Week #7 Legislative Update-- Sen. Mark Harris, District 35

Big congratulations go out to the girls’ basketball teams in our area. They competed in State Tournaments in Boise last week, and both Grace and Bear Lake teams brought home State championship titles. And Soda Springs won the State Sportsmanship Award. This is good for our
local schools, our community, and our kids.

School boards were in Boise this week for their annual meetings, and I was able to spend time with a few members from our local school districts. Education continues to be one of the highest priorities of Governor Little and of this Legislature. A piece of legislation dealing with school facilities, House Bill 521 (H521) has been introduced in the House and is currently on the House floor waiting for a vote. This is a significant piece of legislation because it provides the largest State investment in school facilities. H521 dedicates $125 million in ongoing taxes to the School Modernizations Facilities Fund by increasing the percentage of State sales tax revenue and redirecting lottery funds into the modernization fund, making the total fund allocations about $200 million annually. This bill is designed to help school districts pay down their school bonds and plant facility levies. Any remaining funds could be used by school districts for additional school facility projects.

One issue in the bill involves schools on a 4-day school week schedule. The authors of the legislation want to require school districts to remain at a 5-day school week to avoid extending the school year into the summer to fulfill State requirements. This is an issue I am concerned about and will investigate it further.  

H521 also reduces State income taxes for Idaho taxpayers from 5.8% to 5.695%. There is quite a bit of support for this bill, and I expect it to be in the Senate soon.

The crisis at our nation’s Southern border is a mess. The federal government is doing nothing to curb the flow of illegal aliens crossing that border. To express our frustration to Congress, the Idaho State Sente passed Senate Joint Memorial 102 (SJM102) this week with significant Senate support from all but four Senators voting no. The federal government has failed to secure our Southern border and, consequently, failing in its responsibility to secure our nation. The federal government is also failing to provide a legal visa program to help the labor demands of many domestic businesses, especially in the agriculture, food processing, construction, and hospitality industries. SJM102 expresses the desire of Idaho citizens and businesses that the federal immigration system be updated to implement a secure Southern border, provide for a much-needed legal workforce, and prohibit amnesty for all illegal aliens. 

As always, I like to hear from you. Please feel free to contact me at:  [email protected]. I will do my best to get you answers!!