The big six
Road construction/bonding
Gov. Dirk Kempthorne wants $1.6 billion in road construction around the state, including major upgrades for U.S. Highway 95, financed by bonds issued against future federal highway allocations.
Where things stand: Rep. Leon Smith, R-Twin Falls, introduced legislation this week outlining an alternate approach. Smith’s plan would: allow only one project at a time, rather than a statewide program; limit funds available for bonding to 20 percent of Idaho’s annual federal highway allocation; and give the House and Senate Transportation committees veto power over each project.
Water
Idaho faces two huge water issues this legislative session: Approval of a water rights agreement settling claims by the Nez Perce Tribe to virtually all the water in the Snake River; and an effort to avoid a shutoff of thousands of water rights in Southern Idaho, where years of drought have pitted two groups of Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer water users against each other.
Where things stand: Three bills implementing the agreement with the Nez Perce Tribe were introduced in the House Resources Committee. Though there was little discussion at introduction, the meeting was packed, with onlookers including former U.S. Rep. Helen Chenoweth-Hage. Committee Chairman Bert Stevenson, R-Rupert, announced that the panel will hold public hearings on the bills on Feb. 22-23.
Budget and taxes
Idaho is required to have a balanced budget, and its sales tax is scheduled to drop from 6 percent to 5 percent on July 1, trimming close to $180 million a year from the state’s tax revenues.
Where things stand: Budget hearings for the Idaho State Police and Idaho Department of Corrections highlighted pressing needs for more funding, including more state troopers on the road and more beds to house a growing state prison population. Gov. Dirk Kempthorne introduced his corporate headquarters incentive tax package, designed to reward companies that invest $50 million in a new facility in Idaho and bring in 500 jobs paying an average of $50,000 a year or more plus benefits.
Education
Education is the top issue in Idaho in virtually every poll. It’s also the single largest slice of the state’s general fund budget.
Where things stand: The Senate Education Committee spent two hours debating a harshly worded memorial to Congress, written by Sens. Gary Schroeder, R-Moscow, and Monty Pearce, R-New Plymouth, calling for states with no city over 1 million people to be exempted from the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. The measure called the federal law a “de facto federal takeover of Idaho public education” and the “largest unfunded mandate in the history of the country.”
Secrecy
The Idaho Constitution and Idaho Open Meeting Law require open legislative meetings, but lawmakers have held several closed-door committee meetings in recent years, and majority Republicans hold closed-door caucuses.
Where things stand: Idaho Republican senators held an hourlong, closed-door caucus to discuss the state budget – specifically, an $11 million shortfall in the public school budget that’s anticipated this year because enrollment is higher than anticipated.
Medicaid
The federal-state program that provides health coverage for disabled and poor Idahoans has been growing faster than any other part of the state budget.
Where things stand: A proposal from the state Department of Health and Welfare to eliminate a program that covers costs for care for 34 adults with cystic fibrosis was unanimously rejected by the Senate Health and Welfare Committee. Members suggested exploring some other option to help the gravely ill clients with their fast-rising medical costs, such as seeking a federal waiver to expand Idaho’s Medicaid program for them.