into tax cuts moving forward.