<DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Representative Ringo writes,</DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">"Idaho law currently allows individuals to remove children of age six or younger from car seats and restraining seatbelts to deal with routine needs.<SPAN> </SPAN>In my opinion this is an extremely dangerous practice that can lead to serious injury or death.<SPAN> </SPAN>I am teaming with Senator Joyce Broadsword to propose legislation requiring that these young children be properly restrained in a moving vehicle at all times.<SPAN> </SPAN>We successfully introduced the bill in the House Transportation Committee.<SPAN> </SPAN>Unfortunately, the vote was only 7-6.<SPAN> </SPAN>It looks like a rough road ahead."</DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Is this really a
direction we want to go? How many children, precisely die or are injured in car accidents in Idaho as a result of a parent attending to a baby's needs? I think parents are smart enough to know what is safe and best for their child without the government babysitting them babysitting their child. Sometimes pulling off to the side of the road so one parent can feed, change or burp their baby is much more dangerous than ignoring the child's needs or attending to them while the other person drives. Could you imagine going on a road trip from McCall down 55 to Boise and having to find a safe place to pull over and attend to baby's burping, or crying? That would be dangerous, especially during road construction and winter where space on the side of the road is very limited and drivers are not all that attentive to cars parked around the corner. Ignoring a baby's needs until the next convenient place to park is not always a realistic option. </DIV> <DIV
class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">What would be more productive in making roads safer, and protecting the little lives, would be to ban hand held cell phones while driving, or eating prepared food while driving. </DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Best Regards,</DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Donovan</DIV><BR><BR><B><I>Shirley Ringo <ringoshirl@moscow.com></I></B> wrote: <BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.3243" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Visionaries:</FONT></DIV> <DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p> </o:p></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">From the Legislature<o:p></o:p></B></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Representative Shirley Ringo<o:p></o:p></B></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">February 11, 2008<o:p></o:p></B></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">The Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee (JFAC) has completed budget hearings.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Next Monday, we begin the process of setting budgets.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Barring unforeseen events, the process will take approximately three weeks.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>A member of JFAC may make a motion for any
budget.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Among those for which I plan to prepare motions are public education and higher education.</DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">We enter the process with a degree of uncertainty, because the stream of revenue has not been following projections.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Actual collections exceeded expectations until December, when collections were $31.3 million behind projections.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In January, collections were $38.1 behind projections.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Economists in the Department of Financial Management are busily studying the components of revenue collections to analyze contributing factors.</DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Last year, public
employees received a 5% increase in pay (merit-based) and public school employees received a 3% increase in pay.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This year the Governor recommends a 5% increase for public employees and educators accompanied by a decrease in public employee benefits. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The Governor still backs the 5% pay increase as one of his top priorities, but some legislators are talking of only a 3% increase this year as a response to the uncertain revenue picture. (The reduction would reduce state expenditures by approximately $32 million.) <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">The iSTARS teacher pay proposal dominated the early stages of this legislative session.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I hope is it not an
exaggeration to say we are moving forward into more productive discussions now.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I am co-sponsoring a resolution calling for an improved system for evaluating teacher performance.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I have criticized the iSTARS plan for being politically motivated, and lacking educational soundness.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Although a task force convened prior to this legislative session to consider alternative teacher pay plans, there was no serious collaboration leading to the iSTARS proposal.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The absence of a good, transparent process contributed to its failure.</DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">During the summer of 2006, your District 6 Representatives (Trail and Ringo) met with citizens, members of law enforcement, Professor Elizabeth Brandt
(U of I College of Law), and others to discuss the need for address protection for victims of domestic violence.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Last year, Professor Brandt drafted legislation which Representative Trail and I (Rep. Ringo) presented in the House Judiciary and Rules Committee.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The bill was not successful last year.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It has been fine-tuned a bit, and we are giving it another try.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It is a well crafted piece of legislation – we hope for a better outcome this year.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We have had a successful introduction in the House Judiciary and Rules Committee, and look forward to a formal hearing on the bill.</DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Idaho</st1:place></st1:State> law currently allows individuals to remove children of age six or younger from car seats and restraining seatbelts to deal with routine needs.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In my opinion this is an extremely dangerous practice that can lead to serious injury or death.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I am teaming with Senator Joyce Broadsword to propose legislation requiring that these young children be properly restrained in a moving vehicle at all times.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We successfully introduced the bill in the House Transportation Committee.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Unfortunately, the vote was only 7-6.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It looks like a rough road ahead.</DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></DIV> <DIV
class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Please feel free to contact me by e-mail or phone if you have questions or concerns.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>(<A href="mailto:sringo@house.idaho.gov">sringo@house.idaho.gov</A>; <A href="mailto:ringoshirl@moscow.com">ringoshirl@moscow.com</A>; 208-301-2272) </DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></DIV></DIV>=======================================================<BR>List services made available by First Step Internet, <BR>serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994. <BR>http://www.fsr.net <BR>mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com<BR>=======================================================</BLOCKQUOTE><BR><p> 
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