Rep. Shirley Ringo, D-Moscow, said in response to comments from SB 1184's sponsor, Rep. Bob Nonini, about how the budget set for schools by JFAC this year is based on this bill, that she'd "gladly skip back to that Joint Finance-Appropriations room and make the necessary adjustments in the budget" if lawmakers turn the bill down. Ringo, a retired math teacher, said, "The question is how do you appropriately integrate technology in the classroom. It's not by replacing teachers by computers, and even though it has been argued that that's not the road we're going down, I would submit to you that we are." To bolster her argument, she led lawmakers through a handout she's distributed showing details of the state's teacher salary grid and how it's impacted. Said Ringo, "It's not going to do anything for the quality of education."

Rep. Tom Trail, R-Moscow, told the House, "I received over 600 emails, and only two were in favor of it, from my particular district."

Rep. Mack Shirley, R-Rexburg, spoke in favor of the bill. "There have been a lot of troubling things stated today," he said. "We've heard that the stakeholders are unanimously opposed to this. ... The stakeholders have had a lot to do with the development of this particular bill. They've been involved." Shirley said, "They do not feel comfortable about the fact that the formula in this bill suggests that the percentage will go up each year based on the present-day economy, so that the debt on school districts will be heavier to bear. But if the economy changes, that fluctuates, and it will not be such a burden." Plus, he said, "In Section 17 of this bill, we as a Legislature are given the power and authority to alter that," if it would be "so burdensome to the districts."

Shirley said online learning would let students in rural districts access the same courses as those offered in urban schools. "I think that's significant," he said. "It equalizes the availability to all students."