Bills To Fund Youth Programs Head For Final Senate Vote

Legislation to continue splitting cigarette tax funds between school substance-abuse prevention and county juvenile probation narrowly passed a Senate committee Wednesday, and headed for a final vote in the Senate.

Another measure, which would impose Idaho income tax on lottery winnings and earmark the money for the same two programs, passed the House Tuesday and will get a Senate committee hearing Friday.

Rep. Mark Stubbs, R-Twin Falls, who helped craft both bills, said taken together, they should provide adequate funding for both school substance-abuse prevention programs and county juvenile probation. But that’s assuming both programs start economizing and eliminate duplication.

The two programs have been fighting over the same pot of money - a 10-cent-a-pack cigarette tax imposed three years ago to fund the school programs. A year later, it was temporarily split between schools and counties.

Stubbs opposed moves to make the split permanent, but compromised with legislation that also directs both programs to work together and avoid duplication. Plus, the bill forces them to make their case for the funding to the Legislature’s Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee each year, which Stubbs said will bring some needed accountability.

“We couldn’t find out what salaries were being paid in one of these programs. If it were in front of JFAC, that information would be there,” he said. Stubbs said his bill to tax lottery winnings could bring in $250,000 a year or more. The new state income tax on the winnings, if approved, would be deductible against federal income tax.

, DataTimes