Idaho state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna said late today that he's still hoping some version of SB 1113 will pass, but he said, "There's a reason these were put in three separate bills. I think they're all three necessary to do the kinds…
The centerpiece of Idaho's controversial school reform plan may be dead for this year, senators indicated, even as separate bills on teacher contracts and pay move through hearings in the House. The main bill, SB 1113, was pulled back to the Senate Education Committee last…
The Senate Local Government & Taxation Committee has killed HB 126, the job tax credit bill proposed by the Idaho Chamber Alliance, amid concerns about how the bill would work and its potential fiscal impact. After two days of hearings, finishing up today, the committee…
In the Senate Education Committee's discussion, Sen. Chuck Winder, R-Boise, said, "I think there are hopefully some things that we've learned from the public, from the teaching community, that could come out of this in a positive way. But I also think as a committee…
Among the possibilities the Senate Education Committee is discussing: Not moving forward with SB 1113 at all. "I don't see any effort to move 1113 forward at this point," said committee Chairman John Goedde, R-Coeur d'Alene. "We may reformulate an RS. That RS could include…
The final urban renewal bill the House is taking up today, HB 114 from Rep. Kathy Sims, R-Coeur d'Alene, would require a countywide vote to elect city urban renewal commissioners. It also would limit urban renewal boards to five members; they have varying numbers now,…
The Senate Education Committee has begun a discussion of possible changes to SB 1113, the centerpiece of state schools Supt. Tom Luna's school reform plan. Committee Chairman John Goedde, R-Coeur d'Alene, said, "It's the intention of the chair to spend a half an hour or…
Rep. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d'Alene, is the sponsor of the next urban renewal bill, HB 97, which requires urban renewal plans to lay out specific projects in advance and be limited to only those projects; requires fixed termination dates; and requires any excess funds to…
HB 96, Rep. Mike Moyle's bill to let any taxing district "opt out" of an urban renewal district, has passed the House on a 43-27 vote. "It makes them all come to the table," Moyle told the House. Rep. Phil Hart, R-Athol, debated in favor…
Now the House is debating HB 96, another bill from Rep. Mike Moyle on urban renewal, this one letting any taxing district "opt out" of an urban renewal district. Moyle joked that he'd like to just use the previous vote; this one is more controversial.…
HB 95, the second urban renewal bill to come up in the House today, got a much more positive reception, and the House passed it on a unanimous 68-0 vote. House Majority Leader Mike Moyle, R-Star, negotiated the compromise measure with his local urban renewal…
The first anti-urban renewal, of the half-dozen to be taken up today, has gone down in a big way; HB 99 was killed on a 20-49 vote. The measure, sponsored by Rep. Phil Hart, R-Athol, would've required a countywide, two-thirds vote for bonds for a…
The House is taking up a slew of anti-urban renewal bills today, and the first up is HB 99, sponsored by Rep. Phil Hart, R-Athol, to require a two-thirds countywide vote before any urban renewal agency could issue bonds. Hart said it'd treat urban renewal…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A measure that would allow school buses to sport corporate logos and ads has passed the Senate, and now heads for the House. A bill that would give school districts the option of…
Rep. Pete Nielsen, R-Mountain Home, proposed a resolution to repeal the 17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution this morning that was so wildly worded that the House State Affairs Committee voted 13-6 against even introducing it; that's the amendment that authorized the voters to elect…
Rep. Bob Nonini, chairman of the House Education Committee, says the panel likely will finish public testimony tomorrow on SB 1108 and SB 1110, then begin hearing from stakeholder groups and questioning the bill's sponsors. "I really don't see us wrapping this up tomorrow," he…
After nearly four hours of testimony, without a break, House Education Committee Chairman Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d'Alene, said, "I think we'll stop our committee at this point. We'll pick up at 8 a.m. tomorrow morning back down here." Nonini said the committee will take back…
At the House Education Committee hearing this morning, so far 19 people have testified against SB 1108 and 1110, and five have testified in favor. Among all those signed up so far, there are now a total of 46 people who want to testify against…
The House State Affairs Committee has voted 14-5 in favor of HB 187, the new, "narrow" amendment to the state's existing conscience law regarding living wills, though several seniors and representatives of the AARP spoke out strongly against it; the move sends the bill to…
Shannon Hotchkiss, a teacher from Nampa, was quizzed by House Education Committee members after her testimony against SB 1108 and 1110. Asked if she'd ever seen a teacher be removed, she recalled an incident at her school 20 years ago in which a teacher was…
Ryan Kerby, superintendent of schools in New Plymouth, testifying in favor of SB 1108 and 1110, said, "For students to learn more, instruction has to improve." Kerby said the pay-for-performance plan would have stronger support if there were money to fund it now. "You come…
When Boise mom Dottie Douglas said Idaho already is 49th in the nation in per-pupil expenditures and seems to be headed for 50th, House Education Committee Chairman Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d'Alene, asked her if she had any information showing that that status hurt test scores.…
State schools Supt. Tom Luna closed his presentation to the House Education Committee this morning, saying, "I know it's difficult and it's not comfortable for everyone in education or outside. Change never is." The committee then moved on to public testimony. Scott Hale, a Marines…
Tom Luna, state schools superintendent, presenting SB 1110 to the House Education Committee, said, "The way we pay teachers is outdated. Nobody is happy with it." That's the bill that sets up a pay-for-performance plan for teachers. Luna said teachers could earn bonuses for things…
State schools Supt. Tom Luna has opened this morning's House Education Committee hearing with a pitch for his school reform plan. "We cannot just continue to cut and cut," he said. "We can't cut state revenues and leave local districts holding the bag with the…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
