READ: Idaho governor expands fentanyl initiative to include human trafficking
 Biden’s VA pulled the rug out from under our veterans. The VA is moving the goalposts mid-game, and it is unacceptable. The Biden Administration needs to keep its word to our veterans!
"When Gov. Brad Little launched Operation Esto Perpetua in 2022, he recognized that work had to be done regarding fentanyl infiltration into Idaho.
Two years later, Little says that while progress has been made, more is planned for the future.
On Wednesday, Little signed an executive order to continue work through the initiative and expand its scope to include human trafficking mitigation.
Adding this new element to the operation was a priority of his during Little’s State of the State address.
Nampa Police Chief Joe Huff, a longstanding member of the Nampa Police Department, said that while human trafficking was in the community 30 years ago, it wasn’t nearly as prevalent.
Wills echoed that sentiment, saying that it exists “in every county in Idaho.”
“And it’s not just with the sex trade,” Idaho State Police Col. Kedrick Wills said. “It’s with slave labor and using children to help traffic drugs. It’s everything you could imagine that are horrific crimes that citizens here and people that live in Idaho and call Idaho home are the victims of.”
Lt. Governor Scott Bedke added that fentanyl and human trafficking “are not siloed crimes.”
“If you start investigating fentanyl, and everything around it, then it becomes very obvious that there is a human trafficking element to this and all of its ramifications,” he said.
Little said that he’s seen many of society’s drug and substance abuse issues come to the forefront over the years. None stack up to what Idaho faces with fentanyl, he said.
“This, to me, is by far the biggest problem we’ve ever had,” Little said."
Gov. Little calls out Biden Administration for threatening veterans home projects
Biden’s VA pulled the rug out from under our veterans. The VA is moving the goalposts mid-game, and it is unacceptable. The Biden Administration needs to keep its word to our veterans!
"Plans to rebuild or renovate three veterans homes in Idaho were cruising along — until an unexpected roadblock appeared.
The Idaho Division of Veterans Services applied for a grant from the U.S. Veterans Administration, or VA, in 2019, for some funding toward building a new veterans home in Boise and remodeling two new veterans homes in Lewiston and Pocatello.
But now, the VA is saying that all of Idaho’s projects must comply with the Build America, Buy America Act (BABAA), passed as part of the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure law, which took effect in May 2022. The law requires construction of government buildings to use materials sourced from U.S. manufacturers and supply chains.
Despite agreeing with the spirit of the law, Idaho leaders are sounding the alarm, saying they were assured for months by VA leaders in Washington, D.C., that the projects would receive waivers, meaning they would be exempt from complying with the law.
Idaho Gov. Brad Little said that the VA should be considering the congressional intent of the law, which provides for waivers.
“When Congress passes a noble piece of legislation, they recognize that there are going to be supply chain [issues], and that’s why they put that waiver in there,” Little told the Idaho Press by phone. He questioned the political motivations behind the waivers the VA has issued.
“The fact that they have given two waivers to ... Democratic states ... it’s got a little bit of a smell to it,” Little said. He vowed to continue working with Idaho’s congressional delegation and other governors to resolve the issue.
Tom Ressler, a board member for AARP Idaho and retired Idaho Division of Veterans Services employee, said it comes down to caring about veterans.
“If we weren’t gonna take care of veterans, then let’s quit sending them off to war and having them become disabled,” Ressler said.
“Politics should never ever be a part of the decisions to take care of veterans,” he said."
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READ: OPINION: Securing the border
The flood of fentanyl, human trafficking, and illegal activity across our southern border presents a dangerous threat to Idahoans.
Thank you to my legislative partners for supporting our efforts to STOP this threat and protect Idaho lives!
"Naysayers calling Idaho’s efforts to support Texas in securing the border “pointless” are willfully missing the point.
We’re elected legislators from all corners of Idaho who wholeheartedly support Gov. Brad Little’s repeated deployment of Idaho State Police troopers to the border. We aren’t just vocal supporters. Our “yes” votes to back the State Police’s budget make this all possible.
Why Idaho?
Because when our law enforcement here at home trains with the Texas Department of Public Safety on the frontlines of illegal activity, they’re receiving the best training available to learn the cutting-edge tactics used by the drug cartels to smuggle people, drugs, and weapons into the United States.
When they return, troopers take what they learned and share it with local law enforcement officers across Idaho.
Pointless? On the contrary. ISP will tell you no better training opportunity exists to combat emerging criminal techniques effectively.
Following the last two missions to the border, our state troopers shared that their training at the border was “eye-opening.” They tested equipment they’d never used before, especially at night when criminals were on the move. They learned how drug cartels are continually changing their tactics, coming up with new ways to conceal what they’re smuggling. These illegal drugs make their way to Idaho, as demonstrated by a record number of drug busts by ISP in 2023.
As one trooper put it, “Criminals change their tactics, and without the right training, we’re behind the eight ball.”
We are proud to be part of the growing movement of Americans demanding action at the border, and Gov. Little and our ISP troopers have our full support."
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Reps. Rick Cheatum (District 28), Chenele Dixon (District 24), Rod Furniss (District 31), Greg Lanting (District 25), Stephanie Mickelsen (District 32), Jack Nelsen (District 26), Britt Raybould (District 34), Mark Sauter (District 1), Josh Wheeler (District 35), Kenny Wroten (District 13), Julie Yamamoto (District 11), Sens. Mark Harris (District 35), Julie Van Orden (District 30) and Linda Hartgen (District 25)
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Thank you, Nampa Chamber of Commerce Ag Forum!
 It was an honor to join the Nampa Chamber of Commerce Ag Forum to celebrate something near and dear to my heart – Idaho agriculture!
I have long appreciated the Nampa Chamber’s dedication to supporting the agriculture industry – the backbone of Idaho’s economy.
That is why forums like these are so beneficial. They bring everyone together to support the needs of our business and agricultural communities, which becomes even more important as Idaho continues to grow.
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