OPINION: There’s never a dull moment in the Idaho political scene nowadays
Idaho’s governing leadership certainly keeps things lively in these troubled times. In the last couple of months, we have witnessed JFAC, the legislative budget committee, setting spending levels before knowing how much revenue might come in, Rep. Mike Moyle forcing yet another imprudent tax cut favoring the wealthy and Gov. Brad Little criticizing the mess as unbalanced but then meekly signing it into law.
Low and behold, the governor’s skimpier revenue projection seems to be coming true, so the state is now facing the real possibility of spending cuts. We have just learned that on May 29 Little sent agency heads a directive to identify spending cuts of up to 6%. That would mean upwards of $180 million for public education. The $50 million education tax credit bonanza that Little and the Legislature gifted to families that are sending their kids to private and religious schools will add to the revenue shortfall. Those families’ $5,000 per child tax benefit will not be subject to the spending cut.
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