[Vision2020] LEGISLATIVE NEWSLETTER 8—March 5-11 , 2011

[lfalen]

Tom
I hope that you are recovering ok. Don't over do it. Have you heard how Kirk and Imogene Rush are doing?
Roger
-----Original message-----
From: "Rep. Tom Trail" ttrail at moscow.com
Date: Sun, 13 Mar 2011 10:07:49 -0700
To: vision2020 at moscow.com
Subject: [Vision2020] LEGISLATIVE NEWSLETTER 8—March 5-11 , 2011

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> LEGISLATIVE NEWSLETTER
> 8—March 5-11, 2011
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> Constituents:
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> This has been a rough week in
> the trenches.   Monday I
> was not feeling well and after a doctor's appointment on Tuesday I was
> transferred to St. Al's Hospital.     I had come down with a case of
> pneumonia.    I responded
> well to the antibiotics and on Friday my doctor felt that I had
> made enough progress that I could start back on Monday.    I did pair off on key
> votes during the week, and plan to be back at the fray (watchfully) this
> coming week.
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>  1.  
> Public Education--SPI Luna's S1108 (teacher's collective bargaining
> rights) and S1110 (teacher-pay-for-performance) passed the House this
> week.  Nine Republicans joined
> 13 Democrats in opposing S1108 and 13 R's joined the D's in voting against
> S1110.  The major problem with
> S1110 is there is no source of funding at this time.    The third major piece
> SB1113 (technology, increased classroom size, and some 770 teacher
> layoffs) was killed in committee, but apparently will re-emerge in the
> form of new bill this week.    It appears that under the new bill
> districts will get less funding and more flexibility on how to spend it.
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>  2.  Funding
> for Public Education--The general fund portion of public education is
> estimated to be $1.2 billion down $6 million from last year's budget.   However, that's with an
> expected 176 more classrooms in the state needing funding.   Many of the legislators who
> won in last November's election signed pledges not to raise taxes and that
> included any new taxes for education.  Traditional thought among legislators is that voters
> will not support any new taxes, and this is what SPI Luna said
> recently.   The voters
> spoke again Tuesday with overwhelming results in most of the levy
> elections across the State including Coeur d'Alene,  Twin Falls, Pocatello, and Idaho
> Falls.    On Tuesday
> the point is very clear--even in trying times--even when school districts'
> sole recourse is to collect levies on the always unpopular property
> tax--Idaho citizens are generally willing to dig into their pockets to
> support public education.  
> The truth is that our citizens at the grassroots level are the ones
> who put Students First.
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>  3.  Recall
> Luna--Statewide attention has focused on a move to recall SPI Luna.    Frankly, this is a
> poor strategy.   
> The odds of recalling a state elected official is more than
> challenging.    Jim
> Weatherby,   Retired
> Political Scientist, from BSU, offered another route for those opposing
> the LUNA plan.   This is
> the referendum route.   
> Once the Idaho Legislature concludes their session then initiatives
> can be filed with the Secretary of State's Office.    Over 43,000 legitimate
> signatures on petitions would then have to be submitted.    If enough signatures
> were validated then the measures would go on the 2012 ballot requiring
> only a simple majority to pass.    This strategy has been successful five
> times in Idaho history with the last occasion with the voters rejecting
> Term Limits in 2002.
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>  4.  Budget
> Increases for Prisons and Cuts for Higher Education--JFAC announced 4
> percent increase for Idaho Prisons and a 5 percent decrease for Idaho's
> universities and colleges.     This has been a trend since the early
> 1980's.    While
> Higher Education's share of the General Budget was as high as 17 percent
> in the early 1980's it has fallen to less than 8 percent today.   The decreases have come
> primarily because of "higher" priorities for corrections and
> health and welfare.   As
> expected, the impact makes education more expensive for students.   The UI will be requesting a
> 8.4 percent increase for student fees.
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>  5.  Highway
> 12 and Megaloads--Idaho Rivers United filed a lawsuit against the U.S.
> Forest Service seeking to force the agency to challenge the megaload
> shipments of oil refining equipment approved by the Idaho Transportation
> Department.   Two Conoco
> shipments have made it to Montana, but it is anticipated permit requests
> for hundreds more are just a matter of time.    If this occurs then the "fear" of
> Highway 12 becoming the international oil freeway to Alberta may become
> true.
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>  6. 
> HB221--This piece of legislation outlines cuts to the States
> Medicaid services to the amount of $107 million which is down from the
> $120 originally proposed. 
> Given that Medicaid funding gets matched by the federal government,
> for every dollar in services cut at the state level, we lose over $3 in
> federal funds.   The bill
> is being revised to move the two most controversial cuts for adults with
> developmental disabilities: 
> 1) cutting off developmental therapy services to anyone 45 years or
> older and 2) denying these services to hundreds of patients who fail to
> qualify for the waiver program.
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> That's all for this week.    Please send me your
> comments, recommendation, and ideas.    My e mail is ttrail at house.idaho.gov and
> phone
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> (208) 332-1184.
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> Rep. Tom Trail
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> you
> can also view my updates on www.infotrail.com/idaho
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