Here We Go!

January 23, 2016 by Janie Ward-Engelking

Hello Friends,

Another legislative session has begun, and I am honored to serve as your senator. Though the session officially began on Monday, January 11th, we hit the ground running weeks ago.

The Joint Millennium Fund Committee met in December to review grants and the Change in Employee Compensation Committee met last week to review recommendations. I serve on both of these committees plus the Education, Commerce and Human Resources, and the Agricultural Affairs Committees.

The big topic for this week is the Governor’s State of the State Address. The governor recommended we fully fund the career ladder and that pupil services be included. His recommendation also included a 3% raise for classified and administrative personnel. Under the governor’s recommendation, operational funding would be brought up to the 2009 levels. There is also funding for mentoring, college and career counselors, technology, reading intervention for K-3, and enrollment funding for students transferring during the year.

Civility training was another high point. Though most state legislators treat each other with respect, there are still things we can do to improve our relationships. This training provided an opportunity to practice disagreeing amicably and compromising to ensure that the best decisions are being made for hard-working Idahoans.

The first official week is over and there is still much to be done. I appreciate your input and look forward to visiting with you. You can follow me on Twitter and “Like” my Facebook page to receive legislative updates and other “happening” things around the State Capitol.

Thank you for your support. I am honored to represent you!

Warmest Regards,

Senator Janie Ward-Engelking

District 18

2015 End of Session Letter

July 23, 2015 by Janie Ward-Engelking

Hello Friends,It has been both a privilege and a pleasure to represent you in the Idaho Senate. My committee assignments include Education, Commerce and Human Resources, and Agricultural Affairs and during the interim I will be representing you on the Joint Millennium Fund Committee.Education: One of our success stories this year is the career ladder/teacher pay bill, HB296. As a classroom teacher and member of the Governor’s Task Force for Education, my goal was to increase teachers’ salaries so we can recruit and retain our highly skilled teachers. After three years of meetings and months of negotiation with stakeholders, we passed a consensus piece of legislation that will significantly raise educators’ salaries. We were also able to build in additional benefits, including professional development, mentoring, evaluation training for administrators, plus some flexibility and safeguards for measuring student growth. While HB296 is not perfect, it provides a framework to move education and teacher compensation forward.

Transportation: A pressing need to repair and maintain our roads and bridges offered another major issue for debate during the 2015 Legislative Session. A slew of bills and solutions were submitted during the session, but each was deeply flawed and promptly rejected. In the final days of the session, a Conference Committee was convened in order to resolve disagreements between both houses, and after two days of contentious meetings, a compromise on a “going home bill” was reached. HB312aaS will provide an additional $95 million in dedicated funds for transportation plus surplus money from the general fund. This is a far cry from the $262 million needed for maintenance and repair of our bridges and roads, but it is what was possible this session.

Anti-Bullying: I am excited to report the passage of HB 246, an anti-bullying bill, I co-sponsored with Rep. Ilana Rubel. We heard a great deal of passionate testimony regarding the emotional and physical toll caused by bullying. This bill equips schools and communities with necessary training and resources to address the problem of bullying, and will hopefully serve as an important step in protecting our children.

State Amphibian: After 3 years of working with Ilah Hickman, HB 1, which designates the Idaho Giant Salamander as our State Amphibian, became law. The success of this bill is the result of hard work and determination by Ilah Hickman, a 14-year-old Boise student, who has pushed for the bill’s passage for the past five years. It is a testament not only to Ilah’s many talents, but to the Idaho Spirit: We Never Give Up. Congratulations to Ilah, her friends, and family.

My Bills: This Session, I was pleased to sponsor and co-sponsor a number of bills. They include HB 22, which cleans up an outdated provision relating to the terms of school trustees, HB 122, which clarifies an existing statute concerning student progress, SB 1080a, which provides for the licensure of genetic counselors, SCR 110, which designates National Diaper Need Awareness Week in Idaho, SCR 116, which formalizes the rejection of a rule created by Idaho Department of Agriculture elk importation, HB 126, which creates a more accurate per-pupil method for school funding, and assisted in the passage of HB152aaS, which ensures our deaf and hard of hearing citizens have qualified sign language interpreters.

Sine Die: Though we did sine die in the early morning hours on Saturday, the Governor may need to call us back for a special session. At the 11th hour, the House Judiciary Committee voted down SB1067 which provides $16 million dollars in federal funding for Idaho’s child support enforcement program and puts at risk $30 million in federal funding for needy families. This irresponsible vote by House Republicans jeopardizes $200 million of child support payments made to Idaho’s children. Killing Senate Bill 1067 puts our children at risk and makes Idaho a haven for deadbeat Dads.

I want to stress what an honor it is to serve you in the Idaho Legislature. I truly appreciate all of your visits, attendance at our public forums, and the hundreds of phone calls, emails, and letters. Your input helps me better represent you and our community.

Warmest Regards,

Senator Janie Ward-Engelking

District 18

Slider 6

June 28, 2015 by Janie Ward-Engelking

Slider 4

June 28, 2015 by Janie Ward-Engelking

Slider 1

June 17, 2015 by Janie Ward-Engelking

Legislative Update #5

February 17, 2015 by Janie Ward-Engelking

Hello Friends,

This week has been very active for education! The bill concerning a new career ladder and tiered licensure remains in flux. It was pulled from the Senate Education Committee’s Thursday agenda because of “technical glitches.” The goal is to boost state reimbursement for educators in order to recruit and retain highly skilled educators. It is still unknown as to when the bill will be heard.

In the wake of the IEN contract being declared void, legislators have been left searching for answers. This is due to the fact that appropriating funds to pay for a voided contract is a misuse of public funds. In light of the fact that up to 90% of the network could go dark by the end of this month, the goal now is to protect students and school districts. Senate Pro Tem Brent Hill (R) has asked School Board Members to negotiate individual contracts to continue service. In addition, the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee (JFAC) will allocate money to help school districts cover these costs. February 26th is the deadline for schools districts to apply for federal reimbursement dollars (E-Rate) for next year which will cover 70% of the cost of connectivity.

In 2012, Idaho bridges and roads received a “C-” rating on a report card from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Currently, Idaho has 400 bridges that were built before WWII and 700 bridges deemed structurally deficient. This is not only a business issue, but also a serious public safety concern. We need to deal with this problem soon, as the cost of repair and maintenance continues to rise. One proposed solution would raise the gas tax and eliminate the grocery tax, which I support. However, it also introduces a flat tax rate for both personal and corporate income, which I strongly oppose. Stay tuned on this important issue.

As part of my commitment to supporting the health and welfare of Idaho families, I am pleased to report that I am sponsoring a concurrent resolution aimed at addressing diaper need in Idaho. Currently food stamps cannot be used to purchase diapers. Diapers are an essential part of every child’s life, and this resolution is designed to raise awareness for diaper banks, diaper drives, and organizations that distribute diapers to families in Idaho. I am pleased to report that this resolution will enjoy a hearing by the Senate Health and Welfare Committee soon.

Please note that Representative Ilana Rubel, Representative Phylis King, and I, are continuing to host a full slate of D18 Townhall meetings during the 2015 Legislative Session. It is always nice to receive feedback from constituents and to hear your concerns. Here are the dates for our townhalls in February and March. Meetings start promptly at 7 PM.

February 24th at Maple Grove Elementary
(2800 S Maple Grove Road, Boise)

March 3rd at Les Bois Jr. High
(4150 East Grand Forest Drive, Boise)

March 12th at Timberline High
(701 E Boise Ave, Boise)

I also encourage you to follow me on Twitter and “like” my page on Facebook for legislative updates and other up-to-the-minute happenings around the State Capitol.

As always, thank you for your amazing support. It is an honor and a privilege to represent you!

Warmest Regards,

Senator Janie Ward-Engelking
District 18

Legislative Update #4

February 17, 2015 by Janie Ward-Engelking

Hello Friends,

It was great to see so many of you at the forum we had at Hawthorne Elementary School on February 3rd. It is always nice to receive feedback from constituents and to hear your concerns.

Please note that Representative Ilana Rubel, Representative Phylis King, and I, will be hosting additional D18 Townhall meetings during the 2015 Legislative Session. It is always nice to receive feedback from constituents and to hear your concerns. Here are the details for our townhalls in February. Meetings start promptly at 7 PM.

February 12 at East Junior High
(5600 Warm Springs Ave, Boise)

February 24th at Maple Grove Elementary
(2800 S Maple Grove Rd, Boise)

March 3rd at Les Bois Junior High
(4150 E Grand Forest Dr, Boise)

March 12th at Timberline High
(701 E Boise Ave, Boise)

The legislature is in full swing and we continue to work long hours on rules and new bills. Executive Director of Education and Workforce Development for Gallup, Brandon Busteed, gave an inspiring presentation this week in our Education Committee. Brandon maintains we are looking at the wrong measures to determine our children’s future success. His research indicates that hope is a stronger predictor of college and workforce success than test scores. Children need the following things to ensure success:

Time to do something they love and are good at every day
At least one teacher or mentor who makes the student feel excited about his/her future
Community service
Work experience, or involvement in extra-curricular activities and organizations

Superintendent Ybarra also presented her vision and direction for the State Department of Education. Her mission statement is:

Supporting Schools and Students to Achieve

Her top priorities include recruitment and retention of highly skilled educators, restoring operational funds, reducing class size, common sense technology, and promoting local control. Superintendent Ybarra shared that recruiting and retaining highly skilled educators is not just about salaries but cultivating a climate of appreciation and respect.

Career ladder and tiered licensure is still in flux. The Governor’s Task Force outlined a proposal aimed at raising pay for teachers. The goal is to recruit and retain highly skilled teachers by enhancing their pay while ensuring our children receive a world-class education. We are currently working on legislation to advance this goal.

The Justice Reinvestment Initiative (SB1357) continues to move forward. This Wednesday, our Joint Finance & Appropriations Committee is due to receive a report on its progress so far. This is a particularly important issue. By encouraging investment in more community-based programs, we hope to save lives by reducing Idaho’s recidivism rate, and building fewer prison walls.

The troubled Idaho Education Network (IEN) also entered a new chapter this week with the announcement that the state would seek a new, short-term bridge contractor to operate high-speed internet in our public schools.This is particularly problematic since the new contract figures to be nearly identical to the one that invalidated by the court in 2014.

I encourage you to follow me on Twitter and “like” my page on Facebook for legislative updates and other up-to-the-minute happenings around the State Capitol.

As always, thank you for your amazing support. It is an honor and a privilege to represent you!

Warmest Regards,

Senator Janie Ward-Engelking
District 18

Legislative Update #3

February 17, 2015 by Janie Ward-Engelking

Hello Friends,

We continue to move at a fast pace during this 2015 Legislative session. The highlight of the past week was a historic hearing of HB 2 by the House State Affairs Committee. This marked the first-ever public hearing for Add the Words after nine consecutive years of unsuccessful efforts.

Spanning four days, thirty hours of testimony, and an audience of hundreds, the hearing left committee members exhausted physically and emotionally.Though the bill was defeated on a straight party line vote, some hearts were touched by the emotional testimony, and commitments were made by all to work on compromise legislation. We know this issue will not go away, so our challenge is to write a bill that protects all Idahoans.

Another recent highlight was Education Week here at the Capitol. The highlight of the week are the budget presentations by representatives from Idaho’s public colleges and universities, the State Board of Education, State Department of Education, and PTA, among others. As expected funding remains a primary focus.

I also recently had the pleasure speaking in front of the Idaho State University Alumni Board, alongside Speaker Scott Bedke, Assistant Minority Leader Mat Erpelding, and Senator Fred Martin. It is exciting to hear that everyone wants to move education forward and agrees that a substantial investment in education must be made this year. Boise School District, in fact, just announced they will be implementing a preschool program at Hawthorne Elementary. This is great news. We know the money spent to ensure children are ready for kindergarten comes back to us tenfold.

As an added bonus, I’ve also enjoyed participating in a fitness challenge sponsored by the High Five Children’s Health Collaborative. Currently, I am one of 49 legislators to participate in the Mount Everest Challenge, a fitness competition that awards three winning legislators a $5,000 prize for an elementary school of their choice. Particularly notable, is the fact that we have been able to check on our progress by using a website built by a team of high school students from Meridian Technical Charter School.

Please note that Representative Ilana Rubel, Representative Phylis King, and I, will host a full slate of D18 Townhall meetings during the 2015 Legislative Session. It is always nice to receive feedback from constituents and to hear your concerns. Here are the details for our townhalls in February and March. Meetings start promptly at 7 PM.

February 12 at East Junior High
(5600 Warm Springs Ave, Boise)

February 24th at Maple Grove Elementary
(2800 S Maple Grove Rd, Boise)

March 3rd at Les Bois Junior High
(4150 E Grand Forest Dr, Boise)

March 12th at Timberline High
(701 E Boise Ave, Boise)

I also encourage you to follow me on Twitter and “like” my page on Facebook for legislative updates and other up-to-the-minute happenings around the State Capitol.

As always, thank you for your amazing support. It is an honor and a privilege to represent you!

Warmest Regards,

Senator Janie Ward-Engelking
District 18

Legislative Update #2

February 17, 2015 by Janie Ward-Engelking

Hello Friends,

The first two weeks have been incredibly busy. President Obama’s visit to Idaho was a wonderful event. I was impressed with his ability to engage the audience and loved his message regarding education.

In his speech, President Obama wisely declared that innovation and hands-on learning that takes place in our schools and universities takes investment. This is a theme that we will be promoting throughout the session in order to support our students and teachers and get our public schools back on track.

I was on KBOI radio on Friday. We discussed everything from education, the Idaho Giant Salamander, President Obama’s visit to “Add the Words.” I appreciated the opportunity to represent the minority voice on a slate of important issues.

Add the Words finally received its first public hearing yesterday in front of the House Ways and Means Committee. Hearings are expected to continue on Tuesday and Wednesday in the Lincoln Auditorium, and the Speaker has promised to take as much time as needed to ensure everyone is heard. Meetings are slated to begin on those days at 8 AM.

The Idaho Center for Fiscal Policy also issued a new report this week. They called for the state to review tax credits, exemptions, deductions, and exclusions every few years. According to the study, the state gives away $2.4 billion dollars per year. While well-designed and carefully targeted tax breaks can be tools that create incentives and spur private investment; excessive tax breaks can drain money needed for schools, roads, bridges, and other key services. I believe it is time to review some of our tax breaks to ensure they are still appropriate.

The Education Committee has been busy hearing reports from the State Board of Education and the interim committees working on the task force recommendations. I am excited about the opportunity we have to move education forward this year.

February 12 at East Junior High
(5600 Warm Springs Ave, Boise)

February 24th at Maple Grove Elementary
(2800 S Maple Grove Rd, Boise)

March 3rd at Les Bois Junior High
(4150 E Grand Forest Dr, Boise)

March 12th at Timberline High
(701 E Boise Ave, Boise)

I also encourage you to follow me on Twitter and “like” my page on Facebook for legislative updates and other up-to-the-minute happenings around the State Capitol.

As always, thank you for your amazing support. It is an honor and a privilege to represent you!

Warmest Regards,

Senator Janie Ward-Engelking
District 18

Legislative Update #1

February 17, 2015 by Janie Ward-Engelking

Hello Friends,

Though the session officially began this week with the Governor’s State of the State address, many of us have been working diligently for weeks. Last week, the Change in Employee Compensation Committee met to consider changes in state employee compensation. In line with the Governor’s recommendation, I am pleased to report the bipartisan passage of a 3% merit raise for state employees, with discretion allowed for agency heads. I believe our state employees deserve to earn a fair wage, and I am pleased that we were successful in advocating on their behalf.

As expected, the Governor’s State of the State addressed a wide array of important issues, including recent problems associated with the Idaho Education Network (IEN), which provides broadband internet service to Idaho’s public schools. Calling it “an asset that must be maintained,” he announced that the state will begin the process of rebidding the contracts and urged lawmakers to continue to fully fund the IEN through Fiscal Year 2016 to ensure Idaho schools stay connected during the rebidding process.

For a fifth consecutive year, Ilah Hickman presented a bill calling for the Idaho Giant Salamander to be named our State Amphibian. As her senate co-sponsor, I could not be prouder. To my dismay, it was voted down on Monday in a 9-6 vote by the full House State Affairs Committee. As disappointed as I am, I am heartened knowing that Ilah’s determination continues. When it comes to this bright and strong young woman, I expect nothing less.

I am pleased to report that Representatives Ilana Rubel, Phylis King, and I, will once again host a full slate of D18 Townhall meetings during the 2015 Legislative Session. It is always nice to receive feedback from constituents and to hear your concerns. Here are the details for our townhalls in February. Meetings start promptly at 7 PM.

February 3rd at Hawthorne Elementary
(2401 W Targee St, Boise)

February 12th at Les Bois Junior High
(4150 E Grand Forest Dr, Boise)

I also encourage you to follow me on Twitter and “like” my page on Facebook for legislative updates and other up-to-the-minute happenings around the State Capitol.

As always, thank you for your amazing support. It is an honor and a privilege to represent you!

Warmest Regards,

Senator Janie Ward-Engelking
District 18