[Vision2020] Legislative update III from Rep. Trail Jan 24-30

[Tom Hansen]

"Buddy, Can You Spare a Trillion Dollars?" by Roy Zimmerman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjoshMpYfmg

Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho


> LEGISLATIVE NEWSLETTER III--JANUARY 24-30/2009
>  Constituents:
> 
>  This has been a week of continued concern over the economic decline.  
> Estimates for the 4th quarter indicate a 3.8% decline in the national 
> economy, and that is most certainly reflected in Idaho.   Budgets 
> developed by JFAC are reflecting, for example, in k-12 education almost 
a 
> 5% cut.   This is for the first time in many years that a public 
> education budget will have suffered a reduction.   At the same time we 
> all have concerns about the negative impact on educations and essential 
> services, there are indications that the National Economic Stimulus 
> Package may offer some hope for education, transportation, and essential 
> services.    The challenge will be for Congress with the President's 
sign 
> off to be in time that State Legislatures like Idaho to have the basic 
> information in time to utilize the money in the F10 budget process.  I 
> suspect that if the details come in late and we have adjourned that a 
> special session might be called.   Even if we receive the badly needed 
> federal funds we need to guard against individuals in power at the state 
> level wanting to use the dollars for "special" projects.
> 
>  l.  Public K-12 Education--Here are the major points in the $79 million 
> K-12 cut proposed by SPI Luna.
> 
>  $20.8 million:  reduce discretionary funds by the amount of state 
> lottery and state maintenance funds.
> 
>  $2.5 million:  eliminate state reimbursement for field trips, test 
> driving and bus driver training.
> 
>  $1.7 million:  prohibit large districts access to the cost-per-mile 
> measure.
> 
>  $3.9 million:  reduce administrative staff allowance.
> 
>  $4 million:  eliminate early retirement for teachers and cap the index 
> multiplier for teachers at the current level.
> 
>  $6.1 million:  freeze teacher salary increases for one year. 
> 
>  $15.1:  reduce base and minimum salaries by the equivalent of three 
> contract days.   Give districts direction in how to implement this 
> reduction.
> 
>  $3.3 million:  reduce state funds on textbooks that are matched by the 
> state.
> 
>  $3.8 million:  reduce state funding for textbooks by 40 percent
> 
>  $781,000:  reduces funding supplies from $350 from $500.
> 
>  
>    Part of the reduction will be offset by taking $17 million from the 
> reserves. If the cuts have to go much deeper then SPI Luna has a 
proposal 
> that would basically eliminate over 600 teaching positions.   The impact 
> of this proposal was covered in my earlier e mail letter this week. 
> 
>  2.  Economic Stimulus Plan--I simply want to share some of the 
> highlights of the House Version of the plan which passed earlier this 
> week.  The Senate is working on their version and once the bill passes 
it 
> will be sent to a conference committee.   The figures below are Idaho 
> specific, and cover a two year period.
>  
>  $277,000,000:  Medicaid relief
>  
>  $64,000,000:    Food stamps
> 
>  $319,000,000:  State stabilization fund--to restore cuts in K-12 and 
> Higher Education to FY08 levels
>  
> $220,000,000:  Highway and Bridge Infrastructure
> 
>  
>  3. Further Data Based on National Stimulus Plan Data
>     .$3.8 billion: Rural water and waste disposal.
>    .$2.8 billion: Rural Broadband infrastructure development
>    .$l.5 billion:  wireless and broadband grants
>    .$3 billion:    for Byrne justice assistance grants
>    .$4.5 billion:  Army Corps of Engineers
>    .$6.0 billion:  Energy and Water development
>    .$600 million: Training for Primary Care Physicians and Nurses
>    .$l.5 billion:  University Research Facilities
>    .$1 billion:  Educational Technology
>    .$15.6 billion:  Pell Grants
>    .$6 billion:  Higher education repair and modernization.
> 
> 
>    There are many other areas not covered, but this does give you a 
> flavor in what is being proposed.  In the meanwhile states will need to 
> move ahead to set budgets with our current resources and knowledge of 
the 
> economic downturn.    The challenge will then begin when Congress 
> finishes approving the Economic Stimulus Package and states know what 
> funds will be coming in.  The Stimulus Package will cover two years  --  
> FY10, and FY11.
> 
>  I've spent considerable time on the budget and in terms of the National 
> Stimulus Package, and next week we'll return to more specific 
legislative 
> issues within Idaho Again, I like to hear your comments and 
> recommendations.  My e mail is ttrail at house.idaho.gov and my office 
phone 
> is 332-1148.
> 
>  Representative Tom Trail
> 
> 
> 
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"For a lapsed Lutheran born-again Buddhist pan-Humanist Universalist 
Unitarian Wiccan Agnostic like myself there's really no reason ever to go 
to work."

- Roy Zimmerman


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