$80 million a year, no retention requirements, and taxpayer subsidies for private industry—this isn’t limited government.
In 2023, House Bill 24 created the Idaho LAUNCH program, promising grants of at least $8,500 to graduating high school students for training in “in-demand careers.” The program is funded with $80 million a year in sales tax revenue, making it one of the largest ongoing education subsidies in state history.
While its supporters claim it will strengthen Idaho’s workforce, the reality is that LAUNCH represents a massive expansion of state government, permanent entitlement-style spending, and wealth redistribution that directly conflicts with the Idaho Republican Party Platform.
Representative Tony Wisniewski (R – District 5) has been blunt about the dangers: “Once you start down this road, there’s no turning back… This is taking money from taxpayers, giving it to an 18-year-old kid… and what you don’t pay for becomes valueless to that individual.”
Wisniewski also points out the lack of any safeguard to ensure Idaho benefits from the investment: “We don’t have any requirement for these students to stay in Idaho… What are we thinking about?” Without a retention provision, taxpayers could easily fund someone’s education only to see them leave the state, taking the benefit with them.
On a recent podcast, Speaker of the House Mike Moyle has made clear that he supports the LAUNCH program’s goals and would support LAUNCH if it increases the amount of oversight, noting, “I’m not saying launch is a bad thing but I think to get to where you’re saying you’re gonna have to have the accountability part that’s not there yet.”
Why LAUNCH Fails the Conservative Test
Using the Idaho GOP Platform as the benchmark, LAUNCH rates a –1 (Negative) for these reasons:
- Violates the principle of limited government (Section 1, Principles of the Idaho Republican Party): The platform states that government must be “limited in size and scope” and “focused on core functions.” Idaho’s constitutional duty is to fund K–12 “common schools,” not create and sustain postsecondary grant programs for select individuals.
- Creates permanent, large-scale state spending (Section 5, Economy): The platform supports “fiscal responsibility” and opposes “unnecessary government spending.” LAUNCH locks in $80 million a year from sales tax revenues, creating a permanent entitlement-style obligation.
- Redistributes wealth at taxpayer expense (Section 5, Economy): The platform declares that “government should not redistribute wealth” and that individuals and families are primarily responsible for their own education costs. LAUNCH takes funds from all taxpayers and gives them to a limited group, while the industries benefiting contribute nothing.
- Fails to protect taxpayer investment (Section 5, Economy; Section 2, State Government): The platform emphasizes accountability in all government spending. LAUNCH has no requirement for recipients to remain in Idaho or repay funds if they fail to fulfill the program’s intended workforce benefit.
- Opens the door to corporate favoritism (Section 5, Economy): The platform opposes “government favoritism toward any economic group” and supports a free-market approach. By directing training dollars toward certain “in-demand careers” determined by a state council, the program indirectly subsidizes targeted industries with public funds.
The Idaho GOP Platform is clear: government should be limited, fiscally responsible, and free from programs that redistribute wealth or favor certain industries. LAUNCH fails on all counts.
Conservatives should recognize LAUNCH for what it is: a costly, government-run subsidy that grows bureaucracy, redistributes wealth, and undermines the principles of limited government and personal responsibility.
It’s genuinely disappointing that LAUNCH couldn’t have been repealed in the 2025 session, which has been called “The most conservative session ever.”