An attempt to shift nearly $20 million from federal stimulus money that Gov. Butch Otter has suggested earmarking for additional road work failed on a party-line vote this morning in JFAC. Sen. Nicole LeFavour, D-Boise, proposed shifting $19.5 million from the stimulus into the public school operations budget to be used as discretionary dollars for school districts. "We have all, I know, tried as hard as we can to insure that the students and school children of Idaho did not feel dire consequences as our economy does," LeFavour said. "This gives us an opportunity to cover where they are short, keeping lights on, getting kids to where they need to be. ... It is a pretty simple motion, and we do have the ability to do this."

JFAC Co-Chair Maxine Bell, R-Jerome, said that's not what the governor wants to do with the money. "The gentleman in the Borah building has never wanted to put more money into education," she said, noting that the stimulus money in question is for "safety and general government." Bell said, "There's other places where this money could do as much good for the people of Idaho." Rep. Darrell Bolz, R-Caldwell, said LeFavour's move would target one-time money into ongoing expenses, creating "a whale of a hole to fill" once the money's spent. The motion was defeated on a 4-16 vote, with just the joint committee's four minority Democrats favoring it.

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