Week 7 started with a Lincoln Tribute on President’s Day and included the public schools budget and a rejection of bills to repeal the Medicaid expansion initiative passed into law by voters last November.
(Idaho Public Radio file photo)
February 18 was a holiday for many, but state lawmakers were at work; the work day include a Lincoln Tribute.
“Our 16th president of the United States embodies our Democratic values of equality, justice, and government accountability,” House Minority Leader Mat Erpelding said in his weekly newsletter.
Also this past week: Legislators met with 4-H students from across the state at the Know Your Government Conference, held very year during President’s Day Weekend in Boise. The theme of this year’s conference was, “Oh, the places you’ll go.”
(Cheyenna McCurry photo)
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Feb. 18 approved Idaho’s K-12 budget in a series of unanimous, 20-0 votes.
The public schools budget for next year was set at about $1.89 billion in state general funds. That’s an increase of 6.1% over the current year. Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra had requested an 8% increase. The total budget is about $2.26 billion.
“We set the K through 12 first,” Rep. Caroline Nilsson Troy said at a Moscow community event on Feb. 23. “I think there’s a lot of us that are saying, if this is the most important thing, then let’s make it the most important thing and put that out there first and get it done.”
(Cheyenna McCurry photo)
On Monday, The House Health & Welfare heard public testimony on HB 109 that would create a maternal mortality review committee in attempt to decrease Idaho’s maternal death rate of 27.1. HB 109 passed with do-pass recommendation, with only one ‘no’ vote from Rep. Christensen. By the end of the week, the full House passed the bill by one vote.
(Cheyenna McCurry photo)
Some of the other news:
The Idaho House Education Committee on Friday voted against holding a public hearing on the School Readiness Act, a proposed pre-kindergarten program.
HB 141, making changes to Idaho’s mining laws, cleared the House Resources & Conservation Committee on Thursday.
On Friday, JFAC approved about $107.6 million in total funding for the Behavioral Health Division, including about $63.5 million from general funds.
Idaho SB 1028, the bill identifying PTSD as an occupational injury affecting first responders, is now before the House. The House Commerce Committee gave the bill a ‘do-pass’ recommendation on Thursday.
The Idaho House rejected HB 85, the bill to exempt Idaho from Daylight Saving Time. The vote was 15-55.
The Idaho Senate passed SB 1045, on the inmate labor program and creating workplace training opportunities. It is now in the House Judiciary Committee.
JFAC set the Dept. of Correction budget at about $246.4 million in general funds. There’s no new prison in the budget.
Legislation to designate Highway 20 in southern Idaho as the Idaho Medal of Honor Highway passed the House.
The Senate State Affairs Committee voted to hold a bill intended to make the list of donations to candidates and political causes in Idaho more public.
HB 150, from Rep. Bill Goesling, was sent to the floor with a do-pass recommendation. It would allow school boards with two vacancies to enter an Executive Session by roll-call vote for emergent circumstances.
A bill to allow historic theaters to sell beer and wine at community events passed on the House floor Thursday and now heads to the Senate.
The Idaho House Judiciary Committee sent a bill to the House that would allow peace officers to place a person who has threatened violence at schools into custody for evaluation.
And finally–
The Idaho House Health & Welfare Committee rejected two proposed bills aimed at repealing Medicaid expansion. The proposals– one from Rep. John Green (R-Post Falls) and one from Green and Rep. Julianne Young (R-Blackfoot)– failed in committee.
Week 8 of the Idaho State Legislature gets underway on Monday, February 25th.
Reporters Cheyenna McCurry and Glenn Mosley contributed to this story)
Posted February 24, 2019
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