The co-chairs of the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee have identified $5 million from an $18 million fund balance at the state Industrial Commission that could be transfered to the general fund to help balance the budget, and the Industrial Commission has agreed to the move. It's the first of several, said Rep. Maxine Bell, R-Jerome, including "another one that's a pretty good piece." The Industrial Commission fund shift will be up for consideration in JFAC this morning when it sets the commission's budget.

At the joint committee's early-morning briefing this morning, Sen. Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, said, "The Industrial Commission has been operating with about a $17 million to $20 million fund balance. It's excessive for their needs, and they readily admit it." He said he's been talking with the commission about that for two years; excess collections on all other insurance products whose taxes go through the state Department of Insurance go to the state general fund, but the Industrial Commission holds onto its balance. Even if it proposes legislation to lower the tax, Cameron said, there's still an existing balance - and this is a reasonable thing to do with part of it.

Rep. Maxine Bell, R-Jerome, said the figure was negotiated with the head of the Industrial Commission, Tom Limbaugh. "We were not going to push him any further," she said. "There needs to be public policy changed on that, if he has built up that kind of a balance." Rep. Wendy Jaquet, D-Ketchum, said, "This is $5 million that we really needed. So I just want to commend the co-chairs for finding this money, $5 million - good work."

Sen. Joyce Broadsword, R-Sagle, expressed some concern that businesses that paid the tax should get it back. Cameron said, "Our workers comp rates are not high. That's not the issue. It's unemployment insurance that is high. Whether this $5 million would even make a dent in the cost of unemployment insurance, that would be a real question. At the same time , by using the $5 million you may be avoiding significant reductions or worse reductions in public schools and Health & Welfare and Medicaid." Cameron said as an employer, if the $5 million were distributed as a rebate across all employers who pay the workers comp insurance tax - for which there's now no mechanism - he'd get less than a dollar. "I'd rather you keep the dollar and make sure that Health & Welfare cuts aren't as egregious or education cuts aren't as egregious," he said.