After a long and fierce debate, Idaho’s top five elected officials voted 3-2 on Wednesday to give public schools an extra $22 million from state reserves next year — less than half the amount the state schools superintendent had sought. Superintendent Tom Luna, who paused…
"I'm concerned that we did leave some money on the table, but I had my day in court and it was well-vetted," state Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna said after the Land Board's 3-2 vote to give schools $22 million extra from the state school…
The Land Board has voted 3-2 to approve a $22 million distribution to public schools next year, which Secretary of State Ben Ysursa said will leave two years worth of reserves. "This is a one-time request of funding," Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna said, "and…
Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna tried a substitute motion after Ysursa's, to transfer $42.3 million to schools, but that, like his first $52.8 million motion, died for lack of a second. Attorney General Lawrence Wasden then offered a substitute motion to defer any action and…
Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna moved to give schools the $52.8 million, but his motion died for lack of a second. Now Secretary of State Ben Ysursa is proposing a $22 million transfer. Gov. Butch Otter has seconded the motion.
Marilyn Howard, former state superintendent of schools, just told the Land Board, "If I were on the board today, I'd vote no." The endowment, she said, is a "sacred trust." "You've established a course - I think you should stay the course," she told the…
After a short break, the Land Board is now hearing from state Lands Director George Bacon about state timber sale earnings. Gov. Butch Otter just announced that timing-wise, though several more people remain to present, the board needs to have a motion on the table…
Quizzed by Land Board members about his concerns over Supt. Luna's proposal, endowment fund manager Larry Johnson said, "I don't think that this would be catastrophic." He said, "I think if I can be guaranteed that this is a one-time and one-time only process, then…
Larry Johnson, manager for the Endowment Fund Investment Board, went over the figures on Luna's proposal, and said they'd leave the public school earnings reserve fund with one year's reserve, rather than three years', as Luna says. "He was using our numbers, so we agree…
Attorney General Lawrence Wasden asked Supt. Luna if he considers his proposal a deviation from the recommendations of the Endowment Fund Investment Board. Luna responded that everything is different in this budget crunch, from how families are handling their budgets to moves being made by…
"We're faced with a constitutional dilemma, maybe," Gov. Butch Otter said. The constitution "directs this board ... toward maintaining the long-term financial best interest of the beneficiaries, all the beneficiaries. ... I believe that's one of the reasons the fund was created, so that we…
Idaho Secretary of State Ben Ysursa said the public school earnings reserve fund isn't a rainy-day account, it's a "shock absorber" to protect the state's ability to make payouts to schools each year. He noted that Luna talked about how much more kids need to…
Supt. Tom Luna said his funding proposal for schools "will not completely offset cuts to public education. Instead," he said, it will make them "manageable." The $52.8 million, he said, is equivalent to 1,000 teaching jobs or 10 days of school. Without it, he said,…
Idaho's public school shortfall was $135 million when he addressed JFAC, Supt. Tom Luna told his fellow Land Board members, but now it's grown to as much as $160 million. "Under the principles of trust law we as trustees can and often should consider what…
Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden has laryngitis, so a deputy was allowed to sit with him to help him communicate. "The attorney general as you know is a lawyer and has lost his voice," Gov. Butch Otter declared to laughter, prompting Secretary of State Ben…
There's a full house this afternoon for the Land Board meeting, at which the state's top five elected officials - the governor, the secretary of state, the attorney general, the state controller, and the state superintendent of schools - will vote on a proposal to…
The House Majority Caucus just wrapped up a 35-minute closed-door meeting, and topics covered include the question of a cost-of-living adjustment for PERSI; the Land Board's upcoming vote on education funding this afternoon; the budgeting timetable for the session; and the need to submit bills…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Two Democrats contend the House and Senate went too far when members voted overwhelmingly to dump a provision that's allowed Idaho residents since 1976 to chip in a buck of their taxes to…
Rep. Frank Henderson, R-Post Falls, told state courts Administrative Director Patti Tobias, "My congratulations on bringing forth the concept of a surcharge to provide additional revenue for a critical function of the state." He asked if the judiciary had any more ideas along those lines.…
Idaho's court system has undergone deep budget cuts, court Administrative Director Patti Tobias told JFAC today, including a hiring freeze that has prevented the filling of any position for the past 15 months. All services have been affected, from court-ordered drug testing to court computer…
Wayne Hammon, the governor's budget chief, presented the budgets for the governor's office and the Division of Financial Management to JFAC today. "The office of the governor is a lean operation," he told lawmakers. But, he said, "The vast majority of the costs within the…
Rep. Frank Henderson, R-Post Falls, said Idaho certainly shouldn't back away from its anti-invasive species efforts, but he asked state Ag Director Celia Gould if her department has considered increasing fees for boat stickers and other programs to allow the efforts to "continue at full…
Celia Gould, state agriculture director, began her budget presentation to JFAC this morning by noting the newly restored state Capitol. Recently, she said, she spoke with the Arizona ag director; "They had just sold their state capitol building," she said. "I'm proud to say I…
Here are links to my full story from today's Spokesman-Review on the introduction yesterday of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe's state-tribal law enforcement bill; my full story on the passage of the "Idaho Health Freedom Act" on a party-line vote in the Idaho House; and my…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
