$6.3 million to support digital access for Idahoans at risk

The Idaho Commission for Libraries, public libraries and partners, and the people of Idaho are once again caught in the culture war’s crosshairs. There’s been a last-minute effort by some members of the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee to eliminate the $6.3 million that has been appropriated by Congress to implement the Digital Access for All Idahoans Plan. Implementation of the plan has already begun as spending authority for the first year at $2.5 million was provided last legislative session. The ICfL staff have spent hundreds of hours helping develop the plan (read the plan or the plan summary), attend focus groups held around the state, and begin the implementation phase (funding became available in November 2024 for this and 80 percent is earmarked for subgrant projects). The arguments from legislators against funding it were that the source of funding is the Digital Equity Act passed by Congress and that one of the eight covered populations that each state is required to address includes individuals with a language barrier, including English learners. Some argued that this was a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiative while others countered that providing equal access to resources is a long-standing value of libraries and Americans.