TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Idaho Governor Brad Little says he is happy with the decisions made in the statehouse this session, specifically highlighting a balanced budget, tax relief for Idahoans and a continued commitment to education.
WATCH: Idaho Gov. Brad Little discusses the recent legislative session, jail overcrowding, the statewide drought and rising gas prices impacting the state.
While visiting Twin Falls on Monday, Little emphasized the success of the state's LAUNCH program, noting its specific impact on the College of Southern Idaho.
"CSI is probably one biggest recipients and beneficiaries of LAUNCH — if you look at the demand and enrollment at CSI, it's the results of our investment in LAUNCH," Little said.
Twin Falls Neighborhood Reporter Joey Martin asked the governor about the ongoing issue of overcrowding in Idaho county jails. Little said more programs are needed to help Idaho inmates stay out of the system after they are released.
"Obviously, a lot of the pressure on corrections and our incarceration is behavioral health, substance abuse, and mental health. The increasing incarceration rates are a result of growth in Idaho, but it's also a large part of it is the behavioral health and substance abuse problems," Little said.
RELATED: Twin Falls County builds new jail to address overcrowding crisis
Amid the declaration of a statewide drought, Idaho News 6 asked how Idaho irrigators will be impacted.
RELATED: Twin Falls farmers brace for water shortages after statewide drought declaration
"We have to comply with law. We have to make sure the people with the oldest water rights are protected, but we're also saying everybody might need to share a little bit in this problem for the greater good of everybody else," Little said.
With rising gas prices impacting residents everywhere, the governor weighed in on the economic challenges.
"It's a result of supply and demand; we are doing all we can to be more efficient in Idaho, but Idaho is very dependent upon fossil fuels, and we’re just hopeful that problem gets resolved," Little said.
While thousands of miles away from any battlefield or wartime decision-making, Little said he is confident the state will continue to shine, even if gas prices continue to rise.
"One thing I would tell my fellow Idahoans is because of what we’ve done with our enduring Idaho — because of what we’ve done with done on having a balanced budget — because of what we’ve done to make sure that the Idaho economy continues on a upward trajectory ... you're going to be better off in Idaho than you are in any other state," Little said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
