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The Senate has adjourned until tomorrow morning, after receiving the election consolidation bill and referring it for a committee hearing later this week. “We made some great progress today,” said Senate Majority Leader Bart Davis, R-Idaho Falls. “We got those education bills all passed. This way the governor can have those bills probably by Friday,” and school districts can proceed with budgeting plans. “That really was important.” The Senate also passed the ITD budget. “It’s my understanding from the governor’s office that they need that,” he said, to “get those contracts let and get some people back to work.”
Meanwhile, the House voted 49-17 in favor of HB 373, its second version - just introduced today - of legislation to eliminate an early retirement program for teachers, after the Senate voted against that move earlier. The House then took a 10-minute break; it plans to work into the evening to try to unilaterally adjourn for the session, though if the Senate doesn’t follow suit, the House will be back on Monday. Said Sen. Joyce Broadsword, R-Sagle, “I’m having trouble understanding their logic - at this point it doesn’t make sense.”
Rep. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d’Alene, the House education chairman and sponsor of HB 373, told the House, “Counter to everything you might read in the newspaper, I don’t hate teachers - I admire teachers. I think it’s an admirable profession.” But he said no other state employees get an early retirement incentive. “In a time of budget constraints … we need to try to keep as much money in the classroom as possible,” Nonini told the House.
Betsy Z. Russell covers Idaho news from The Spokesman-Review's bureau in Boise.
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slfisher on April 29 at 5:33 p.m.
The early retirement program *does* keep more money in the classrooms, by enabling older, more expensive teachers to retire early so the schools can hire cheaper teachers.
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ThomG on April 29 at 5:41 p.m.
“Counter to everything you might read in the newspaper, I don’t hate teachers - I admire teachers. I think it’s an admirable profession.”
I think he's lying.
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Laughing on April 29 at 5:58 p.m.
Now, that was funny! I can't stop…yep, you got it…laughing. Go to the principal's office, Bobby, and get your swats! HeeHaw!
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Sisyphus on April 29 at 8:00 p.m.
Thom how could you tell? Were his lips moving?
Actions speak louder than words. The legislation speaks for itself. But here's some words from the horse's mouth:
“I don’t hate teachers - I admire teachers.” Some of my best friends are teachers. But “those people” don't need incentive.
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slfisher on April 29 at 8:29 p.m.
It's the teachers' union he has a problem with, I expect.
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hubba1 on April 30 at 6:47 a.m.
Nonini reminds me of Joe McCarthy, famous Oklahoma senator who was looking for a communist under every rock and would destroy everything in his path to find one.
In addition, I doubt Nonini has any friends that are teachers, and if he did, he doesnt now.
Like McCarthy both are on a witch hunt. One looking for communists the other teachers and both would destroy everything in their path to eliminate both.
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Closed Account on April 30 at 7:02 a.m.
Actions speak louder than words. He's a Union Buster on a low budget brain. It's amazing he can drive between Boise and Couer d' Alene without getting lost in Mexico. Hmmmmmm….so that's how the Swine flu got to Idaho, he's a carrier of a horrible disease that infected the House.
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Sisyphus on April 30 at 7:11 a.m.
McCarthy was from Wisconsin. But Oklahoma seems more intuitive.
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