Legislative update - Week 10
House Bill 521 (H521) remains a hot topic because of the fact of the 5-day school week provision in the bill. I also have received many emails from home regarding this issue. The bill is still waiting to be debated on the Senate floor. We have discussed this issue with the State Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield and have received word that the State Board of Education will have flexibility to grandfather the schools that are currently on 4-day school weeks and will be able to help schools stay on that program. However, there may have to be some adjustments made to fulfill the number of classroom hours requirement. If the bill passes, the State Board will meet early next month to figure out how to help the school districts navigate any changes they will have to implement. It is interesting that as we look at this issue, some of the top performing school districts in the State are on a 4-day school week.
The Senate Majority Caucus that I Chair will meet early next week to try to find a way to help clarify the concerns about H521 and help schools find the means to pay down their bonds and levies.
Senate Bill 1416 (S1416) passed out of the Senate Health and Welfare Committee this week with a unanimous do-pass vote. S1416 is our Emergency Medical Services (EMS) bill that we have been working on for a very long while. It contains legislative intent language that states EMS is an essential service in the State of Idaho. The bill moves the EMS Bureau out of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (IDHW) and relocates it in the Office of Emergency Management (OEM). The directors of both IDHW and the OEM will work together to coordinate the transfer of the EMS Bureau. This bill is a step in implementing a 4-year program to assist EMS receive State funds to help pay for equipment and help with recruitment and retention of EMS personnel. One group that needs attention and assistance is the little over 2,000 EMS volunteers around the State. Many EMS volunteers and personnel showed up to support the bill at the hearing. Their support is greatly appreciated. There was some opposition from a special interest group, but as one EMS provider said, “It’s really hard to convince people who have never had a heart attack or a stroke that EMS is important.” This is a good bill and an important step in the right direction for this service. It will be debated on the Senate floor next week.
We are nearing the end of the Legislative Session as next week we will start to shut down Committees and work hard on the Senate floor to debate the bills that are still being processed. We are seeing a lot more budget bills, which is always a good sign that the Session is winding down. There is still a lot of work to do, however, as the we have yet to see the transportation, health & welfare, and education budgets, but they will eventually show up as the Joint Appropriation and Finance Committee (JFAC) finishes up its work.
One exciting thing happened on Saturday, the christening of the USS Idaho, which is the Navy’s newest Virginia-class nuclear powered submarine. This was the first time in more than 100 years that a naval vessel was named after Idaho. The last USS Idaho was a New Mexico-class battleship that served in the pacific in World War II. The christening took place at a naval base in Connecticut.
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!!
