Senate Education Chairman John Goedde, R-Coeur d'Alene, says he's co-sponsoring today's controversial education legislation with House Education Chairman Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d'Alene, House Speaker Lawerence Denney, R-Midvale, and Senate President Pro-Tem Bob Geddes, R-Soda Springs. "The bottom line in what we're proposing here, with a couple of exceptions like (eliminating) early retirement (incentives), is to give local boards and local education associations as much flexibility as possible to use education money as they must," Goedde said. "I think it all fits together." The one-year contracts provision is "a flexibility provision," he said. "I would liken it to zero-based budgeting. ... We start all over and decide what's the best way to spend the money this year."

Goedde said he's meeting with educators in Coeur d'Alene on Saturday morning, including local trustees, school administrators and the local teachers union. "I'm sure that I will hear a lot," he said.

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