Here's a link to my full story in today's Spokesman-Review on the joint legislative committee's decision yesterday to delay shifting gas tax funds away from the state parks department and ISP for another year, until July 1, 2011. The panel's decision is a recommendation to the Legislature, but the Legislature set the panel up to figure out the answer to how to proceed. Here's an interesting twist, however: Lawmakers on the panel said they felt they had "breathing room" because of savings at ITD due to bids on contracts coming in millions below expectations; some even mentioned "at least $34 million" in savings. That was the amount, earlier this summer, that federal stimulus project bids had come in below expectations; as of now, the total savings is up to $50 million - but ITD has designated all of that savings to additional stimulus-funded construction projects. One of those, for example, is the closing of the 2-mile, two-lane gap that would have been created on Highway 95 in North Idaho between a new four-lane highway and existing four-lane road.

ITD says stimulus savings can't be used for department operations - like filling potholes or plowing snow - and they are one-time funds that won't come back once spent. Also, ITD says it's having money problems of its own right now - last week, ITD announced an $8.6 million holdback on its own department budget - a 3.4 percent cut - because its revenues are falling short, compared to appropriations.

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