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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Visionaries:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><FONT face=Calibri>From the
Legislature Part V</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT
face=Calibri>In the last four years, there have been drastic cuts in Medicaid
support for individuals with disabilities, cuts to education budgets, only a 2%
raise for public employees after years of no raises and forced furloughs …
.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This is our Governor’s “new
normal.”<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Governor Butch Otter and
his allies have taken us one step closer to making the “new normal”
permanent.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The House of
Representatives has approved their proposal to cut personal income tax and
corporate tax by $35 million.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p><FONT
face=Calibri> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT
face=Calibri>As the economy shows modest signs of improving, it is hardly time
to reduce state revenues.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>As most
of you realize, the income tax cut will not benefit people at lower income
levels.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Currently, there are eight
levels of Idaho income taxation.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>For a single person, the highest applies to income of $26,760 and over,
at 7.8%.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The level below that is
for income levels from $10,035 to $26,759 at 7.4%<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The tax cut legislation eliminates the
top category, so that all those filing singly, with taxable income $10,035 and
above, will pay 7.4%.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>(The dollar
amounts of these tax categories are indexed, so they change slightly from year
to year.) <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The bill is in the hands
of the Senate Local Government and Taxation Committee.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I took the opportunity this morning to
discuss the issue with the Chair of that committee.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I hope the amount of the tax reduction
will be revised downward, or it will be very difficult to support even reduced
levels of vital state programs.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><o:p><FONT
face=Calibri> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT
face=Calibri>Recent action in Idaho’s Legislature mirrors issues discussed at
the national level.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Some of these I
had considered resolved long ago – involving contraception and end of life
decisions.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>House Joint Memorial 10
declares that the Affordable Health Care Act does not allow insurers, purchasers
and other stakeholders with religious or moral objections to specific items of
services required under the Act to decline to provide or obtain coverage of such
items or services or services, or allow health care providers with such
objections to decline to provide them … .<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Senate Bill 1348 confirms that under current law any doctor or other
health care provider unwilling to conform to the desires of a patient may
withdraw either form of care once the provider has made a<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>good faith effort to assist in obtaining
the services of another health care provider willing to provide the desired
care, whether or not the patient’s care has actually successfully been
transferred to another health care provider willing to give the patient the
desired medical treatment.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Senate
Bill 1349 would require the use of ultrasound prior to an abortion. </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><o:p><FONT
face=Calibri> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT
face=Calibri>Senate Bill 1301 may be interesting to you.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Idaho’s High School Activities
Association requires that in order for secondary schools to have full
participation privileges they must meet accrediting standards of secondary
schools as required by the State Board of Education.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The Board has recognized the Northwest
Accreditation Commission (NWAC) as the State’s accreditation body.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>( NWAC has been purchased by another
accreditation company.)<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This bill
specifies that for the purpose of extracurricular activities, any secondary
school located in this state that is accredited by an organization approved
through a process defined by the state department of education shall be able to
fully participate.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I understand
that this would include the accreditation process for schools such as Logos, so
they would be able to participate in competitive high school sports with public
high schools.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This legislation is
sponsored by Senator Russ Fulcher and Representative Tom Trail.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><o:p><FONT
face=Calibri> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT
face=Calibri>It is predicted that we will be finished with our work for this
session in about three weeks.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Let
me know if you have questions.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><o:p><FONT
face=Calibri> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><FONT
face=Calibri>Representative Shirley Ringo</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><o:p><FONT
face=Calibri> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><o:p><FONT
face=Calibri> </FONT></o:p></P></DIV></BODY></HTML>