On Monday afternoon, Idaho Governor Brad Little stood before a crowd of representatives, state officials, and members of the public to convey his vision for the Gem State in 2026.Over the course of his roughly 30-minute State of the State speech titled "Enduring Idaho," Gov. Little espoused "right-sizing" state budgets, maintaining Idaho's AAA credit rating, and working with the Trump administration to reshape the federal government.A balanced budget isnt just required by the Idaho Constitution; it is the right thing to do, said Gov. Little.RELATED | Idaho DOGE Task Force recommends repealing Medicaid Expansion, defunding Idaho Commission on Hispanic AffairsNotably absent from the speech was an endorsement regarding any repeal of Medicaid Expansion, which was passed with 61% voter support in 2018. He did, however, discuss the Trump Administration's plan to award Idaho $185 million for our rural healthcare systems.I would have felt a lot more comfortable if he had come out with some kind of unequivocal statement that he will not sign a bill repealing Medicaid expansion," said House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel (D - District 18). "He didnt say that, and a lot of Republican legislators said they like to repeal Medicaid Expansion, so I think thats very much in the mix. Watch Gov. Little's full address below State of the State: Governor Brad Little [FULL SPEECH]Little also focused on trades-based education, saying Idaho LAUNCH remains "one of my top priorities." LAUNCH Idaho provides up to 80% tuition relief for students attending Idaho colleges, universities, or trade schools that lead to an "in-demand career" approved by the Idaho Workforce Development Council. Those careers include everything from healthcare occupations to roles in construction, technology, and maintenance. "Across state government, executive agencies will tighten their belts. Were renegotiating contracts to save money. Were reprioritizing initiatives. Were finding operational efficiencies, and we will make disciplined use of cash balances and interest earnings. All of this serves to limit the impact on Idahoans as we right-size government." - Brad Little, Governor of IdahoThe governor also touched on immigration, claiming Idaho's "Operation No Return," which allows Idaho State Police to deliver convicted criminals into the custody of ICE or other immigration agencies for deportation, has removed "dangerous illegal alien criminals from our neighborhoods."Gov. Little gets a 6-7 response from the crowd while discussing balancing the budget "Six-Seven" at the State of the StateFrom removing junk food from SNAP benefits to disallowing transgender women from participating in men's sports, Little spent a large portion of his speech aligning Idaho's policy with that of the Trump White House. "Were renegotiating contracts to save money. Were reprioritizing initiatives. Were finding operational efficiencies, and we will make disciplined use of cash balances and interest earnings. All of this serves to limit the impact on Idahoans as we right-size government." - Brad Little, Governor of IdahoLittle also took time to discuss DOGE and how Idaho pioneered the idea of "government efficiency" through its curtailing of state regulations. He claims those reductions in red tape have saved "more than one million dollars."However, just after those comments, Little went on to confront the "budget pressures before us." That includes balancing a budget with a deficit estimated to be in the range of $555 million. However, Little says that education will be spared from any future cuts and instead he will focus on a "mix of one-time and ongoing spending reductions to keep the budget structurally sound."G.O.P. House Majority Leader Jason Monks says lawmakers must be realistic about balancing the budget. Its not bad to every once in a while, to go back [and] look at our budget, trim where necessary so we can have stronger budgets," said Monks. "I think the Governor did a good job laying the groundwork for that for us.Gov. Little says public school remains a top priority Little says schools are a top priorityTowards the end of his speech, Gov. Little thanked the governors who preceded him, including Butch Otter, Jim Risch, and Dirk Kempthorne before concluding, "As we approach the 250th birthday of our great nation, we honor our past as we look boldly to the future. We will roll up our sleeves and get to work for the people of Idaho, guided by our enduring values grit, faith, family, and freedom. Thank you, and may God bless Idaho and the United States of America."When asked what she thought of the speech, Senate Minority Leader Melissa Wintrow replied, "There wasnt a whole lot of meat on the bones here.Hear lawmakers from both sides of the aisle respond to the State of the State address Governors State of the State focuses on Education ...read more read less