Rep. Shirley Ringo, D-Moscow, proposed to drain $7.4 million from a $25 million fund that's been sitting for years for school districts that have unsafe schools and can't pass bond issues to replace them. No one's ever tapped the fund, but the Plummer-Worley School District…
JFAC has voted 12-7 in favor of Rep. Fred Wood's proposal to declare a financial emergency for every school district in the state for the coming year, allowing any district that chooses to to reopen existing contracts with teachers to renegotiate pay, benefits or contract…
"None of us like the job that we have to do this year," said Rep. Fred Wood, R-Burley. He said that applies not just to the school budget but to all state agency budgets lawmakers are having to set this year. Wood has now moved…
A final motion on the co-chairs' intent language allows schools to shift money around in their current year budget in certain areas, if they need to. Those areas include gifted and talented teacher training, school supplies, technology, textbooks, and safe and drug-free schools. "This just…
There were lots of questions about various clauses of the school budget intent language, particularly from Democrats on the committee. Among the clauses are one that would forbid any discretionary funds to school districts next year from being used for any pay raises for employees;…
JFAC is now examining intent language to go along with the numbers it's just set for the public school budget for next year. There are 10 pages that go with the blueprint that was developed after meetings with education stakeholders, and that won support in…
The next division of the public school budget, for facilities, passed unanimously, with no alternatives proposed to the blueprint put together by a group headed by JFAC co-chairs Sen. Dean Cameron and Rep. Maxine Bell. Then, the final one, for educational services for the deaf…
For the "children's programs" division of the public school budget, Rep. Maxine Bell, R-Jerome, JFAC co-chair, proposed the plan developed by the JFAC co-chairs, other lawmakers and a group of education stakeholders. "Like all the other budgets, these programs were scrutinized ... to see what…
The Democrats' alternative proposal - to bring in $37.2 million more in state revenues through a series of steps and add that to next year's school budget - has failed on a 4-14 party-line vote. The original motion for the operations division then passed 15-4,…
Rep. Shirley Ringo, D-Boise, is offering a substitute motion on the operations portion of the public school budget. The plan developed by a group headed by the JFAC co-chairs for that portion of the budget shows a big decrease, as federal stimulus money goes away,…
Rep. Cliff Bayer's alternative motion has failed on a 3-16 vote, with just Reps. George Eskridge, R-Dover, and Frank Henderson, R-Post Falls, supporting Bayer. Then, the original motion for the teachers division of the public school budget, the one developed by a group headed by…
Rep. Cliff Bayer, R-Boise, has proposed an alternative motion for the teachers division, this one to set the minimum starting teacher salary at $30,000, rather than $29,655. It's now $30,915. The change means overall base salary reductions for teachers have to be bumped up to…
Sen. Jim Hammond, R-Post Falls, has proposed the second motion on the school budget, this one for the division of teachers. It includes a 4 percent base pay cut, plus cutting out raises for additional experience or education next year. "Again I don't love this…
The first piece of the schools budget is the motion for the administrators division; it just passed on a straight party-line vote, 15-4. JFAC Co-Chair Maxine Bell, R-Jerome, proposed the budget, which includes a 6.5 percent pay cut for administrators. Rep. Wendy Jaquet, D-Ketchum, spoke…
Now, it's time to set the public school budget. Overall, the budget proposal developed by the JFAC co-chairs and vice-chairs, along with Sen. Jim Hammond, R-Post Falls, after long meetings with stakeholder groups including the Idaho Education Association, the Idaho Association of School Administrators, the…
Idaho's state Department of Environmental Quality would see an 8.8 percent cut in state general funds next year and a 19.7 percent cut overall, under a budget just approved unanimously by JFAC. The department will lose six more positions as part of the plan. Sen.…
A budget for the state Department of Lands for next year that reflects an 11 percent cut in state general funds, and a 17.4 percent cut overall, won unanimous support in JFAC this morning on a 19-0 vote. It includes a plan to expand the…
As JFAC prepares to set the public school budget this morning, intent language that was widely distributed on Friday - and posted on this blog - essentially hasn't changed, budget analysts told the joint committee members. "Most of it is the same - we received…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A measure that would allow more charter schools to open is moving through the Legislature. The Senate Education Committee approved 6-3 Tuesday revising a state law that now limits the number of new…
The House Health & Welfare Committee today endorsed Rep. Rich Wills' legislation calling for a state study of whether kicking adults off public assistance if they test positive on random drug tests would save the state more money than running the tests. Rep. Pete Nielsen,…
Sen. Mike Jorgenson, R-Hayden Lake, told the Senate today that Idaho needs to participate in a multi-state compact on streamlining sales taxes if it hopes to help shape eventual federal legislation to tax Internet sales. His bill, SB 1295, passed the Senate unanimously today, though…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — As many as 22 Idaho Transportation Department employees were disciplined by the agency for improperly using state equipment, with two losing their jobs. Rep. JoAn Wood, the Rigby Republican who heads the House…
The House Ways & Means Committee held one of its rare meetings today on adjournment of the House, the second time the leadership panel has met this session. Today, the committee voted along party lines, 4-3, to introduce legislation from Rep. Lenore Barrett, R-Challis, to…
The House State Affairs Committee voted today to delay a vote on HB 589, Rep. Dick Harwood's bill to declare any guns or ammunition manufactured in Idaho exempt from registration or any other federal laws or requirements, after some committee members said there might be…
Legislation to expand the reach of Idaho's voluntary IRIS immunization reminder system by making it an "opt-out" for parents of newborns rather than requiring them to actively "opt-in" has passed the Senate on a 31-3 vote. Backers said the change should help with Idaho's bottom-rung…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
| March 2010 | ||||
| 31 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 27 |
| 26 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 22 |
| 19 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 |
| 12 | 11 | 10 | 09 | 08 |
| 05 | 04 | 03 | 02 | 01 |
