Idahoans want honesty from their leaders. So, let’s be real: the current regime is bungling the economy and Idaho’s revenue is plummeting.

Governor Brad Little just announced mid-year “holdbacks,” budget cuts usually reserved for emergencies. But you would not know it from his press release. He’s spinning the surprise cuts as a positive, covering up the Republican mismanagement that created the crisis.

Little knew revenue was falling months ago. He even admitted Idaho could not afford giant tax cuts for the wealthy. Days later, he signed them anyway. He pushed the same reckless math with an unaffordable voucher scheme that sends public dollars to private, religious, and for-profit schools while local districts scramble with property tax levies just to keep the lights on.

Idahoans are not celebrating this man-made downturn. We are still waiting for Little and the GOP to stand up to Trump’s tariffs, which are hurting farmers, businesses and families. Nor will we celebrate the resulting cuts.

Idaho’s colleges and universities alone are slated to lose more than $13 million. This makes it harder for students working to unlock good-paying jobs. Other cuts will weaken healthcare for kids and people with disabilities, reduce law enforcement, and hurt the infrastructure that keeps our economy running. Cuts will come to crucial services that have already been reported to be insufficient, like wildland firefighting.

This could just be the start. Republicans predicted $394 million in revenue for July. Actual revenue was $355 million. That is a 10% miss in the first month of the fiscal year. Now the state has lowered its revenue forecast by $854 million. Add tariff-fueled inflation, and every dollar stretches less for Idaho families.

While K-12 education is exempt from this round, Superintendent Critchfield instructed schools to brace for cuts.This deeply troubled local leaders dealing with meager funds. As the full impact of tariffs unfolds, the economy will only worsen and state revenue could tank further. Fragile schools may soon be targeted.

Idaho Democrats are working to build a state where coming generations can be at least as secure as than the one before. And where a hard day’s work means you can cover basic necessities. We see the challenges for working families: wages that don’t support a family, unaffordable child care, and homes that are too expensive.

The math just doesn’t add up and Republicans’ slash-and-burn budgeting makes it worse. Instead, we should repeal the costly $50 million voucher scheme that only serves lobbyists and politicians with a privatization agenda. We also must rollback the income tax cuts that only benefit the wealthy and were never affordable.

It’s time to demand honest leadership that puts Idaho’s working families first.Onward,

Lauren Necochea
Idaho Democratic Party Chair