On a 4-3, party-line vote, Rep. Bob Nonini's bill making changes in public school finances has won introduction in the House Ways & Means Committee, and will go to the House Education Committee for a hearing. The bill makes three changes: It eliminates an early-retirement incentive program for teachers, though the Senate already has voted against doing that; it adds in relief from "use it or lose it" provisions on school district funding, as proposed in HB 303, which is languishing in the Senate; and it allows flexibility for school districts on half of their requirement for funding a maintenance match. "It appears what this bill does it simply reverse what the Senate did with their amendments, is that right?" asked Rep. Bill Killen, D-Boise. Nonini responded that that was correct for the first change, though not necessarily for the other two. When Killen noted that the Senate added a sunset clause, or expiration, to HB 303, Nonini said there's no such clause in his new bill.

---

---