Idaho Legislature Week 3

Week 3 of Idaho's 2010 legislative session in pictures

Section:Gallery

Fri., Jan. 29, 2010

Paul Agidius, president of the State Board of Education, addresses JFAC on Monday morning, kicking off a week of education budget hearings. Agidius said colleges and universities may have to furlough professors.

Betsy Russell The Spokesman-Review
Dene Thomas, president of Lewis-Clark State College, presents her budget to the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Monday morning.

Betsy Russell The Spokesman-Review
Duane Nellis, president of the University of Idaho, tells lawmakers that higher education is even more important to the state during times of significant economic difficulty. The UI has taken $22 million in budget cuts in the past two years, and more cuts loom.

Betsy Russell The Spokesman-Review
Rep. George Sayler, D-Coeur d'Alene, left, talks with anti-hunger activists at "Idaho Hunger Awareness Day" in the Statehouse rotunda on Monday. Fifteen anti-hunger groups from around the state came to hold displays and talk about how Idaho can fight hunger.

Betsy Russell The Spokesman-Review
Boise State University President Bob Kustra tells legislative budget writers about how BSU is being innovative to move ahead in the current economic downturn, a strategy he likened to the trick play - a faked punt - that the BSU Broncos used to win the Fiesta Bowl in dramatic fashion this year. Kustra made his budget pitch to lawmakers on Tuesday.

Betsy Russell The Spokesman-Review
Teresa Luna, chief of staff for the state Department of Administration, answers questions from Sen. Nicole LeFavour, D-Boise, left, about the state's move to sharply increase premiums for health insurance for part-time state employees. Since the change in November, Luna said, 75 to 80 part-time workers have "declined coverage."

Betsy Russell The Spokesman-Review
Former Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne introduces GOP congressional candidate Vaughn Ward, who can be seen just to the right of Kempthorne, at a press conference in the Statehouse rotunda on Tuesday. The former governor, U.S. senator and U.S. Secretary of the Interior enthusiastically endorsed Ward, who worked on Kempthorne's Senate campaign 18 years ago, then served on his Senate staff before joining the Marines and becoming a decorated officer serving in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Betsy Russell The Spokesman-Review
Rep. Cliff Bayer, R-Boise, right, and Sen. John Goedde, R-Coeur d'Alene, left, present the report of the Legislature's joint revenue committee to legislative budget writers on Wednesday. JFAC accepted the report, but not the numbers - making no commitment as to what figures it'll use to set the state budget. By the time the budget panel starts setting budgets in late February, the state may have more revenue figures from January that aren't yet available.

Betsy Russell The Spokesman-Review
North Idaho College President Priscilla Bell makes her budget presentation to the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Wednesday. Students will feel the impact of budget cuts in the long term, she said; enrollments are growing with the falling economy.

Betsy Russell The Spokesman-Review
Bert Glandon, president of the new College of Western Idaho, addresses lawmakers for the first time on Wednesday. Enrollment growth at the new community college in the Treasure Valley has been "astounding," he said, and has set national records.

Betsy Russell The Spokesman-Review
Peter Morrill, general manager of Idaho Public Television, begins his budget presentation to lawmakers on Wednesday. IPTV receives only about $1.6 million a year from the state, getting most of its funding from private donations and federal grants, but Gov. Butch Otter is calling for phasing out the state funding entirely over the next four years.

Betsy Russell The Spokesman-Review
House Minority Caucus Chair Bill Killen, D-Boise, speaks at a Democratic press conference on Wednesday at which House and Senate Democrats unveiled a six-bill jobs plan.

Betsy Russell The Spokesman-Review
Sen. Gary Schroeder, R-Moscow, is chairman of the House Resources Committee. On Wednesday, he proposed legislation in the committee to make the state Board of Parks & Recreation advisory and let the governor, rather than the board, hire and fire the state parks director. Schroeder said he hopes the bill doesn't have to advance, but he was sending a message to the parks board to let the director make major management changes.

Betsy Russell The Spokesman-Review
Legislative budget analyst Paul Headlee gives the opening briefing to the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Tuesday morning as lawmakers hold hearings on the school budget. Gov. Butch Otter is proposing cuts.

Betsy Russell The Spokesman-Review
There's a full house for the public school budget hearing in the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Thursday morning.

Betsy Russell The Spokesman-Review
State Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna tells the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Thursday that Idaho school students' performance has improved in the past 10 years, but choices lawmakers make now will determine if that progress continues.

Betsy Russell The Spokesman-Review
Lawmakers on the joint budget committee question state Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna on Thursday about his $135 million proposal for savings in the school budget next year, including draining some other funds and making a long list of targeted cuts.

Betsy Russell The Spokesman-Review
Jason Hancock, deputy chief of staff for state schools Supt. Tom Luna, explains why Luna didn't try to tap a $25 million backup school construction fund as part of his budget proposal for schools next year. Plummer-Worley School District has applied for $11.3 million of the money.

Betsy Russell The Spokesman-Review
Senate Finance Chairman Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, questions state schools Supt. Tom Luna on Thursday during the school budget hearing.

Betsy Russell The Spokesman-Review
Rep. Lynn Luker, R-Boise, answers questions from senators Friday about his bill to eliminate a tax return checkoff that allows taxpayers to direct $1 of their taxes to a political party of their choice. The Senate State Affairs Committee approved the bill unanimously; it already has passed the House, and now moves to the full Senate.

Betsy Russell The Spokesman-Review
Sen. Mike Jorgenson, R-Hayden Lake, proposes sweeping legislation Friday targeting employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants; cities that offer "sanctuary" to undocumented aliens; and more. The Senate State Affairs Committee agreed unanimously to introduce the bill.

Betsy Russell The Spokesman-Review
Joe B. McNeal, Idaho Human Rights commissioner, addresses senators at a confirmation hearing for his reappointment to the commission; he's served since July. McNeal said Idaho's image would be in jeopardy if the state were to lose the Human Rights Commission; Gov. Butch Otter this year proposed phasing out its state funding over the next four years. The commission is exploring moving into the state Department of Labor to tap its funds instead.

Betsy Russell The Spokesman-Review