Idaho's Growth Playbook | Brandon Woolf

Idaho is having a moment of tremendous growth and State Controller Brandon Woolf is in the engine room. In this episode, we dig into how the state pays 37,000 employees, manages billions in public funds, and turns 2.5 million acres of endowment lands, especially timber, into sustained support for K–12 schools. Woolf breaks down what’s really driving the boom, which revenues tourism actually touches, and why openness matters, from the Transparent. We also talk about trade-offs: housing affordability, infrastructure, preserving agriculture, water and power constraints, and extending broadband to rural communities. Woolf shares how his team experiments with AI to spot savings in travel and procurement, and why Idaho keeps rainy-day reserves ready for the long haul. Whether you’re eyeing Idaho to visit, relocate, or invest, this is a grounded look at the state’s growth and several insider secret activities.