FILER, Idaho — Idaho Gov. Brad Little took his office on the road to Filer on Thursday for the 31st Capital for a Day event of his tenure, temporarily making the small Magic Valley city a hub for state government and public conversation.
Little and other state officials fielded questions from Twin Falls County residents on a wide range of issues, including a proposed third crossing of the Snake River Canyon, quagga mussels, wildfire season preparation, and reductions in Medicaid reimbursement.
See what neighbors in Filer saw when Gov. Little came to town for Capital for a Day
Marla Palmer, who operates an organization in Twin Falls that supports individuals with disabilities, directed her questions to the governor about his administration's Medicaid proposals.
"I want to ask the governor what his plans are for people with disabilities with all of the Medicaid cuts that he's recommended," Palmer said. "And specifically why he chose to target supportive, living, or people in residential locations under the DD waiver with his massive cuts to our programs."
As Idaho News 6 previously reported, many state agencies faced budget cuts last fall, forcing the closure or limitation of many programs.
Growth, according to Little, is at the center of nearly every challenge facing Idaho.
"Growth is the biggest issue, and you heard about all of them — school funding, health, welfare issues, water issues. All of them are directly proportional. Most of them are directly proportional to growth," explained Little.
Lieutenant Governor Scott Bedke addressed water management during the event.
"They recognize a seniority of the Twin Falls final copy and North Side Canal Company in this part of the world, but it also recognizes the inter-relationship between the surface water systems and the groundwater systems, and we manage that all conjunctively, and keeping everybody pointed in the same direction all of the time is hard work," Bedke said.
Little said one of the key benefits of the Capital for a Day format is that it gives attendees a broader perspective on the competing demands placed on the state budget.
"I think the interesting part of it is when somebody — the most important issue to them is X — and then often they want more state resources, but then they hear all the other questions out there. Funds needed for water. Funds needed for education. Funds needed for health and human services. Funds needed for public safety. So that everybody gets to live my life. I have to balance all those together," Little said.
Idaho State Department of Agriculture Director Chanel Tewalt reflected on the value of the events for state agencies.
"I've never gone to a Capital for a Day where we didn't come back with something to work on as an agency," Tewalt said.
After a lunch break, the group traveled to Filer High School to take questions from students.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
