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We completed the 2010 legislative session on March 29, 2010. It was the completion of my third term (sixth year) in the Idaho House of Representatives and my fourth year as Chairman of the Education Committee.
This last session saw still declining tax revenues coming into the state coffers. The Republican majority in the legislature said NO to any tax increases and I strongly supported that position. With over 70,000 Idahoans unemployed and tens of thousands getting by with less, state government needed to do the same. In the last three years the state has seen tax revenues decrease by almost one billion dollars.
The public school education budget is the largest of the general fund expenditures. It accounts for over 50% of the budget. The next fiscal year beginning July 1, 2010 public schools will see a 7.5% decrease in funding from this current fiscal year’s funding. Keeping in mind that this year’s budget was propped up by last year’s federal stimulus package and the use of monies from the Public Education Stabilization Fund (PESF). The largest portion of the education budget (85%) is used for teacher salaries and benefits. We cut teacher pay at the state level by 4% and administrators pay by 6%. We also move tens of millions of dollars into discretionary funding and passed legislation that allowed school districts with much more flexibility with how they can spend dedicated dollars as a way to deal with the 7.5% overall budget reduction. Going forward school districts trustees need to proceed with extreme caution and how they deal with the teachers’ union (I.E.A.) and contract negotiations. For far too long trustees have not exercised fiscal constraints and responsibility in negotiating contracts and some would say they have given away the farm in contract negotiations.
Another area of the budget that saw serious reductions was the Health and Welfare budget. That budget has grown tremendously the last few years as more and more people put a demand on public services. Some of those demands are legitimate but others seem to milk the system as the saying goes. The other issue with any state reduction in spending regarding the Medicaid program, is the loss of federal matching dollars that come in on an almost $4 to $1 ratio. At the end of the day hopefully we can keep this budget more under control and not let it increase as dramatically as it has in the past.
Senator John Goedde and I worked with and sponsored legislation that helped the North Idaho Hospice Agency. They are seeking to build the first Hospice House in Idaho, to be located north of Coeur d’Alene. Idaho code would have required the Hospice House be licensed and inspected by the state. We wrote and got passed unanimously a bill that allows the Hospice House to use federal regulations that are at least as strict as the states and thus not costing the state the time and money to license and inspect the new facility. That is an example of working with all the entities and providing a needed service to our area without adding burdensome government regulations.
I also serve on the Transportation Committee. This year we saw a new director hired to oversee the Idaho Department of Transportation. The last few years the legislature has not had a good working relationship with the department. The new director appears to have the desire to re-build those relationships. As the 2009 legislative session saw many revenue enhancements bills be brought forward for the department, the 2010 session saw none. The Governor’s Task Force on increased revenue for the department is continuing to meet and will report their recommendations to the legislature in 2011.
This recently completed session was the shortest I’ve participated in my six years. I believe we can and should try to complete our work in as short of time as possible. It costs the taxpayers $30,000 a day when we are in session. As I now am holding and attending different meetings to hear from my constituents I always want feedback. The feeling is that until we start to create more jobs and get people back to work that we will remain in this economic downturn. I will work diligently through the summer and fall so that when I return to Boise next year any legislation that will help in the turn-around of the state’s economy will be first on the agenda. As Idaho was one the last states to fall into the recession, we need to be one of the first positioned to come out of this recession.
Please e-mail me with any comments or concerns that you have.
Thank you,
Bob Nonini
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