[Vision2020] Legislative Newsletter 6 - February 20-25, 2011

Sat Feb 26 07:06:44 PST 2011

Rep. Trail,

Thank you for the update. It seems once again that are legislature is presenting a poor plan for education in Idaho. I am opposed to the Luna plan. I think it would make more sense to call it education deform, not reform. 

What can you tell us about the proposed medicaid cuts?

Thanks Again,

Donovan Arnold

--- On Sat, 2/26/11, Rep. Tom Trail <ttrail at moscow.com> wrote:

From: Rep. Tom Trail <ttrail at moscow.com>
Subject: [Vision2020] Legislative Newsletter 6 - February 20-25, 2011
To: vision2020 at moscow.com
Date: Saturday, February 26, 2011, 6:17 AM

LEGISLATIVE NEWSLETTER 6—FEBRUARY 20-25/2011

Constituents:

     It has been a chaotic week here in Boise especially on the K-12
education front.   To give you an idea of all of the controversy I’ve
included an attachment from a local Treasure Valley citizen, Glenn
Dodge, who paid $1,800 for a half page ad in the Statesman.  
Commercial companies and the Idaho Association of Commerce and
Industry bought full page ads at $3,600 per ad to support SPI Tom
Luna’s Education Reform Package.    IACI also paid out about $25,000
to conduct a phone call campaign throughout the state.    For those
of you who are interested in following the major news stories that
dominated this week’s news about Educational Reform, here are some
sites:

APNewsBreak:  Store heir mixes foundation, business by John Miller,
Associated Press   
http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/boise/2011/feb/19/albertsons-heir-made-millions-k12-inc-promotes-it-idaho-schools/

Another informative story regarding the money trail into Tom Luna’s
campaign: 
http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/02/20/1535065/a-reform-plan-a-long-time-in-the.htm1#exzz1EZuFLm4H

Stories by Dan Popkey-dpopkey at idahostatesman.comCopyright: @ 2011 Idaho
Statesman Published:  02/20/11

1.  K-12 Education and Education Reform—The Idaho Senate passed
legislation Thursday to eliminate tenure for new teachers and restrict
collective bargaining while also voting on a separate bill to introduce
merit pay.   Both measures passed on 20-15 votes with eight Republicans
joining Democratic ranks.   Sponsors of the legislation to limit the IEA
and hand over more power to the locally elected school boards touted the
plan as a way to remove barriers to awarding good teacher and get rid of
less effective teachers.    Opponents decried the legislation as mean
spirited.  This is a slap in the fact of every teacher in our classrooms
who make our students want to learn,” said Sen. Broadsword, Republican,
from Sagle.  The second bill would restrict collective bargaining
agreements to salaries and benefits while also phasing out tenure for new
educators and current teachers who have yet to obtain continuing contracts
following a probationary period.

         The main bill in the education reform plan remains in the Senate
and aims to boost technology in the classroom and require
students to take four online classes to graduate while also
increasing the Beginning teacher pay to $30,000.    It is
interesting to note that beginning salary for teachers was
$30,000 four years ago.    The bill would also increase class
sizes in grades four through twelve to pay for computers for all
9th graders and for the Pay for Performance Program.   The bulk
of educational reforms including the pay for performance plan
approved by the Senate and carries a $38 million price tag in the
first year.  The plan would award bonuses for teachers who take
on hard to fill positions or leadership roles.  A major criticism
is that no permanent funding source has been identified for this
plan.

         There is major concern that the Third Bill is lifting the 99
percent cap which provides a safety net for school districts with
declining enrollment.  The impact is primarily on smaller, rural
school         districts that have difficult times recruiting
math and science teachers to teach the added math and science
requirements approved by the State Board.    I asked what the
impact on District 6 schools would be if the 99 percent cap was
lifted.    The negative impact in District 6 would be:    Moscow
-$101,195, Genesee -  $117,000,  Kendrick - $119,000, and Troy -
$18,000. The entire impact on primarily rural school districts
would be about $4.2 million.  I am very much opposed to lifting
the cap because it would widen the gap between the have and have
not school districts.

        The entire school reform effort has been a top down, heavy handed,
state mandated approach which erodes local control.  The entire
decision making process was terrible flawed with no participation
of the School Boards Association,  PTA,  School Administrators,
the State Board of Education (which apparently didn’t have a clue
about Mr. Luna’s proposal according to the Board’s President), or
any of the Idaho Universities and Colleges.   Not a word was said
by Mr. Luna during his fall election campaign.  The outpouring of
outrage against the plan was to be expected using this approach.  
I’ve received over 600 communications concerning the Plan—90
percent opposed.   The first two bills to clear the Senatewill be
up for a hearing in the House Education Committee on Tuesday.

2.  Good News—Today JFAC approved the UI College of Agriculture and Life
Science Research and Extension budget with no cuts on a 19-1 vote.    This
is a good piece of news for the UI and agriculture in the state.    One
has to keep up a sense of humor in all of this legislative process.  I
noticed that the House Chaplin occasionally wore a terribly tired looking
orange and blue tie with little ponies on it (BSU).   He said that many of
his congregation and also members of the Legislature urged him to get a
Vandal tie.   I sent President Nellis a call for help and within three
hours I had a new tie to present our Chaplin.  I mentioned that when he
wore it on the House floor it would no doubt give all of the Legislators a
higher plan of spiritual guidance upon which to make crucial decisions
facing the State.

3.  Nullification Legislation---The Senate State Affairs Committee
defeated the House approved Nullification bill late Friday morning after
almost three hours of debate.

4.  Freedom of Conscience Legislation—Several  legislators including
myself introduced legislation that would protect Senior Citizen’s advance
directives and living wills
Regarding end of life instructions.    Two of these pieces of legislation
including mine are still in the Chairman of State Affairs desk drawer.  
One attempt was turned down by
The State Affairs Committee.    There is another bill that addresses the
issue but AARP doesn’t feel it does the job.   We will keep working on it.

5. Taxes—as the Ides of March approach the question of any tax increases
comes to mind.    I’ve heard the Speaker say that there will be no tax
increases, and then  Rep. Lake, Chair of the House Rev and Tax Committee,
today told me he will be introducing a  tax increase on tobacco products
bill.    The increase in taxes would go to fund health related programs.  
In any event keep tuned.     Bob Huntley, former Democratic candidate for
Governor, reported at a recent meeting that Idaho loses about $50
million/year because of “sweetheart” deals that the Idaho Tax Commission
makes with out-of-state corporations.    He also reported that a national
survey noted that the Idaho Tax Commission is one of the most corrupt Tax
Commissions in the U.S.

That’s all for this week.    Please send me your comments, observations,
and recommendations.    You can contact me at ttrail at house.idaho.gov.   My
phone is 208-332-1184.

Rep. Tom Trail

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