Former Idaho state Sen. Atwell Parry, R-Melba, passed away today after suffering injuries a one-vehicle accident on Jan. 14 that left him in critical condition. Parry, former co-chairman of the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, was released from St. Alphonsus Hospital on Jan. 27 to go home…
Here’s a link to the third week of Idaho’s legislative session in pictures, as a slide show. Let your cursor hover over the bottom part of the picture frame, and the captions will appear as the slide show plays. Tonight, on Idaho Public Television’s "Idaho…
Idaho Human Rights Commissioner Joe B. McNeal came up for a confirmation hearing this morning before a Senate committee, and he told the senators, "As you all know, 40-plus years ago the state of Idaho passed a law making it clear that Idahoans would not…
Sen. Curt McKenzie, R-Nampa, chairman of the Senate State Affairs Committee, said his plan is to hold a hearing, likely in mid-February, on three immigration bills: the new one introduced today from Sen. Mike Jorgenson, R-Hayden Lake; another already introduced by Sen. John McGee, R-Caldwell,…
Sen. Mike Jorgenson, R-Hayden Lake, this morning introduced sweeping legislation aimed at punishing Idaho employers who knowingly employ undocumented immigrants, along with other measures including denying recognition of out-of-state driver's licenses to those without legal immigration status. "The key language is 'knowingly hire,'" Jorgenson said.…
The Senate State Affairs Committee has voted unanimously to approve HB 379, the measure from Rep. Lynn Luker, R-Boise, to eliminate a tax return checkoff that allows taxpayers to donate $1 of their taxes to the political party of their choice; the bill, which already…
Here's a link to my full story at spokesman.com on state schools Supt. Tom Luna's proposal for education funding unveiled to lawmakers today. Tapping into the state's public school endowment earnings reserve fund for more than $50 million, as Luna proposes, would require a vote…
Here's a news item from the AP: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Hours after President Barack Obama renewed his call for Congress to overhaul health care in his State of the Union speech, a state House committee passed a bill meant to scuttle that effort in…
The co-chairs of JFAC questioned state Schools Supt. Tom Luna today about the latest numbers on student enrollment, which affect state funding. Luna's finance expert, Tim Hill, told JFAC that the number of support units, which is roughly a classroom's worth of kids, was anticipated…
An Idaho lawmaker upset that regulators refuse to bend the rules for a Worley-area cabin owner with an inadequate septic system is proposing legislation that threatens to undermine the Panhandle Health District’s ability to keep sewage out of North Idaho lakes and streams. “I’m just…
Here's a news item from the AP: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The Idaho Legislature is considering limiting the length of sessions to just 90 calendar days to save money, conserve the time of government workers and encourage a more diverse legislature. The House State Affairs…
State lawmakers are excited about state schools Supt. Tom Luna's proposal to tap the state's school endowment earnings reserve fund for more than $50 million to help balance the school budget. "I give him credit for coming up with it," said Sen. Dean Cameron, R-Rupert,…
In response to a question from Sen. Steve Bair, R-Blackfoot, state schools Supt. Tom Luna said the public school earnings reserve fund he wants to tap to avoid deeper school budget cuts was set up specifically to ensure payments to schools. "Remember that 10 years…
Idaho has had $25 million sitting in a fund since 2006 to help school districts that absolutely can't pass school construction bonds and have met a series of qualifications. Rep. Wendy Jaquet, D-Ketchum, asked why that fund wasn't tapped to avoid further school cuts next…
Lawmakers are now asking questions of state schools Supt. Tom Luna about his far-reaching proposal for budget savings of $135 million in the overall, all-funds public school budget next year, through a combination of new cuts and draining several other funds. Among the questions: If…
Here's Luna's proposal: Take $3.3 million from the state Department of Education's driver training account, $2.2 million from the Safe and Drug-Free Schools Account, and $52.8 million from the public school earnings reserve fund of the state endowment, for a total of $58.3 million in…
State Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna wants to tap $52.8 million from the public schools earning reserve fund of the state endowment fund to avoid deeper budget cuts to schools. "Simply put this is a one-time drawdown of an excess reserve fund," he said, "...…
Idaho's reading initiative is another area of success, state Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna told lawmakers. The number of students reading at grade level by the end of 3rd grade has risen from 66 percent to 76 percent. "We are now seen as a national…
Among the successes state Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna is touting is the use of a Web-based math program called Apangea that students can use for remediation and math practice, as part of his math initiative. "As of today, 35,000 students have received assistance through…
State Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna opened his budget pitch by telling lawmakers that 10 years ago, under Gov. Phil Batt, Idaho began an "educational journey" toward a new, standards-based system of education, rather than an inputs-based system. The idea, he said, was to determine…
There's a full house for the public school budget hearing in JFAC this morning. The meeting also is being streamed live on the Internet and shown in a large auditorium in the Capitol's underground wing for public viewing.
To start off the budget hearing this morning on Idaho's K-12 school budget, legislative budget analyst Paul Headlee is presenting information on how other states are coping with education funding. "Likely more than 70 percent of the states have taken some actions to reduce their…
Here's a link to my full story at spokesman.com on the reaction from lawmakers today to the governor's plan to phase out state funding for Idaho Public Television over the next four years. "I just don't see this committee doing that," said Sen. Dean Cameron,…
The Senate Resources Committee has voted unanimously to introduce legislation from Sen. Gary Schroeder, R-Moscow, to make the state Board of Parks and Recreation advisory, and let the governor appoint the state parks director. The board now hires the director. Schroeder, the committee's chairman, said…
Lawmakers say they've been deluged with calls and emails asking them not to cut out state funding for Idaho Public Television. "There's a lot of support out there, but we have to weigh it against the other needs and wants of the state," said Sen.…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
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