[Vision2020] Legislative Update IX from Rep. Trail

[ttrail at moscow.com]

Visionaries:

It looks like we may only have about two more weeks in the legislative 
session and that we may wind up about the 25th of March.  Here are some 
of the week's highlights.

1.  Teacher and State Employee Salaries  --  A number of legislators in 
the CEC meeting supported a 2 % salary increase plus coverage of employee 
health benefits.  We pushed for a 3% increase but were voted down by the 
legislature.  It now appears that JFAC (joint finance appropriations 
committee) will recommend a 1% increase but contingent on a surplus 
eliminator.  This means if tax revenues reach a certain level by July 1st 
then the 1% increase will kick in, and if not, then there will be no 
increase.  The 1% does not build into the base and would be only good for 
a year.  This is a slap in the face of teachers and state employees who 
have only received at the most a 1-3% increase over the past four years.


2.  HB276  --  Delta Dental  --  this bill would have required Delta 
Dental to pay a 2% insurance premium tax.  The increase would have been 
passed along to those covered under the plan.  I've received 57 messages 
from constituents who oppose the bill and I will vote against it.  The 
bill may be held in committee.

3. Sen. Jack Noble  --  Sen. Noble who was accused by the Senate Ethics 
Committee of proposing a bill that if passed would have enhanced his 
business and also of lying to the committee, resigned from the Senate on 
Monday morning.  Several senators had rounded up enough votes to expel 
him if it had come to a vote on the floor.  Twelve people are now vying 
for his position.

4. HB 60  - dredging bill -  This bill proposed by Rep. Harwood from St. 
Maries would open up the possibility for a mining company to dredge old 
mine tailings from lake beds and river streams.  As pointed out by Rep. 
Jack Barraclough (retired geologist) dredging, for example, in Lake Coeur 
d’Alene would release harmful heavy metals in the water, increase 
turbidity in the water, and harm marine life.  I agreed with the 
Representative but we lost on a 38-28 vote.  This is an example of very 
poor environmental policy.
 
5.  HB 231 passed by a 49-18 vote.  The bill allows BSU, ISU, and LCSC to 
charge students for costs the state has always paid from general 
revenue.  Studies show that student fees in Idaho have increased by 135% 
over the past 10 years.  This far exceeds the increases observed in other 
states.  I voted against the bill.  The simple fact is that much of the 
responsibility is the failure of the Legislature to adequately fund 
Higher Education.

6.  Education Budgets  --  It appears that Higher Education will receive 
about a 2.8% budget increase and K-12 about a 2.3.% increase. The public 
school budget will come in at about $987 million or about $12 million 
below the Governor's recommendation.  There is only a limited possibility 
of a 1% salary increase for teachers. Mentoring is left unfunded.   For 
some reason the categories of technology and remediation were combined 
for a total of $8.5 million.  Idaho experience an increase of about 3,500 
new students this current school year and $4 million in costs to take 
care of this increase was absorbed by the budget.   School districts are 
continually being mandated to take on new programs and yet the state is 
not adequately funding these programs.

7.  HB224  --  also known as the Qwest Bill, passed by a 48-22 vote.  The 
bill will allow landline telephone service companies to set their own 
rates.  I voted against the bill because I believe that the Public 
Utility Commission should have oversight to guard consumers against the 
Telecommunications Giants.

We'll be nearing the finish line after next week.  Send your questions 
and concerns to me at ttrail at house.state.id.us.   My phone is 332-1260.

Rep. Tom Trail

 


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