Gov. Brad Little brushed over a few state issues Wednesday, including education, and instead gushed about President-elect Donald Trump.
Speaking at the Associated Taxpayers of Idaho’s annual conference — and a ballroom packed with lawmakers, lobbyists and state business leaders — the Republican Little said he expects “a lot of good things” from Trump’s second term. Trump is moving quickly to name Cabinet appointees, Little said, and should be able to move quickly to pick back up on the policy priorities from his first term.
The result, Little said, should be a quantum leap on the permitting and regulatory process.
“We know what the headwinds are if you’re fighting the establishment in Washington, D.C.,” Little said.
The change in the White House could have a profound impact on energy policy, logging, mining and road construction, Little said. But Little said nothing about the potential impacts on education policy — including Trump’s pledge to mothball the U.S. Department of Education.
Little only briefly mentioned state education issues. He vowed to push for continued investments in education. He also said the state should continue to invest in workforce development — although he didn’t mention by name his Idaho Launch postsecondary financial aid program, which has narrowly skated through the Legislature over the past two sessions.
Little also briefly touched on one of the session’s looming education debates: private school choice.
“We lead the nation in choice in so many ways,” he said.
Legislative committees have debated an assortment of private school choice bills over the past two years. But none have reached Little’s desk, and the governor has been largely silent on the issue.
Attended by some 500 people each year, the ATI conference marks the unofficial runup to the legislative session. A governor’s speech is a fixture on the ATI agenda — but Little, and his predecessors, have generally avoided breaking any big news in December. Governors instead tend to reveal new proposals during their State of the State address on the session’s first day.
Little will deliver his 2025 address on Jan.6, in 33 days.
No small amount of political intrigue is swirling around this year’s ATI conference.
Legislators are in town this week for their post-election organizational session. On Wednesday night, Senate Republicans will meet at a closed-door dinner caucus and elect a new leadership team. They will replace their president pro tem — the highest-ranking member of leadership — since Boise Republican Chuck Winder was ousted in the May primary.
Little alluded to the jockeying for leadership seats with a quip to senators. “It will be over someday, I promise.”
Check back throughout the week for the latest coverage of legislative leadership elections and committee assignments.
