The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee is hearing today from legislative committee chairmen on their recommendations on budgets. House Judiciary Chairman Jim Clark, R-Hayden Lake, went first, telling JFAC his committee is working to quickly pass the surcharge on convictions that courts are seeking to make up a big budget shortfall next year. It still would leave courts with as much as a $1.4 million shortfall, Clark said, but he said, "They can absorb that." Rep. Maxine Bell, R-Jerome, told Clark, who is retiring after this year, "You are truly going to be missed because we never know what you're going to do next, and it keeps us on our toes."

Senate Judiciary Chairman Denton Darrington, R-Declo, told the committee that public safety is the No. 1 charge for government, more important even than education. House Education Chairman Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d'Alene, said school districts, teachers, administrators, school boards and more "have all been asking for flexibility in these tough economic times." He urged JFAC to preserve the Idaho Digital Learning Academy. "We get the fact that budgets are going to be cut, but let's do our best not to eliminate good programs," he said. Nonini said he doesn't want to see school administrators get raises "in these tough times that we're in."