[Vision2020] Additional Legislative update from Rep. Trail

[ttrail at moscow.com]

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE - late Friday news

Constituents  --  late Friday afternoon news came out that the joint 
House and Senate meetings to begin next week to review the education 
budget.    Then an announcement came out that the meetings had been 
cancelled and I begin receiving calls about what had happened.  It soon 
became apparent that Superintendent Tom Luna's proposed budget had 
created a firestorm of protest, and that we also just received news about 
details of the stimulus package and its impact on K-12 education.

Public education will receive about a total of $450 million over a two 
year period.   A total of $245 will be directed to the educational 
stabilization fund which the state can utilize to bring up funding to 
FY08 levels.   This includes $107 million for Pell Grants, $54 million 
for special education, $13 million for Title 1, $11 million for school 
improvement grants, and money for other specific areas which will be 
calculated through set formula.   But the $245 comes with no strings 
attached and will greatly assist us over the next two years in 
maintaining adequate funding for education.

Superintendent Luna admitted that his original budget was a bad one and 
very flawed, but he is faced with having to develop a budget that would 
assist the Legislature come up with a balanced budget.
Mr. Luna as well as House Ed Chairman Nonini said all of this was very 
good news.

Other stimulus components that will help include $300 for Medicaid, which 
will help strengthen the safety net for many of our low income 
families.   Gov. Otter should be happy with the $200 million for roads 
and bridges since this is one time money and it will help employment 
opportunities for our citizens. There are many other components in the 
package including assistance for the area of Higher Education so it will 
be interesting to see how this helps out the University of Idaho.

It certainly is good news to come at the end of the week when all of the 
other news from the economy is bad.

Rep. Tom Trail
                                    



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