The Senate Education Committee has just voted to reverse its earlier vote to hold the reconfirmation of state Board of Education Chairman Milford Terrell until after it calls the full board before the panel to explain financial problems. After the reconsideration carried on a 6-2 vote, the panel approved Terrell’s reconfirmation on a voice vote with just one dissent, and sent it to the full Senate. “I believe that Milford Terrell has done a great job in a difficult situation,” said Sen. Stan Bastian, R-Eagle. “I think he is to be commended for that. … He deserves to have our support.”

Sen. John Goedde, R-Coeur d’Alene, the committee chairman, said he’s secured commitments from all but one of the state board members to appear before the committee on Feb. 28th, but the one remaining member, Rod Lewis, is involved in an out-of-state trial and it’s not clear when he will be able to appear.

Goedde said he wanted the hold on Terrell’s confirmation lifted in part because Gov. Butch Otter is “back and engaged now,” and met with Senate leaders and asked them to move the confirmation along. Otter made his first public appearance today since his Jan. 29 hip surgery, presiding over a state Land Board meeting this morning.

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