Idaho
Idaho Gov. signs school choice bill – The Lion
Idaho Gov. Brad Little has signed a school choice bill into law, creating a $50 million tax credit program for state residents.
The Republican signed the measure Thursday morning, making Idaho the latest state to offer broad school choice to its residents. Families will be eligible for $5,000 in tax credits to pay educational expenses including private school tuition; families of special needs students will receive $7,500.
“With the passage of the $50 million Parental Choice Tax Credit program, Idaho boasts even more abundant schooling options for Idaho students and families,” Little said, according to KTVB. “Idaho’s commitment to education is growing every year.
“I am proud that we have put close to $17 BILLION into our K-12 public school system since I took office and increased public school funding by close to 60 percent in just a few years. Our investments in education initiatives have increased 80 percent overall since my first year in office. In addition, Idaho ranks first in the nation for our return on investment in public schools.
“Idaho can have it all – strong public schools AND education freedom. Providing high-quality education for Idaho students will always be our top priority.”
Little had proposed allocating $50 million for school choice during his State of the State address in January, and lawmakers promptly drafted legislation. The governor, who had previously opposed school choice, said at the time the proposal needed to be “fair, responsible, transparent and accountable” and “prioritize the families that need it most” in order for him to support it.
Little opened a hotline for residents to voice their support or opposition after House Bill 93 passed the legislature, and waited the maximum full week before signing the bill into law. He faced the choice to veto it, sign it or let it become law without his signature.
On Tuesday, the governor appeared to criticize the proposal, saying “there’s not enough accountability in it,” but quickly added, “I don’t think there’s enough accountability in the money we give public schools either,” Idaho Education News reported.
“This is big win for Idaho families,” Mountain States Policy Center President Chris Cargill said after the measure passed the House. “Our research work clearly shows choice programs improve student achievement and cause nearby public schools to improve their performance.”
A recent Mountain States Policy Center poll found that 66% of Idaho voters back the proposed tax credit program, while just 24% oppose it. A majority (53%) of Democrats support the proposal.
The Gem State joins a growing number of states that offer broad school choice, meaning residents are not limited by income on who can apply, although caps in state funding can limit the number of participants.
States including Texas, Wyoming, Kansas and Virginia are currently considering proposals to enact or expand their school choice programs.
BLACKFOOT — A large contingent of Blackfoot Police officers has cordoned off an area near the Taco Bell on Parkway Drive in Blackfoot.
Police responded around 5 p.m., according to multiple witnesses who contacted EastIdahoNews.com.
EastIdahoNews.com has reached out to Blackfoot Police for details.
We will update this story as we learn more.
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MISSOULA, Mont. — An Idaho Falls angler is back in the Idaho record books after landing a record-setting lake trout at Payette Lake.
Idaho Fish and Game said Dylan Smith caught and released a 43.25-inch lake trout on May 2, setting a new state catch-and-release record for the species. The fish surpassed the previous record of 42 inches.
The catch marks Smith’s second appearance in Idaho’s record books. He previously held the state catch-and-release lake trout record after landing a trophy fish in 2018 before that mark was later broken.
According to Fish and Game, Payette Lake has become one of Idaho’s premier lake trout fisheries thanks to years of management efforts aimed at improving both lake trout and kokanee populations.
Pride Month looks different this June along Boise’s Harrison Boulevard, where a long-standing tradition of hanging Pride flags on lamp posts has been put on hold after a new state law restricted which flags can be flown on government property.
For several years, Pride flags lined lamp posts along Harrison Boulevard in Boise’s North End neighborhood. But Idaho House Bill 561, signed by Gov. Brad Little in March, restricts which flags can be flown on government property, including the City of Boise’s Harrison lamp posts.
In response, a group of neighbors formed Pride North End and launched a distribution effort to help residents show support from their own front yards. The group has been making Pride flags and yard signs available to people who want to display them at home.
“I thought that I would…be a personal example of ‘yes, this is what I do.’ This is what I believe in,” said Edna Schochat, a North End resident.
Pride North End has already distributed more than 900-yard signs and 250 flags. The group’s original donation goal was around $2,000 to order 100 flags and 200 yard signs, but it has exceeded that GoFundMe goal, reaching $10,000 worth of donations.
The group plans to continue holding public flag and sign distributions through the end of the month.
“We cannot just say something without doing something that proves that we mean what we say,” Schochat said.
Pride North End said any leftover funds after materials are distributed will go to local LGBTQ+ nonprofits. A link to the group’s GoFundMe can be found here.
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