SR: Idaho Waking Up To Ed $$$ Need

Early indications are that Idaho will be engaging in a different kind of budget debate this year. Austerity and tax cuts are no longer the only considerations as the economy emerges from a lengthy slumber. Gov. Butch Otter began with tepid proposals to increase spending on education, but his budget still leans toward two perennial favorites: rainy days and tax cuts. However, a burst of fresh thinking has come from the state’s former chief economist, Mike Ferguson, and two former state school superintendents; Jerry Evans, a Republican, and Marilyn Howard, a Democrat. Their budget calls for much heavier investments in education to help the state break out of its low-diploma, low-wage rut/ Spokesman-Review Editorial Board . More here. (AP file photo, of Gov. Butch Otter)

Question: Is this the year Idaho will hold its politicians accountable for underfunding public education?