Durst explains his ‘no’ vote
Rep. Branden Durst, D-Boise, who cast the only "no" vote in the House today on HB 61, the bill that makes the 4 percent holdbacks permanent plus adds to them, said he voted against the bill for two reasons. First, "I didn't think it was appropriate for us to be voting on budget cuts for every single agency in the state of Idaho in one bill," he said. Second, he objected to some of the specific cuts, including those in Medicaid programs where cutting state funds means losing much more in federal matching funds. "I have a real problem with that," he said. The 29-page bill passed 68-1 and now moves to the Senate. The only other House member who didn't vote in favor was Rep. Gary Collins, R-Nampa, who missed the vote.