After agreeing that they don’t want a repeat of the Idaho Education Network, lawmakers on the Broadband Access Study Committee moved on to debating how the state could make resources available to school districts, for everything from help with contracting processes to technical and e-rate assistance. “What I heard from the school districts was please don’t take away all of the resources that we have come to rely on from us,” said Sen. Bart Davis, R-Idaho Falls.

After much wordsmithing, the panel settled on this motion: “This committee encourages that there be state resources available to school districts for technical, e-rate, security, contracting, procurement guidance and funding distribution.”

Rep. Lance Clow, R-Twin Falls, said, “We need to provide that kind of support to schools.” The motion, which doesn’t specify what state agency would provide those resources, passed unanimously.