The House State Affairs Committee has killed HB 315, legislation to repeal the remaining laws about the Idaho Education Network, and replace it with two new working groups tasked to explore broadband opportunities both for education and, separately, for state government. Only two members of the committee – Reps. Pete Nielsen and Melissa Wintrow – supported the bill. Other members raised concerns about setting up new governmental structures, whether the new boards and entities would be subject to the Idaho Open Meeting Law, and more.

Rep. Luke Malek, R-Coeur d’Alene, who co-sponsored the bill with Sen. Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint, told the committee, “There’s an opportunity to review what we’re doing.” He said he and Keough worked with other lawmakers, the state Department of Education, the governor’s office, the Public Utilities Commission and the Legislative Services Office on the legislation. “It repeals the current IEN statute since that’s no longer relevant to what we’re doing in the state of Idaho,” Malek said. Instead, it would have set up the Education Opportunity Network, or EON; and the Idaho Opportunity Network, or ION; to explore and set up new services, including any possible statewide networks.

Rep. Kathy Sims, R-Coeur d'Alene, said, “This is not the time to set up a new government entity.”