The intent of this report is to highlight some of the past week's events
in the legislature, and key issues and bills to be spotlighted next week. Rep.
Miller, Senator Schroeder, and I can be contacted at infocntr@lso.state.id.us
1. CEC---short term future looks dim. Several temporary tax proposals
including a head tax (check off on state income tax form) and a slight
increase in the sales tax didn't even get off the ground. I'm urging
leadership to sponsor a surplus eliminator resolution. This means if
we have a surplus by the end of June (all contingent on the economy
making a turn around) that surplus funds could be used to fund priority
programs (among which CEC should be high on the list). When the full
budget comes to the floor of the house an attempt will be made to
amend the budget to include the cec.
2. PROPOSED SALARY INCREASES FOR COMMISSIONERS--the Senate has cleared a
bill to increase salaries of the 9 commissioners (Industrial, IPCU
and Tax) from $70,000 to $73,500 effective July 1st and another raise
next year. I will oppose this bill. It sends the wrong signal, and
if salaries increases are eliminated this should be shared.
3. HIGHER EDUCATION--Salary equity for Higher Education was eliminated
from the budget by JFAC. The good news is that the U. of Idaho will
get $802,000 of discretionary money to make good on commitments when
the board transferred control of the Boise engineering program from the
U of I to BSU.
.Western Governors University--HB 331 cleared the House Education
Committee by a 11-6 vote. I voted for the bill since there is a two
year sunset clause in the bill and faculty units will have the
responsibility to review proposed non-accredited courses and make
recommendations to the Board
4. K-12 PUBLIC EDUCATION--The $705 million public education survived
intact. The $9.5 million teacher incentive pay line item was eliminated
but the same amount will be allocated to the school districts. The
distribution will be determined by the local school boards. We had
a great deal of discussion in the House Education Committee about
at least providing some guidelines to the Boards, but this didn't get
far. I believe that some general guidelines indicating that money
should go to classrooms, materials, and salaries would have been
appropriate.
5. TAXES--The chance of any major tax bill coming through the House
Tax and Revenue Committee is just about zero. Rep. Ken Robison
proposed a $20,000 home owners exemption on the lot. This would have
helped low income families with a bit of property tax relief, and I
would have supported it. The Committee felt that it didn't provide
any relief for small businesses and farmers (businessmen and farmers
also live in houses).
Rep. Maynard Miller will introduce RS 07056C1 to the Rev and Tax Committee
The proposal addresses property tax relief for funding M and O. It
reduce the school district's M & O portion paid out of property tax to
only a fourth of its original assessment. This reduction is balanced by
shifting the property tax reduction to the amount of sales tax on
goods and selected services. This would shift approximately $102
million from property tax to sales and service taxes. The net result
is property tax relief for homeowners.
The majority of Rev and Tax committee members campaigned on a No Tax
Increase Platform. Rep. Miller's proposal will not see the light of day.
Various local option tax proposals were submitted to the R and T
committee. Similar proposals during the past 20 years have been voted
down.
Major property tax reform obviously is not in the cards this session
nor is the legislature going to provide local citizens the right to
vote on local option taxes. I support the local option tax concept
with a built in review to revote if approved at 5 year intervals.
6. INITIATIVE REFORM--I'll be introducing an initiative reform bill to
State Affairs on Tuesday. Ron Rankin doesn't like it and told Rep.
Jim Clark that I was a Communist for trying to interfere in the
initiative process. The bill calls for the organization of a Citizen's
Committee to review each initiative that qualifies for the ballot.
The Committee is appointed by the Governor, ProTempe of the Senate,
and the Speaker of the House (9 members with equal political party
representation if legislators are included). The Committee would
review each initiative in terms of legal and constitutional questions
(with the Attorney General's Office), drafting issues, technical
issues, and a financial impact analysis. Upon completion of the this
process a public hearing would be held and then a report issued to the
initiative sponsors, Governor, and the press. Statements in the
Sec. of State's Voters Guide would come from the report.
The proposal does not interfer in any way with the initiative process--
a common complaint of defenders of the initiative process. It would
hopefully encourage sponsors of initiatives to do a comprehesive
and thorough job in drafting the initiative. The most important
goal would be to provide the citizens of the state with detailed
and understandable analysis of the impact of each initiative. Voters
would be in a better position to make intelligent decisions on each
initiative. Lund Lindquist, Speaker of the Oregon House of Representa-
tives has introduced a similar bill.
7. ALCOHOL TAX BILL TO FUND SUBSTANCE ABUSE EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN
K-12 PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND FUND COUNTY JUVENILE ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION
PROGRAMS AND SERVICES
Rep. Miller and I both have bills that will be reviewed by Rev. and
Tax Committee on Tuesday. My bill raises the surcharge on liquor
and on beer and wine (effectively raising the cost of a 12 oz. can of
beer by 1.5 cents and a glass of wine by 4 cents a glass. Beer
consumption went up 12.5% last year and wine consumption went up
25%.
Corrections and Juvenile Programs are basically taking away funds
from both public and higher education. We are almost building prisons
faster than schools. Each juvenile institutionalized costs $45,000/
year ($20,000,000 total) and each prisoner about $40,000/year. The
incarceration rate in Idaho is the 3rd highest in the country.
We need to look at developing workcamps for prisoners with less serious
convictions or even electronic monitoring so some inmates can still work
at their jobs and take care of their families. Other options are to
improve education programs for selected inmates. Studies clearly show
that prisoners who earn a GED, vocational skills, AA degree, etc.
are 5 times more likely to successfully reintegrate into society.
Doc Lucas is coming down to testify in favor of the bill as well as
many others. One source says that we face a one vote defeat at the
present time (again, the don't raise any taxes attitude). If we could
get the bill out of committee I think we stand a chance of passing it.
8. SOIL CONSERVATON COMMISSION--There has been statewide concern since
the Governor proposed to move the SCC to the Department of Agriculture
from Lands. SCC is a voluntary, local control, technical assistance
and education organization, and transferring it into a regulatory
agency poses an issue of mission conflict. I've receive alot of mail
on this bill. Apparently, a compromise has been reached. The House
Agricultural Affairs Committee will review the bill in about a week.
9. DAY CARE CENTER ADULT PROVIDER INFANT RATIOS--now here is a bill
that appears simple on the surface. I'm a co-sponsor with Max Black
from Boise. The Idaho Code in terms of fire safety is for children
ages 0-18 months--one adult. We proposed a ratio of 1-6. This year
many associations who opposed similar legislation in the past
support it this year. Yet the vote in the House was 35-33 in favor
and only the support of the Democrats carried the day. We'll probably
face a similar fight in the Senate.
10. CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM--I sincerely hope we get some reform legislation
on the books. Rep. Jaquet and I are co-sponsoring two bills. One
bill would require that when a candidate leaves office via death,
defeat, or retirement that after all legitmate expenses are paid off
that the campaign account residue goes back to the local or state
party. This is to prevent personal abuse of funds although I honestly
feel very little of this occurs in Idaho. However, 44 other states
have similar legislation. Again, I'm not optimistic it will pass this
year.
11. PEA AND LENTIL ASSESSMENT--Rep. Dan Mader and I are sponsoring this
bill. The Pea and Lentil Commission and growers made excellent
presentations to the Senate Ag Committee and it passed on a 9-0
vote. The assessment would raise about $200,000 for research and
marketing. It must now be passed by the Senate and signed by
the Governor.
Dr. Tom Trail
International Trails
2039 Mt. View Rd.
Moscow, Id. 83843
Tel: (208) 882-6077
Fax: (208) 882-0896
e mail ttrail@moscow.com