House lawmakers vote to freeze teachers’ pay

BOISE – The Idaho House has voted to cut $8.1 million from school spending next year by freezing teachers’ pay.

House Bill 262, sponsored by state Rep. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d’Alene, passed the House on a 49-20 vote and now heads to the Senate. It would freeze movement on the teacher salary schedule for increased experience for a year, and phase out an early retirement incentive. It was strongly opposed by House Democrats, who tried several procedural moves unsuccessfully Thursday to sideline the bill.

“Tough issues call for tough votes, and today is going to be another tough vote,” Nonini, the House education chairman, said before the vote.

House Minority Leader John Rusche, D-Lewiston, said the bill’s provisions were rejected when all sides came together to negotiate consensus legislation on how to handle a financial emergency in Idaho’s schools. “Why, then, is it back before us?” he asked.

Freezing teacher salary schedule movement for a year will permanently affect teachers’ eventual retirement pay, he said, a move that Rep. Grant Burgoyne, D-Boise, a lawyer, said would create legal problems.

“It’s not necessary to poke teachers in the eye,” Rusche said. “This is unneeded and a divisive bill – it’s wrong for Idaho schools and the kids and families they serve.”

Nonini told the House, “The purpose of this bill is to reduce the cost of the fiscal year 2010 public school appropriation. … What we’re trying to do is preserve the programs and the learning opportunities for the children.”

The bill is one of three that Nonini sponsored to allow Idaho’s first-ever cut in school funding, which the Legislature’s joint budget committee is likely to enact today.