Here's a link to my full story at spokesman.com on the debate and passage in the Senate today of a public school budget that includes historic cuts. Senate Education Chairman John Goedde, R-Coeur d'Alene, told Eye on Boise he's still holding out hope that Congress…
After two hours of debate, the Idaho Senate has voted 27-8 in favor of SB 1418, the proposed public school budget for next year, which cuts $128.5 million in total funds to schools from this year's level. Just one Republican, Sen. Gary Schroeder, R-Moscow, joined…
In his closing debate, Senate Finance Chairman Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, said, "This is a painful decision and a painful process, so I want to thank my friends in the minority." He said, "Public schools is and always will be our highest priority. ... Every teacher…
Sen. Jim Hammond, R-Post Falls, a former school principal who has a son and two daughters-in-law who currently are teachers, spoke in favor of SB 1418, the public school budget bill. "I have taught and run schools in Idaho and in Washington for over 30…
Sen. Kate Kelly, D-Boise, the Senate minority leader who is retiring after this year's session, debating against SB 1418, the public school budget bill, told the Senate, "I think that this bill before us comes perilously close to abdicating our constitutional obligation towards the school…
Senate Democrats' move to send the public school budget bill to the Senate's amending order has failed on a voice vote that sounded to be divided along party lines. Democrats hold just seven of the Senate's 35 seats, and one senator, Sen. Diane Bilyeu, D-Pocatello,…
Sen. Nicole LeFavour, D-Boise, has moved to send SB 1418, the public school budget bill, to the Senate's 14th Order for amendment. Sen. Edgar Malepeai, D-Pocatello, seconded the motion. LeFavour said she wanted to remove a section declaring a statewide financial emergency, enabling school districts…
Senate Education Chairman John Goedde, R-Coeur d'Alene, said this year's school budget marks many firsts, including the first time, he said, that education stakeholders were brought in to help legislative budget writers craft the budget, and the first time that public testimony was taken on…
Sen. Nicole LeFavour, D-Boise, is the first to speak against SB 1418, the public school budget, in this afternoon's Senate debate. "I do feel we had alternatives," she said. "I very much appreciate that there was a process used in creating this budget, I don't…
Sen. Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, noted that all but one of the sections of the school budget bill were agreed to by a group of stakeholders including the state's teachers association, its school administrators association, its school boards association and more. The lone exception: A section…
The proposed budget for schools for next year cuts state funding for salaries for teachers and classified staff by 4 percent, and for school administrators by 6.5 percent. It also saves another $10 million by cutting raises that certificated staff - teachers and administrators -…
Senate Finance Chairman Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, is opening the debate on SB 1418, the public schools budget. "I never thought that I would stand in front of you this day and suggest that you vote for a budget bill that's actually less than what public…
The Idaho Senate is back in session, and is moving through its orders of business in order to take up the public school budget, SB 1418.
Lt. Gov. Brad Little today signed HB 544, the "higher education stabilization fund" bill, into law. He was serving as acting governor while Gov. Butch Otter is out of state for a Republican Governors Association meeting in Utah. Little called the bill a "financial safety…
After three tied votes and three days of hearings, the House Health & Welfare Committee has finally voted - unanimously - to send SB 1335, the IRIS immunization reminder bill, to the full House with amendments attached. "Committee, you did a wonderful job of working…
The House Ways & Means Committee met today, and among the new bills it introduced was one from Rep. Marv Hagedorn, R-Meridian, to cut both corporate and individual income taxes sharply over the next decade. However, that introduction is as far as the bill will…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho lawmakers have pushed forward a bill to eliminate words like "retarded" and "idiot" from state code. The House approved a measure 68-1 to replace expressions considered offensive with more modern language, like…
The Senate has unanimously agreed to put off its debate and vote on the public school budget until its afternoon session today. "Senators, we're just trying to manage our time that we have here for the next 10 minutes," explained Senate Majority Leader Bart Davis,…
The Senate had arrived at the public school budget on its calendar - perhaps the biggest and most controversial bill of the session - when Senate Minority Leader Kate Kelly, D-Boise, asked to place the Senate at ease so Democrats could caucus. They're now at…
The Senate has voted 26-8 to approve a grim budget for next year for the state's community colleges, including a 9.2 percent cut in state general funds and a cut of 12.2 percent in total funds. Sen. Nicole LeFavour, D-Boise, spoke out against the bill…
The House has suspended its rules to take up HB 687, the court emergency surcharge bill, and passed it on a 58-12 vote. The bill would impose a temporary fee, starting April 15th, on all convictions through June 30, 2013, to fund the state's court…
Legislation to protect high school athletes from the dangers of repeated concussions is headed to the House's amending order, after the House State Affairs Committee defeated a motion to kill the bill on a 7-9 vote. Proposed amendments from the bill's sponsors would launch a…
After this morning's House State Affairs Committee meeting, House Speaker Lawerence Denney, R-Midvale, asked about the committee's decision to amend the pay bill he presented, said, "I'm surprised that they didn't kill it." He said, "We're in one of those situations where raising any salaries…
The House State Affairs Committee has voted to send HB 692, the pay bill, to the House's amending order with a committee amendment attached as proposed by Rep. Lynn Luker, R-Boise. The amendment would leave the first two years of the plan intact - reducing…
Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Eagle, has moved to hold HB 692 in committee, which would hold all the state's top elected officials at the same pay rate they get now for the next four years. Labrador said he made the motion reluctantly, as House Speaker Lawerence…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
