Rep. Rich Wills, R-Glenns Ferry, a retired longtime state trooper and the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said he was "very disappointed" with today's House vote to reject a $1.50 fee increase on offenders to help fund law enforcement training. "I think a lot of those votes were cast from the standpoint of making a declaration that user fees is not something we're going to entertain," Wills said. "I think that it's damaging to law enforcement when we don't give them the tools they need."

Idaho State Police Chief Col. Jerry Russell told JFAC on Jan. 13 that the state police now are operating with the same number of patrol officers as in 1977; from 2009 to 2011, ISP has seen a 44.7 percent cut in its state funding. Russell said then that he is proposing three pieces of legislation this year: Extending a law on assault/battery of certain on-duty personnel to include POST decertification staffers and emergency services dispatchers; increasing the POST fee from $10 to $11.50; and making notification requirements consistent with regard to all towed or stored vehicles.