In a weak attempt to appease Idaho leftists on Tuesday, Gov. Brad Little called for a special legislative session to provide modest tax cuts and dump buckets of new money into Idaho’s broken government school system. 

At the press conference, Little urged action to help Idaho’s families deal with the effects of inflation. That’s a noble aim, but the governor’s proposal falls woefully short. He and lawmakers should return to the drawing board and come up with some far better solutions for families. 

Little’s plan, the only bill lawmakers can consider at the September 1 special session, represents a full and complete surrender to Luke Mayville and his socialist activists at Reclaim Idaho. 

Little’s proposal calls for a modest $161 million income tax cut, $500 million in one-time tax rebates, and $410 million in new government school spending. 

The Idaho Freedom Foundation, while pleased to see modest tax cuts, opposes Little’s approach and proposal. 

The governor’s bill would only slightly reduce taxes on low- to middle-income individuals who are struggling with record high food and gas prices. Families are hurting, so a one-time check and a modest tax cut aren’t good enough. 

The governor’s measure gives the Reclaim Idaho socialists every dime they wanted in Proposition 1 and more, and he conveniently ignores massive government school spending hikes passed in the last two years, and dumps even more cash into a broken system. 

The governor’s plan is not conservative or good enough for struggling Idaho families. The Legislature should reject this plan and instead insist on real changes in the tax code that end the chronic budget surpluses. Government should never collect more taxes than it needs, and the tax system should reflect those values. 

Lawmakers should consider a far bolder approach on tax policy, one that would ease the burdens on families. Legislators should return most of the state’s $2 billion surplus to hardworking Idaho taxpayers and cut income taxes to 4%. 

The Idaho Freedom Foundation knows Idaho prospers when families are free, work is rewarded, property is secure, and government is truly limited. Let’s move in that direction.