Education Budgets Delivered to the Governor
The Senate and House both passed major budget bills funding Idaho’s education system last week. The largest was House Bill 385, a $1.1 billion teacher salary budget that covers pay increases under the state’s teacher salary career fund and other benefits for educators. The $702 million K-12 operations budget found in House Bill 355 funds support personnel, as well as school transportation, technology, and assorted programs. For higher education, House Bill 387 appropriates $629,853,900 to support Idaho’s colleges and universities. Included is $400,000 to Lewis and Clark University to avoid tuition increases, and reductions of $1.5 million from Boise State University, $500,000 from Idaho State University, and $500,000 from the University of Idaho to remove state support for social justice programming.
Authorizations for the release of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to Idaho’s schools also passed through both chambers. House Bill 388 allows schools to spend $454,031,900 in those funds for Fiscal Year 2022, while House Bill 398 provides $2,881,900 to Idaho’s Public School Support Program’s Division of Children’s Programs to address the immediate needs of homeless students, including academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs during the pandemic. These are one-time funds and are being provided in addition to the normal funding Idaho receives for this program.
Senate and House Recessing Until Wednesday, May 12, 2021
Senate Majority Leader Kelly Anthon, R-Burley, announced to the Senate that it has completed its business, and with that, the Senate recessed for a week as permitted by a concurrent resolution passed on April 5 . It will reconvene on Wednesday, May 12, at 1 p.m. At that point, this will be the longest legislative session ever in state history, running 122 days. The previous record was 118 in 2003. The House also recessed for a week beginning Wednesday evening and plans to reconvene at 3 p.m. next Wednesday, May 12.
New Legislation Limiting Governor's Powers Pass Senate and House
Several bills reforming the Governor’s powers in times of both disaster emergency and extreme emergency were introduced and passed last week after previous reform legislation was vetoed. Covering disaster emergency, House Bill 391 clarifies that Idahoans’ constitutional rights cannot be suspended due to an emergency declared by the Governor, House Bill 392 states that Idaho Code may not be altered or created by the Governor during a declared emergency, and House Bill 393 requires that any restrictions enacted during a declared emergency must not be based on job type or classification.
For extreme emergency, Senate Bill 1217 prohibits unnecessary restrictions on Idahoans’ ability to work, prohibits suspension of any and all rights guaranteed by the United States and Idaho Constitutions, prohibits the altering or suspension of Idaho Code (though enforcement of some provisions may be temporarily suspended), and requires any extreme emergency declaration lasting longer than 90 days to receive concurrence from the Legislature.
Property and Income Tax Relief Clears the Legislature
Senate Majority Leader Kelly Anthon, R-Burley, announced to the Senate that it has completed its business, and with that, the Senate recessed for a week as permitted by a concurrent resolution passed on April 5 . It will reconvene on Wednesday, May 12, at 1 p.m. At that point, this will be the longest legislative session ever in state history, running 122 days. The previous record was 118 in 2003. The House also recessed for a week beginning Wednesday evening and plans to reconvene at 3 p.m. next Wednesday, May 12.
Transportation Funding Reaches the Governor's Desk
Last week the Senate passed House Bill 362 which provides for a distribution of 4.5% of sales tax, up to $80 million, to establish sustainable and long-term funding through an existing authority within the Transportation Expansion and Congestion Mitigation fund (TECM). The fund will allow for nearly $1.6 billion in infrastructure improvements on the state system through bonding. It provides much-needed assistance to local governments for the maintenance of roads and bridges on the local system that connects Idaho. H 362 accomplishes all this without increasing taxes or any additional user fees.
Senate Transportation Committee Chair, Senator Lori Den Hartog, 22-Meridian, added that “H362 represents a long-term investment in transportation infrastructure by meeting the significant needs of the state system and our local highway districts, all without raising your taxes. This legislation is how growth pays for growth.”
The bill passed the Senate with a vote of 29-6 and now heads to the Governor’s desk for approval.
IDAHO STATISTICS & RANKINGS
Idaho's Healthy Budgeting
- Year-over-year revenue collections for the General Fund are up 14.5% as of March 2021
- Education makes up 62.1% of total appropriations from the General Fund as of Fiscal Year 2021
- 8% of Idaho’s total expenditures went towards transportation as of 2019
Legislation at a Glance
H0026: This legislation ensures that Idaho keeps pace with national best practice standards and prevents the Department of Juvenile Corrections from placing low-level juvenile offenders in secure facilities. Instead, it requires the use of juvenile shelter care facilities. The bill passed the House with a vote of 70-0-0 and Senate with a vote of 31-0-4 and was signed by the Governor on March 8. The new law will become effective July 1, 2021.
S1006: This legislation would further Idaho’s interest and goal of having every student reading at grade level by the end of grade 3 by aligning administrative rules and laws with the Education Task Force recommendations. The bill passed the Senate with a vote of 35-0-0 and the House with a vote of 68-0-2 and was signed by the Governor on April 27. The new law will become effective July 1, 2021.
S1009: This bill designates the State Fire Marshal and State Fire Marshal deputies as firefighters under the Public Employee Retirement System and provides them with certain workers compensation benefits that are available to first responders. The bill passed the Senate with a vote of 32-1-2 and the House with a vote of 67-1-2 and was signed by the Governor on March 18. It will become effective July 1, 2021.
S1017: This bill revises definitions involving uniform controlled substances to make technical corrections in order to include synthetic drugs. It also provides corrected terminology and provisions for controlled substances. It clarifies the definitions and identifies the differences of marijuana and CBD that are approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The bill passed the Senate with a vote of 30-3-2 and the House with a vote of 43-27-0 and was signed by the Governor on February 26. It will become effective July 1, 2021.
S1027 and S1200: S1027 compensates wrongfully convicted and imprisoned individuals with $62,000 for each year of incarceration, or $75,000 per year if incarcerated on death row. Individuals wrongfully placed on the sex offender registry shall receive an additional $25,000 for each year they were on the registry. Exonerees have two years from the date they are formally exonerated by a court to file a claim. The bill passed the Senate with a vote of 35-0-0 and the House with a vote of 70-0-0 and was signed by the Governor on March 5. It became effective the same day. S1200 is a trailer bill to S1027. It clarifies that eligible days for compensation include time spent awaiting trial. The bill passed the Senate with a vote of 34-0-1 and the House with a vote of 67-0-3 and was delivered to the Governor for his consideration.
S1039aaH: This bill would allow school districts to award a Workplace Readiness Diploma to graduates who have completed career technical education programs. Graduates awarded a diploma are then able to demonstrate skills and competencies to future employers. The bill passed the Senate with a vote of 35-0-0 and the House with a vote of 67-0-3 and was signed by the Governor on April 27th. The new law will become effective July 1, 2021.
S1110: The purpose of this legislation is to increase voter involvement and inclusivity in the voter initiative/referendum process. This will be accomplished by ensuring signatures are gathered from each of the 35 legislative districts, so every part of Idaho is included in this process. The bill passed the Senate with a vote of 26-9-0 and the House with a vote of 51-18-1 on April 7 and was signed by the Governor on April 17. It became effective the same day.
S1134: The purpose of this legislation is to amend Idaho Code 46-1005A by inserting language allowing for the recovery of federal funds after a Declaration of State Emergency has expired or was terminated. The bill passed the Senate 34-0-1 and the House with a vote of 69-0-1 and was signed by the Governor on April 14. It became effective the same day.
S1139: This legislation clarifies the powers of the Director of Health & Welfare in Idaho Code 56-1003 relating to quarantine and isolation rules during a time of emergency. It prohibits healthy people from being required to quarantine. Additionally, it creates a way to let the courts review an order issued by the Director. The bill passed the Senate with a vote of 33-0-2 and the House with a vote of 65-2-3 and was signed by the Governor on April 20. The new law will become effective July 1, 2021.
S1205: Also known as the Idaho Firearm and Firearm Accessories and Components Protection Act, this bill prohibits enforcement or support by Idahoan government entities of recent federal executive orders on gun control. The bill passed the Senate with a vote of 28-7-0 and the House with a vote of 55-11-3 and was delivered to the Governor for his consideration.
S1211: This legislation increases the annual amount transferred from the Idaho Fish and Game Fund to the Wolf Control Fund by $190,000 to reduce the number of wolves in Idaho. This legislation is an effort to slow or stop the population growth of wolves in Idaho. The bill passed the Senate with a vote of 26-7-2 and the House with a vote of 58-11-1 and was delivered to the Governor for his consideration.