Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter opened the 2013 Idaho Legislative Session Monday, which introduced items on the 2013 agenda, including the annual budget, insurance exchange and education reform.
Otter said he will not revisit Propositions 1, 2 or 3, which were rejected by voters in the November elections. The Idaho State Board of Education will look at voters’ input on ways to improve schools and seek an agreement throughout Idaho.
“What I heard was dissatisfaction with the process and a plea for more collaborative leadership,” Otter said. “We must respond with appropriate sensitivity and care.”
The governor is asking Idahoans to begin collaborating on how to make schools better for students.
“I am neither calling for nor expecting major school improvement measures this year,” Otter said. “But I believe there are areas in which we can make progress.”
The governor’s school budget
recommendation includes a 2 percent increase in funding for K-12 education. Even with this increase, the Joint Minority Leadership is concerned about the lack of funding for Idaho schools. Idaho continues to be second to last in the nation in per-pupil spending.
“There is no additional support for higher education,” Senate Minority Leader Michelle Stennett said. “And the meager 2 percent bump in K-12 funding still leaves us at the bottom.”
Grants have been issued to higher education institutions to aid research to improve Idaho public education. The University of Idaho and Northwest Nazarene University were recently granted $5 million to initiate and develop technology learning and innovation centers for teachers to improve and increase the use of technology in Idaho classrooms. North Idaho College, in Coeur d’Alene, will use its federal grant of $3 million to create an aerospace center.
Idaho will also attempt to get five more seats in the Washington, Wyoming, Montana, Alaska, Idaho (WWAMI) collaborative medical school program at the University of Washington.
The five additional seats will be given to students active in the Targeted Rural and Underserved Track program. TRUST was created to support Idaho students in becoming physicians.
Idahoans are also participating in the new Hire One More Employee Act. Otter will update the HOME Act due to complexities businesses had with the terms and conditions to qualify for incentives.
The updated HOME Act will provide businesses in Idaho a 4 percent income tax credit for each new employee on their payroll. They will also receive $1,000 if the new employee is a veteran.
“My new legislation is intended to provide one more reason for employers to consider veterans, besides their skills, training and work ethic,” Otter said.
Personal Property Tax is another large piece of legislation for the 2013 Legislative Session. Legislators have several plans of action to eliminate personal property tax in Idaho, including a phase out plan or giving local-option tax authority to voters in certain counties to decide on their most important needs.
Many counties in Idaho depend on personal property taxes for their public services. Otter has also set aside $20 million from his budget for counties that might need help transitioning.
The Joint Minority Leadership said eliminating personal property tax may force many counties to eliminate or reduce emergency services. They also said in eliminating the personal property tax the government would also need to meet the demands of local businesses.
“Sound roads and bridges, broadband Internet access and a qualified workforce,” Stennett said during the Joint Minority Address to the State. “And we must not raise taxes on homeowners as we have with similar efforts in the recent past.”
The state-based health insurance exchange is also hitting the legislature this session. Otter said the exchange will allow for more competitive health care plans for individuals and small businesses. These exchanges must be ready for consumers to enroll by Oct. 1, 2013 and be completed by Jan. 1, 2014.
“Rejecting the opportunity to assert ourselves will result in an unresponsive, one-size-fits-all federal exchange wreaking havoc on some of America’s most reasonable costs of coverage,” he said.
In addition, $400,000 has been set aside to create four volunteer fire protection associations in the state. These associations help fight and sometimes prevent wildfires in land owned by the federal government that covers two-thirds of the state.
Otter has a positive outlook for the 2013 Legislative Session.
“I’m proud to join you in pressing ahead toward an ever-brighter and more hopeful future for us all,” he said.
Emily Johnson can be reached at [email protected]