Luna, Goedde Push Broadband

The Otter Administration’s proposal for the Idaho Education Network is to allocate $10.5 million in state general funds for the IEN next year – the full cost, assuming that no federal e-rate funds can be obtained. “Should e-rate funding be realized, there would be an opportunity to reduce that,” former Sen. John Goedde, now a consultant to Otter, told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee. “However, the very best-case timeline, we won’t know until November. So the recommendation is to fund the IEN for a full year with general funds”/ Betsy Russell , Eye on Boise. More here .

More re: Broadband hearing:

• Busy morning at Statehouse
• IEN budget hearing runs over time
• Questions on IEN include Justice Dept probe
• Goedde: We have a moral obligation to pay IEN vendors
• Luna: State could be ordered to pay past e-rate payments
• Luna: State law says ‘you may not pay against invalid contracts’
• Goedde takes over from Luna to give Broadband budget request
• JFAC hears Admin request today, including Idaho Education Network