Senate Education Chairman John Goedde, R-Coeur d'Alene, told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee this morning that his committee supports the Students Come First pay-for-performance bonus plan, and also supports "backfilling" the money that the law requires to come out of teacher salary funds to pay for it, thereby replacing the salary funds. "We're also very supportive of IDLA," He said. "The number that you, Mr. Chairman, suggest of $5 million was discussed in our committee. ... And it's our understanding that the 8 in 6 program will actually work against the $5 million, so it will not be separate funding at least for the first year." He added, "We're also supportive of continued funding, maintaining funding for Idaho Public Television." He said the panel also supports maintaining discretionary funding for schools at at least the current level; state schools Supt. Tom Luna is recommending a 2 percent increase.

He also backed funding requests from higher education, saying, "We all agree that the enrollment workload adjustment needs to be funded."