Pre-Legislative Newsletter from Rep. Tom Trail - Jan. 16th

[Tom Trail <RepTrail@infotrail.com>]

PRE-LEGISLATIVE NEWSLETTER--JANUARY 16TH

The first week of the scheduled second session of the 55th Idaho Legislature
was cast into confusion with the tragic death of  Sen. Jerry Twiggs,  Senate
Pro Tem last Monday morning. The first week of the Legislative session was
postponed, and we start anew on the 17th. 

This session after pinching pennies through four straight sessions, the
Legislature is faced with a $75 million surplus.   Speaker,  Bruce Newcomb,
noted that this is when we make our biggest mistakes, and that's when we have
more contention on spending money.  Conservative revenue estimates in face of a
persistently strong economy in recent years created a cash surplus that marked
the early days of the State's economy over a decade ago.  The financial
decisions facing lawmakers are impressive -- dealing with critical needs school
safety and building problems, finding new sources of cash for maintaining the
state's own billion dollar inventory and financing local water and sewer
projects, and deciding how to spend tobacco trust earnings.  Governor
Kempthorne has indicated his budget will be about $1.8 billion.  There will be
more information on the specifics when the Governor gives his speech on the
17th.

I'll be co-sponsoring a number of bills this session.  These include:

1.   Legalization of Industrial Hemp  --  Idaho farmers need more viable
alternative crops.  I'm working with the Department of Agriculture, the Farm
Bureau, and the Idaho Rural Council on a bill called The BAST Fibers and
Alternative Crops Bill.  The bill will provide the Director of the Idaho
Department of Agriculture the authority to start developing the required rules
and regulations associated with a newly introduced crop.  The bill will also
request that the University of Idaho conduct a feasibility study on industrial
hemp.  Canadian farmers are growing industrial hemp for both fiber and seed,
and they are making a profit of about 25-50% higher an acre as compared to
wheat and other crops.  Industrial hemp is an environmentally friendly crop.  
Smoking industrial hemp with a THC level of .1% or less is like smoking a
rope.  I talked with the CEO of the American Hemp Co. in Spokane.  They make
hemp textiles for Ralph Lauren, Polo, Gucchi, and others.  His business alone
is currently $2,000,000 a year.  They would like to buy industrial hemp from
local farmers. No one will be able to grow industrial hemp until changes take
place on the national scene.  There will probably be hearings on the crop in
the Senate Ag Committee this year.  We are hoping that industrial hemp is
shifted to USDA and then farmers can be allowed to grow the crop under close
monitoring.

2.  Minimum Wage for Farm Workers -- about 6,000 of the 35,000 farm workers in
Idaho are are paid below the minimum wage.   The bill calls for all farm
workers to be covered by the $5.15 minimum wage.  This bill stands for
fairness,  social justice, and equity in the treatment of workers who put in as
many as 12 hours a day under sometimes harsh conditions.  A companion bill
calls for the registration and control of farm labor contractors.  We are
organizing a 10,000 person march on the Capitol on January 17th in support of
the bill.

3.  Consumer Protection -- Rep. Randy Hansen and I are co-sponsoring a bill to
help victims of Identity Theft re-establish their credit ratings more quickly. 
We are also working on an anti-spamming bill to help e-mail users reduce the
deluge of spam messages.  The Attorney General will also introduce an
anti-telephone marketing bill.  This will be similar to his bill of last year.

4.  Increased Salaries for Beginning Teachers -- Currently the average salary
for a starting teacher in Idaho is about 20,500 dollars/year.  This places
Idaho in 49th place nationally.  I'm supporting Marilyn Howard's budget which
calls for a $1,000 increase for beginning teachers.

 5.  Promise Scholarships -- Sen. Lee,  Rep. Robert Geddes,  Rep. Ken Robison, 
and I are working on a bill that would provide scholarships for Idaho high
school graduates.  The bill is focused on providing an incentive to keep many
Idaho students in Idaho universities and colleges instead of  going
out-of-state.  The bill would provide $500/semester over a period of four
semester to any graduate with a 2.5 GPA or accepted into a university or
college program.  Homeschoolers would be eligible for the scholarship if they
are accepted into a college program.  All Idaho institutions of higher learning
would participate in the program.

Discussion is taking place especially among our four year universities of
allocating a portion of the funds to help the institutions recruit students at
the 3.5 GPA level.  The universities would be in a better position to get the
private sector to apply a match.  The price tag is in the $9,000,000 range.

There are many more legislative issues that I will update you on as the session
progresses.



Rep. Trail, district 5

 I would like constituents to e-mail, phone, fax, or write me with their
ideas, comments and recommendations.  

by phone: (at the House Communications Center)

208-332-1000 switchboard
208-332-1202 desk
208-334-5397  (fax)

by email:

ttrail@house.state.id.us      My email in Boise
infocntr@lso.state.id.us      Information desk at the Capitol
            
Address:

Rep. Tom Trail
Idaho State Legislature
State Capitol Building
P.O. Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0038

Legislative newsletters and additional materials and information can be
located on my web
and home page http://www.infotrail.com/idaho/idaho.html