Eye On Boise: Hammond Leads Vo-Tech Charge

It took three motions, but JFAC this morning agreed on a budget for professional-technical education next year that’s just below the governor’s recommendation. Sen. Jim Hammond, R-Post Falls, and Rep. Janice McGeachin, R-Idaho Falls, led a move to add back in $753,400 to upgrade instructional equipment at the six technical colleges across the state, which are BSU, CSI, NIC, EITC, ISU and LCSC. The idea is to make sure training in professional-technical programs is “industry relevant” and equips graduates to compete for jobs. Hammond called the move “essential to our economy. … We need this to retain our employers, we need this to make our companies grow, we need this to help us crawl out of this recession”/ Betsy Russell , Eye On Boise. More here

Eye On Boise roundup : JFAC delays public-school budget setting ; Committee barely passes revised iSTARS ; and lobbyists back Ysursa lobbying bill .