Lawmakers target commission’s budget

BOISE – Two female state senators from North Idaho led a successful move Monday to eliminate funding for the Idaho Women’s Commission and its sole, part-time employee.

Sen. Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint, who made the motion with backing from Sen. Joyce Broadsword, R-Sagle, said much of what the Women’s Commission undertakes is duplicated by private nonprofit or government agencies in Idaho.

“I have no doubt that the folks that are involved in that group do good work and have good intentions, but for me, the priority this year is for those that are needy and for K-12 education,” Keough said. “I simply cannot support spending money on the commission this year.”

Keough and Broadsword’s budget proposal won the support of the Legislature’s Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on a 15-5 vote. The budget bill still must pass both houses and receive the governor’s signature to become law, but budget bills rarely change after clearing the joint committee.

“This year we’ve cut money in life and death situations, including cystic fibrosis and (phenylketonuria, or PKU, treatment programs) in the Department of Health and Welfare,” Broadsword said. “We’re contemplating cuts to public education. I am struggling with any way to support funding something that is not mandatory and desperately needed.”

Rep. Shirley Ringo, D-Moscow, offered an alternate proposal, to cut the commission’s funding roughly by half. For many years, male members of the joint budget committee have protested the funding of the Women’s Commission, saying there’s no comparable men’s commission. But in recent years, female lawmakers have led the charge to do away with the statewide panel.

In the vote, four female committee members – including Ringo – opposed the zero-funding move, along with one male lawmaker. Four female committee members joined 11 men in backing the move. Among its backers were Sen. Jim Hammond, R-Post Falls; Rep. George Eskridge, R-Dover; and Rep. Frank Henderson, R-Post Falls.

“At this point we will not be a fully functioning commission after July,” Kitty Kunz, the commission’s part-time director, said after the vote. “It’s a year when the budget is down, so it gives them a good excuse to go ahead and cut it.”

The commission had requested just under $30,000 in state funding for next year.