The Courier
NEWS
News from the Heart of Idaho Camas • Lincoln • Gooding
January 8, 2025
Vol 49 Num 2
Idaho Business Owners Governor Little's Keeping Promises Plan Dear From Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane
On Monday, Governor Brad Little delivered his seventh State of the State and Budget Adress in the Idaho Statehouse, outlining his key priorities for the 2025 legislative session in his KEEPING PROMISES plan. "The historic presidential election two months ago affirmed one thing – Americans want for our country what Idaho has – safe communities, bustling economic activity, increasing incomes, tax relief, fewer regulations, fiscal responsibility, and common sense values. With President Trump’s return to the White House, we have a renewed opportunity to help him deliver results and show the rest of the country how to do things right. That starts with KEEPING PROMISES,” Governor Little said. Among many highlights, Governor Little’s KEEPING PROMISES plan proposes: CONTINUED INVESTMENTS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS: State support for education has increased 80 percent since Governor Little took office. His KEEPING PROMISES plan proposes over $150 million in new public school funding. The budget recommendation focuses investments on known gaps including rural school facilities, mental health services and school safety, literacy, and accountability initiatives that guarantee the best outcomes for our public school students. EDUCATION FREEDOM: Idaho already leads in education freedom, and Governor Little proposes $50 million for the Legislature to expand school choice. Just as we expect our public schools to be fair, responsible, transparent and accountable, Governor Little will only consider a school choice proposal that meets these same standards while prioritizing the families that need it most. TAX RELIEF: Idaho has already delivered $4.6 BILLION in tax cuts to Idahoans in the past six years. His KEEPING PROMISES plan puts another $100 million back in Idahoan’s wallets. SUPPORT FOR THE AMERICAN WORKER: Elsewhere in the country, fewer and fewer students are moving on to some form of education or training after high school, but not Idaho! Idaho is bucking the trend. We had the largest cohort EVER of students enrolled in a program after high school thanks to Idaho LAUNCH. The Governor’s plan adds $25 million to increase capacity at community and technical colleges to get more working class Idahoans on the fast track to a career. GREATER GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCIES: President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency is already looking to the least regulated state for the blueprint on how to cut red tape, stimulate economic activity, and streamline government. Governor Little’s KEEPING PROMISES plan puts more structure around our permitting reform efforts for largescale mining and energy projects. SAFE COMMUNITIES: Crime in Idaho is down 17 percent since Governor Little took continued on page 3... office despite record population growth, and violent crime...
We are writing again with another significant development regarding the new federal reporting requirements. On December 23rd, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated the reporting requirements by lifting the order halting the Department of Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) requirement to collect Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI). However, on December 26th, the same court reversed this decision, effectively pausing the requirement again. While we appreciate the courts' recognition that a pause is needed, this back-and-forth has created confusion and frustration, both for our office and for business owners like you. We recognize how difficult it is to navigate these changing requirements. As of now, businesses are not required to report BOI information. However, we urge you to stay informed as legal proceedings may continue to affect the implementation of these requirements. For any questions or concerns, we encourage you to contact FinCEN directly at: Website: https://fincen.gov/boi Email: FRC@fincen.gov Phone number: 1-800-767-2825
Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane shares your frustration. "Just in the past week, our office has heard from hundreds of frustrated business owners. This has been a headache for small business owners to navigate. I'm grateful the courts recognized that the best course of action is to pause the reporting while the long-term legal questions are resolved." Our office remains committed to advocating for Idaho's small business community. We are working with the Idaho Attorney General, Senator Jim Risch, and Representative Russ Fulcher to pursue long-term solutions that make sense for Idaho businesses. We will provide updates as new information becomes available. Thank you for your patience as this situation evolves.