We are hosting our last District 18 Forum at East Junior High on March 18th, 2014 at 7PM. It is always nice to receive your feedback and hear your concerns. I hope you can attend.

This session is rapidly coming to an end, so we are on the Senate floor twice a day. Though we worked hard this year, some issues were simply taken off the table by the majority party and will have to wait until next year.

We did not address Medicaid Redesign/Expansion which would have allowed 100,000 low income Idahoans, who are falling through the cracks of our current policy, to gain health insurance while saving Idaho over $60 million. Instead we addressed “Guns on Campus” (SB 1254), the so-called “Ag Gag” bill (SB 1337), and of course more tax cuts (HB 548 and HB 604). All this while we watch 94 school districts out of 115 total school districts try to pass supplemental levies to keep their doors open. Idaho ranks 49th in per capita income, near the bottom in per pupil expenditures in education, and first in the percentage of minimum wage jobs. Idaho can do better. It is time to stop our race to the bottom and invest in our children and education. We know businesses look at the quality of education when choosing where they locate.

In the last week or two we have begun to see some crazy bills. The House passed HB 507 which is a type of voucher program that takes money away from the State to fund private schools. The argument used by the sponsors was that it saves public schools money if kids go to private schools; however, there is no savings. Fixed costs remain: the bus will still need to run, the classroom will still need to be heated, and students will still need a teacher.

In fact, the bill may very well violate Article 9, Section 5 of the Idaho State Constitution which states, in part, “Neither the legislature nor any county, city, town, township, school district, or other public corporation, shall ever make any appropriations, or pay from any public fund or moneys whatever, anything in the aid of any church or sectarian or religious society, or for any sectarian or religious purpose or to help support sustain any school…” I am hoping this bill dies in the Senate.

Some good news.

The Hire Idaho Act (HB 546) would provide a 30% rebate in corporate income, sales, and payroll taxes to businesses that create 50 new high paying jobs in an urban area or 20 high paying jobs in a rural area.   This bill provides an incentive needed to attract new businesses to Idaho.

Our Class Size Bill (SB 1326) is on its way to the Governor. We continue to lobby the House State Affairs Committee to get a hearing on Ilah’s Salamander Bill (S 1271), but it appears the Chairman will simply put it in his drawer. The Behavioral Health Community Crisis Center Act (S 1352) is also on its way to the Governor. It will begin to address the serious lack of services in Idaho for those suffering mental illness, but we have a long way to go.

On a personal note, I recently had the chance to spend some time with my grandchildren at the Capitol. They were so excited to visit!

As always, it is an honor and a privilege to serve District 18 and Idaho.

Warmest Regards,

Senator Janie Ward-Engelking
District 18