As legislative budget writers wrapped up their questions for state schools Supt. Tom Luna this morning, JFAC Co-Chair Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, told state schools Supt. Tom Luna, “I know that we still have a lot of issues to work through, but we’ll work through them…
JFAC Co-Chair Maxine Bell, R-Jerome, asked state schools Supt. Tom Luna about the seven or so places in his budget where his proposals depart from statutory requirements – which would mean either the laws must be changed, or JFAC would have to write in “notwithstanding”…
JFAC members are beginning an hour-long question-and-answer session with state schools Supt. Tom Luna. The first question, from Sen. Steven Thayn, R-Emmett, was about the $33.9 million that Gov. Butch Otter included in his budget for possible proposals from his stakeholders group on school improvement.…
State schools Supt. Tom Luna told lawmakers he’s proposing a 1.67 percent increase in base salaries for teachers, and a $500 increase in the minimum teacher salary to $31,000. That 1.67 percent is the amount that was removed from state funds for teacher pay by…
Among the differences between state schools Superintendent Tom Luna’s budget proposal for Idaho’s public schools next year and Gov. Butch Otter’s proposal: Otter called for $9.6 million for the Idaho Digital Learning Academy next year, as required by the pre-Props 1, 2 and 3 funding…
In his newly revised public school budget request for next year, state schools Superintendent Tom Luna is proposing $1.31 million in state general funds, a 3 percent increase from this year; and $1.6 billion in total funds, a 2.6 percent increase from this year. He’s…
State lawmakers should stick to the funding total that they promised schools for the current year, despite voters’ rejection of Propositions 1, 2 and 3, state schools Supt. Tom Luna told JFAC this morning. “It is important and necessary that districts and schools receive the…
State Schools Supt. Tom Luna is requesting a 3 percent increase in state funding for public schools next year, in his newly revised budget request. Gov. Butch Otter recommended a 2 percent increase in state general funds.
Beginning his public schools budget pitch, state Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee that much has changed since he first submitted a budget request in September – namely, the repeal of the “Students Come First” laws. “At the same time we…
After Propositions 1, 2 and 3, the “Students Come First” school reforms, were rejected by voters in November, the state Department of Education laid off three employees, state schools Superintendent Tom Luna told lawmakers this morning, in response to questions about the number of positions…
When state schools Superintendent Tom Luna stepped to the microphone in the Joint Finance Appropriations Committee this morning after a harrowing trip in on the icy roads from Nampa, he got a laugh when he commented, “I was anticipating when I listened to the school…
As the 18thday of this year’s legislative session opens this morning, the roads in Boise have some of the worst travel conditions I’ve seen in my quarter-century-plus here. The ice was an inch thick at my house; several of my neighbors had collided at the…
With Idaho state lawmakers fired up to protect gun rights, more attention is being focused on an Idaho law that’s been on the books since 1990 permitting any elected official in the state, including legislators, to carry a hidden firearm without a concealed weapons permit.…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — An automobile group says Idaho should consider banning cell phone use by drivers 18 and under, on grounds it will make the state's roads safer. AAA of Idaho's Dave Carlson made the pitch…
Lawmakers are getting a look at equipment and personnel from the Idaho National Guard and the Idaho Bureau of Homeland Security, at displays today from 11-2:30 in the second-floor rotunda of the Capitol and outside on the Statehouse steps. Those represented also include the Civil…
StateImpact Idaho is doing some analysis of state Tax Commission data on the personal property tax on business equipment, the $141 million a year tax that the state's largest businesses are pushing hard to repeal. Among the points: Among the 53,227 Idaho companies that paid…
Fifteen people have now died of flu in Idaho since Oct. 1, the state Department of Health & Welfare reports, all of them over age 50. “Our hearts go out to the families who have lost loved ones because of complications from the flu,” said…
Idaho has only one psychiatrist per 20,000 people in the state, Jeralyn Jones of the University of Washington Psychiatric Residency, a four-year program, told legislative budget writers this morning. At the same time, in 2012, more U.S. veterans died from suicide than died in combat,…
University of Idaho President Duane Nellis told JFAC this morning that his top priority is to boost faculty pay to avoid losing top professors to competing universities.However, Gov. Butch Otter hasn’t recommended any funding for that effort next year. UI’s faculty pay is less than…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho's two-time Olympic gold medalist cyclist Kristin Armstrong is due to be honored by the state Legislature. Armstrong is coming off a big win in the time trial in the 2012 London Olympics…
The first questions from JFAC members for UI President Duane Nellis this morning were about the law school program in Boise, which has had two 30-student classes of third-year law students go through. “The focus here has been on business law, corporate law, intellectual property,…
University of Idaho President Duane Nellis is making his budget presentation to lawmakers in the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee this morning, and in the 4th floor rotunda, UI displays and a legislative breakfast are drawing crowds. Nellis told JFAC, “The University of Idaho is a nationally…
After state Department of Administration Director Teresa Luna showed a video to the House State Affairs Committee this morning of an armed man rifling through lawmakers’ desks and trash cans on the floor of the House – and noted that the man had attended an…
Lawmakers brought up a longtime sore spot during North Idaho College’s budget hearing at the state Legislature this morning: Why does the Coeur d’Alene community college get so much of its funding from property tax, compared to the state's other two community colleges, and why…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Attorneys for inmates at Idaho's largest private prison say Corrections Corporation of America is falsifying staff logs to hide chronic understaffing. The allegation was raised Friday in an amended federal lawsuit. Attorneys for…
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