Legislative Update--Senator Mark Harris
Dear friends and neighbors —
The Senate heard and debated House Bill 93 (H93) this week. This is the education choice bill that was passed by the House earlier this month. As a reminder, the bill provides a $5,000 refundable tax credit with no household cap for parents who wish to enroll their children in a private school. I received several emails from home school parents opposed to the bill. Most argued that taxpayer money has strings attached. They are right. I also received many emails and phone calls from others who were opposed to this legislation. The bill touts “school choice”. Idaho already has robust school choice with Charter, Dual Enrollment, Idaho Home Learning Academy (IHLA), and more.
H93 lacks accountability. The State Tax Commission is to be the administrator of the legislation. However, there is no way for the Commission to recapture credits for unauthorized spending, and it does not give the Commission the personnel it needs to adequately oversee the $50 million price tag. “That will come later,” I was told. This is a concern for me as the legislation gives the tax collection agency of the State of Idaho the authority to submit participating Idaho families to tax audits. Being audited by the Idaho Tax Commission is not a pleasant thing to experience. For this reason and others, I voted “no” on H93. It did, however, pass the Senate, 20 to 15, and goes on to the Governor. We will know in the next week if he will sign it or not.
Another piece of Legislation that we are watching closely is House Bill 138 (H138). H138 is a bill designed to repeal Medicaid expansion in the State of Idaho. The bill is asking the federal government for several waivers. Some of the waivers are good, such as work requirements that are also supported by many Idahoans. However, the bill contains a “trigger” that says if the federal government rejects any of the eleven waivers in the bill, then Medicaid expansion will cease to exist in Idaho. This has been tried before during the first Trump Administration. That Administration rejected the waivers. There is little proof that they will not be rejected again. Unfortunately, before Medicaid expansion, there were many Idahoans without any form of health insurance. Many did not qualify for health insurance subsidies and there was no way they could afford to buy their own health insurance. Like it or not, Medicaid expansion was the answer and until we can find a better solution, it is the best alternative.
It is disappointing that some legislators would push such an irresponsible bill without designing something to take its place. H138 passed the House by just six votes (38 for and 32 against) and is now in the Senate Health and Welfare Committee. We are working to find ways to deal with this issue.
I had the opportunity to address the boards of both the Idaho Cattle Association and the Idaho Grain Producers Association this week. I am proud of Idaho agriculture and all it does for our State. Both groups are represented by great people who truly love what they do. It is interesting to me that when asked why they do what they do, many of them respond with something about passing their way of life on to their kids. Idaho family farms and ranches are an Idaho legacy and a way of life that is disappearing across the United States as many are forced to sell or get lost in the urban sprawl. These family farms and ranches are an important part of Idaho history and heritage.
As an update on my Emergency Medical Service (EMS) legislation, House Bills 206 and 207, (H206 & H207) have passed out of the House Transportation and Defense Committee with a do-pass recommendation and are headed to the House floor for consideration.
Thank you for giving me the privilege and honor to serve you, the good people of Legislative District 35. I look forward to hearing from you with any questions or concerns. You can email me at [email protected] or call me at 208-332-1308.
