Idaho Legislature 2001 Bills & Issues of Interest updated 3/31/01   The Idaho Legislature's Home Page This will get you to Committee calendars, bills, the Constitution, and Statutes Sine Die report - highlights and bills  ***************** !!!!!! BILLS THAT WERE HIGH PRIORITY !!!!!! **************** EDUCATION IS STILL THE "SACRED COW" $MUNCH$MUNCH$MUNCH$ $$$$$$$ 63% of the Total State Budget $$$$$$$   HOW DID WE DO THIS YEAR?   NOT AS WELL AS LAST YEAR, WE GOT STOMPED!!!!!! 9WINS   17 LOSES   3 DRAWS This was definitely the year of the agency, there wasn't even any pretending..........       IPTV / History in JFAC & on going.... CHECK THE VOTES IPTV GOT A 120% INCREASE IN THEIR FUNDING & NEW VAN BOY, JFAC SURE SHOWED THEM DIDN'T THEY.....this was a moral vote, as well as a fiscal vote. $$$ IPTV WINS YOU LOSE $$$  :-(   HB-277  "Abstinence Only"                         DEAD                     :-( This is my bill, it would require that local districts determine their own Health curriculum, and that it be "Abstinence Only" The House Ed com. sent this out of committee to the floor to amend out the "abstinence only" language, but after a long debate on the floor, and a concern about sending the wrong message to kids, a vote was taken, it was left in, and went to the Senate Ed Committee. SENATORS DEIDE AND WILLIAMS WERE ABSENT SOOO SENATORS SCHROEDER, NOH AND DUNKLIN  KILLED IT IN COMMITTEE. WE WILL TRY AGAIN NEXT YEAR         Higher Ed budget H-330  check the vote   ??? DRAW??? This was the first bill that the fiscal conservatives in the House tried to open up for amendment.  They targeted this because of the HUGE number of new employees, and the 78 salaries over $100,000 and the 17 salaries over $166,000.  There was alot of BIG BUCKS in this budget that were worrisome to the fiscal conservatives.  The vote to amend failed on a tie of 35-35 a very telling vote. The vote to pass was 40-28     Community Colleges budget S-1196  check the vote :-( This was a big unconstitutional "pork" bill.  The Local & Special laws contitutional clause prohibits the legislature authorizing any special laws be passed regarding taxes, to the counties. This bill provideds 'special' property tax relief for those 3 counties that have Community Colleges.  The purpose of that clause is to prohibit your tax money from paying 3.2million in property tax for Kootenai, Jerome, and Twin Falls counties.   HB-309                                             ABORTION                                        :-) The purpose of this bill is to stop any abortions that would be funded by tax dollars.  The next hurdle is to get the Governor to sign it.  This causes him a problem with his plans for medicaid funds, and Hillary's Health care program for 'the children.' Medicaid abortion is part of some of the government programs and is mandated by certain federal grants for healthcare. There were 13 Senators that declined to vote, because of the 'unconstitutionality' of the bill Senate Roll call resulted as follows: AYES--Andreason, Branch, Brandt, Bunderson, Burtenshaw, Cameron, Darrington, Davis, Frasure, Geddes, Hawkins, Ipsen, King-Barrutia, Lee, Richardson, Risch, Sandy, Thorne, Wheeler, Williams. Total - 20. NAYS--Ingram, Noh, Stegner. Total - 3.   Onmibus tax Bill HB-275           JFAC SPENT YOUR MONEY        :-( The Senate is going to give us 1/3 of what the House passed for us. Unlike Bush, the Senate feels a down turn in the economy requires higher taxes to support the Bureaucracies in hard times....???? $$$ THE AGENCIES, WIN YOU LOSE!!! $$$ THANKS DELORES CROW YOU TRIED!!!   S-1182 CHECK THE VOTES                 The Education Budget              :-( Idaho Education is now 5th fasted funded in Nation!!! Salaries are up 10%, programs are up 7.2%,  and schools still want levies!! $$$ The "sacred cow" wins you lose again $$$ I WAS TOLD ALL WE NEEDED WERE MORE E-MAILS & CALLS     SB 1167                  ahhh  YOU WIN THEY LOSE!!!          :-) THE "GAGNER BILL" THAT HAD NO REGARD FOR THE VOTER, BUT ALOT OF REGARD FOR MORE TAXES FOR CITIES, DIED IN COMMITTEE IN THE HOUSE. THE CITIZENS IN THE BOISE AREA WORKED TIRELESSLY, AND IT PAID OFF. THEY WERE IN THE CAPITOL, AND OUT TALKED THE GREEN TAGS!!!! !!!! GREAT JOB GUYS !!!!     SB-1225 CHECK THE VOTES $$$  YOU LOSE HE WINS!!!!  $$$                    THIS IS THE GOVERNORS BUDGET               : ( IT GIVES HIM AUTHORITY TO SPEND THE FEDERAL "AMERICORP" MONEY.   HE IS GETTING IN FAR TO MUCH TROUBLE WITH THAT LITTLE $304,000 POT OF GOLD  for the Parents As Teachers program, and the "Family Police" program.     Teacher accountability  SB 1061 Sen Votes          The IEA wins, your children and schools lose    :-( Would require school districts to include in their teacher evaluations several specific criteria—“classroom management, adherence to district adopted curriculum, parent communication, teacher effectiveness as evidenced by student growth determined by an assessment program based on district curriculum, and professional conduct.”     S-1114 Who are the IEA friends in the Sen.? THE $ IEA $ NURSED THIS ONE THROUGH  :-( THIS ONE WILL RAISE TAXES This bill raises the bottom of the teaching scale $2,300 & mandates that districts pay a minimum of $25,000 a year.  This is unfunded this year, so the Districts and the IEA will require JFAC fully fund this next.  This is the real budget breaker for next year.  Plan on at least $38 million next year to cover the cost of just this. Some facts relating to teacher's salaries in Idaho....how are they really doing? 1. Idaho is 45th in the nation in average salary.  That salary being $25,000 average 2. Idaho teachers rank 39th in the nation in average salary.  That salary being $39,000. That means overall teachers do better than the average Idahoan, who is paying teachers their salary.     S-1117 THE AGENCY LOSES, YOU WIN!!! :-) TESTING FOR PRE-SCHOOL READINESS Just how are they going to find out who needs testing? With a statewide pre-school readiness assessment with Dept. of  Ed standards for that readiness        :-(        Property tax relief HB-284       :-( DIED, YOU LOSE...AGENCIES WINS This is one of those that should be part of the tax cuts bill, but....it's NOT This moves some of the M&O from the local property tax, to the state general fund It is a property tax relief bill.     HB-285 This is dead too  :-( A twin to the other Property tax bill but different terms            Tax Credits for non-use HB-311This is a shame check votes    :-( This is part of the Republican Platform and the Bush plan for Education YOU LOSE THE IEA WINS THIS IS DEAD IN COMMITTEE INCOME TAX CREDITS; TO PROVIDE TAX CREDIT FOR DONATIONS MADE TO QUALIFYING STUDENTS IN SUPPORT OF THE EDUCATION OF THE STUDENT WHO IS EDUCATED OUTSIDE THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM       *HB-185*                    This one made it !!!               :-) A HEALTH AND WELFARE ACCOUNTABILITY BILL  I believe it was spawned by a Judge, asking for some amendments. It would have helped the Welch family get their daughter back more quickly. (Paulette Welch case on "Shaken Baby Syndrome." on "48 Hours" last week) It appears to give some protection to Parental Rights, and get children back home, or adopted more quickly in these sort of cases.     HB-268                           Dead                      :-( Relating to Rights of--Way: to provide for duties of Boards of County Commissioners and Highway District Commissioners.   Idaho Code shall be construed broadly to maintain public access to federal Rights-of-Ways.  This was a good one     Boatrights H-159, Repeal food sales tax              THIS IS DEAD             :-( This is one of several, but it is the one that is effective immediatly after passage              Capital Gains tax cut- HB-87  ???DRAW??? This ended up being the "let's give'um something" so we can go home bill. It was amended to cut the rate from 100% to 80%, and made one time only, Lest we not have enough for Education and the other agencies next year. The Good guys tried to get something through the Senate, but it wasn't going to happen.  If term limits stay, we will lose more than 25 of those guys. WE NEED TO FIND GOOD PEOPLE TO REPLACE THEM.....       HB-219 TEACHER INCENTIVES THIS WAS A GOOD FAITH  EFFORT TO ADDRESS THE    STARTING TEACHERS PAY, BUT IT DIDN'T WORK   :-) THIS IS DEAD     HB-279  :-) THE GOOD GUYS KILLED THIS ONE THIS WAS AN AMAZINGLY EXPENSIVE EFFORT TO PAY FOR THE COLLEGE EDUCATION OF TEACHERS...REALLY BAD!!       HCR-001 IT PASSED :-) This is Max Mortenson's character education read it and see what you think   HCR-027 IT PASSED :-) THIS IS A GOOD CONCURRENT RESOLUTION IT REJECTS THE ASSESSMENT RULE THAT GOES WITH THE EXITING STANDARDS   SB-1027 THIS ONE IS DEAD!!!  : ( Lowers school age to 3yrs.  It is stalled for now, but it could move any time        Funding Facilities S-1070 THIS HAS BEEN AMENDED TWICE, LOOKS OK NOW     :-) ANOTHER EFFORT TO ANSWER THE FACILITIES LAW SUIT. THIS WON'T EVER SETTLE, IT IS WORKING WAY TO WELL FOR THE AGENCIES.....REALLY A BAD DEAL, IT WAS A NATIONAL MONEY GRAB, AS WELL AS IN IDAHO. PASSED       HB-289 DEAD ABSENTEE BALLOTS       :-(       TO PROVIDE CRITERIA TO GOVERN VALID APPLICATION  DISTRIBUTION     Electrical Power Bill HB-142          THIS IS NOW LAW      :-( OOps! This has no protection for the consumer, Dump it!!     HCR-002 Electrical Utilities Restructring ADOPTED! this week.  We need to have input into this committee. Take a minute and read this.    ???  DRAW  ???     The 40 Assetts & Kempthorne's Request for $6 million in appropriations for Government Nannies THE GOVERNOR GOT HIS MONEY SO THE JFAC "PORK"             WOULDN'T GET "FRIED"        :-(    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TALLY For Last Years Session  IT IS INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THESE TWO SESSION WORKED TOGETHER....ALOT THE SAME....EDUCATION IS STILL THE "SACRED COW" $MUNCH$MUNCH$MUNCH$ TAX CUT BIG DRAW SENATE DOESN'T WANT TO CUT TAXES ON THE BACK OF EDUCATION, JUST FAMILIES !!!!     SOUND FAMILIAR???? WE GOT RID OF MARRIAGE PENALTY, GOT SOME RELIEF, & SOME HEALTHCARE HELP....WITH BETTER SENATE HELP, WE CAN GET MORE NEXT YEAR. HA-HA H-707     S-1380 LOSS $8 MILLION COUNTS MORE THAN COMMON SENSE alcohol in vehicles     H-727 WIN SERVICE LEARNING AS GRAD REQUIREMENT KILLED ON THE FLOOR H-727     EDUCATION BUDGET DRAW (MAYBE WE CAN GET IT TO GO DIRECTLY TO DISTRICTS, MORE LOCAL CONTROL ) H-805 IPTV BUDGET DRAW (GOT $ but GOT INTENT LANGUAGE) H-768   EXITING STANDARDS DRAW (GOT GOV. $, not FULL FUNDING) S-1568  Health Curriculum   H-329 Kent Higgins tax credit bill this is a "referrence bill"   H-695 LOOKS LIKE A LOSS  IT IS DEAD IN COMMITTEE-THE SCHOOL ELECTIONS BILL, THAT PUTS ELECTIONS BACK IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS HANDS H-695     H-724 LOSS DIED IN COMMITTEE-THIS WAS THE S.EXUALLY O.RIENTED B.USINESS BILL H-724     H-652 A WIN MY CITIZENSHIP BILL THAT REQUIRES TEACHING OF OBEDIENCE TO LAWS, LIKE SODOMY.  INTENDED TO USE WITH SEX ED CURRICULUM H-652     H-638 A WIN IT LOOKS LIKE IT IS DEAD IN COMMITTEE-THAT WAS MORE MONEY $$$$$ FOR STUDENT MENTORING H-638     S-1538 BIG LOSS WE LOST CHECKS AND BALANCES ON THE GOVERNOR & FIGHT TO KEEP P.A.T. OUT OF IDAHO S-1538   WIN!! This is one of our better victories  IN THE FACE OF OUR P.A.T. LOSS, THIS IS WONDERFUL, THEY DON'T HAVE MONEY FOR PUBLICITY H-519 DIED ON THE FLOOR     H-668 & H-669 SORT OF WIN THESE WERE TO WORK TO SETTLE THE FACILITIES LAWSUIT. SOME GOOD AND SOME BAD. PUTS ALOT OF CONTROL IN STATE TREASURER'S OFFICE NOT EDUCATION.  ALLOWS FOR BANK LOANS AT STANDARD RATES...QUESTIONABLE METHOD. H-668     DRAW    H-805 THE MOST TROUBLSOME THING WITH THIS IS THAT THE JOINT FINANCE COMMITTEE GAVE MARILYN HOWARD FULL SPENDING AUTHORITY FOR $52 MILLION OF OUR DOLLARS TO DO WITH AS SHE PLEASES. The good news is that they didn't get as much as they wanted. For salaries........ 7.8% for ESP’s--5.2% for teachers--and 4.6% for ADMINISTRATORS Education budget for public schools?? NO,  Salaries INCREASED  17.6% click here for vote     ?  S1457.....by EDUCATION ELEMENTARY/SECONDARY SCHOOLS  Amends existing law relating to the education support program to provide special application for attendance units which may consist of elementary/secondary schools and for hardship secondary schools.