New Year’s resolutions for Idaho Gov. Brad Little and his legacy as governor | Opinion

It’s a new year and a new term for Idaho Gov. Brad Little, who is scheduled to give his inaugural address on Friday and his State of the State address on Monday.

Here are some New Year’s resolutions for a happy and prosperous new year.

Ignore the attacks from the far-right fringe. If this is Little’s last term, at least he won’t have to worry about a primary challenge from the far-right flank of his party. Not that he had to worry much to begin with, as Little still received a majority of the vote in the closed Republican primary despite challenges from far-right challengers.

And Little’s general election victory with 61% of the vote gave him a major vote of confidence from all Idahoans. The fringe of his own party has called him a RINO (Republican In Name Only), a dictator and “Little Hitler.” These folks are not to be reasoned with or listened to. Ignore them and their unhinged rants.

Buy a barrel of ink for the veto pen. With the Senate tilting further to the radical right, that body likely won’t be as good of a backstop for bad legislation from the House. That means bad bills, such as school vouchers or murder charges for women getting an abortion, could sneak through to the governor’s desk. Rather than write approval letters that read more like veto letters, Little needs to veto bad legislation.

Build your legacy. With a record budget surplus, Idaho has an opportunity to effect change that could last for generations. Little shouldn’t think about just the next year or two; he should think about the next generation. What can he do today that will have an impact on what Idaho looks like 50 years from now?

Continue improvements to public education. One surefire way to make Idaho’s future brighter is to continue making significant investments in public education. Little says he makes decisions based on what will make our kids and grandkids stay in Idaho; investing in a robust, general, uniform and thorough system of public, free, common public schools is the best way to do that.

Increase teacher pay to reduce turnover, reduce class sizes by hiring more teachers, increase the number of counselors and paraprofessional staff, and improve career-technical education options for students going into skilled trades.

Reject school vouchers. Pressure has been building over the past several years and likely will come to a head this legislative session. A bill establishing “education savings accounts” very well could make its way to his desk. These are vouchers. As the old saying goes, if it walks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck. Education saving accounts is a duck.

Be a champion for higher education. Our institutions of higher education are economic drivers and the key to Idaho’s future success. Unfortunately, some on the far right continue to attack them over unfounded fears and baseless concerns about indoctrination, critical race theory, and diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Ignore the haters. Take Idaho higher education to the next level.

Ensure Idaho has a fair, resilient tax system. The Idaho Legislature has cut taxes several times over the past couple of years, and more tax cuts likely will be on the table this session. Before cutting income taxes again, Little should ensure that Idaho’s balance of tax revenues, among sales taxes, income taxes and corporate taxes, remains balanced and sufficient even through a recession. Eliminating the sales tax on groceries and alleviating the property tax burden on homeowners would be much better tax relief benefiting those who need it most.

Reevaluate who is appointed to state boards. Even though 13% of Idaho residents are Hispanic, there is not a single non-white member of the State Board of Education. Native Americans make up 1.7% of Idaho’s population, and 1.6% of Idaho’s population is Asian. Appointed boards should better reflect Idaho’s demographics.

Make investments at the front of the prison system, not just the back end. Building new prisons may be a necessity, but to truly make an impact on future generations, make investments to reduce the prison population before they make it to prison: drug and alcohol rehab centers, diversion courts, education, criminal justice reform.

Little, 68, begins his second and possibly final term as Idaho’s governor, meaning he has four years to build his legacy and determine whether that legacy lasts for generations or is quickly forgotten.

When he gives his State of the State address on Monday, Little will be delivering it to a Legislature composed of nearly 40% new members from the previous term, a huge turnover that could present challenges to his agenda.

Little has guided the ship with a steady hand in his first term. His second term should be marked by visionary leadership and courage.

Both of those traits will be tested this session. How he handles it likely will cement how he is remembered as governor.