"Education is a better safeguard of liberty than a standing army." --Edward Everett
Education
Idahoans have long considered education one of their top priorities, with it appearing as a top five issue in a 2020 survey, so it is especially encouraging to see progress on this front. Senator Ward-Engelking and others on both sides of the aisle and both sides of the rotunda at the Statehouse have been working on H331. This bill would provide for optional full-day kindergarten in every school district in Idaho--it would be optional both for districts and for parents. H331 is scheduled for a hearing before the House Education Committee on Monday at 8:30am. You can express your views to the committee by emailing the members or signing up to testify remotely--sign-up through the link on the committee agenda.
Looking to further education at the college level, Idaho has a state-sponsored 529 savings program which allows anyone to open and contribute to an IDeal Account for any loved one with tax advantages. You can learn more about these accounts and open an account online.
Unfortunately, the legislature has several education bills pending that are cause for concern. I anticipate these bills will come before the Senate Education Committee in the next two weeks. I encourage you to let the committee know your views. You can find the committee's agendas on the legislature's website. The agendas will show when bills will be heard and have a link to sign up for remote testimony. The agendas also list all committee members and the legislature's website gives the email addresses for all Senators.
H248 would give districts the option to provide improved health care benefits to teachers and staff, but this would come at the expense of teachers' pay. This bill becomes particularly problematic if H174 passes, because H174 makes it optional for districts to bargain with teachers' unions. In combination, this would mean districts could unilaterally take pay from teachers to cover increased costs for improved health care coverage for staff as well as teachers.
H221 would allow school districts and public charter schools to give individuals over 18, with a Bachelor's degree in any subject, a local certificate to teach in that district or charter. The bill is intended to make it easier to fill teacher vacancies, however, this mechanism would place people in the classroom with no experience or training in teaching. Also troubling, this local certification would result in no ethics board over these individuals. Idaho already has four non-traditional programs for individuals to become fully certified teachers and two methods for non-traditional certification through the Idaho State Board that provide more training and oversight.
H249 shifts sex education from parental opt-out to opt-in. The bill would require parents to provide permission within two weeks of the subject being taught, which is out of cycle with other permissions that are commonly given by parents at the beginning of the school year and seems likely to lead to many parents overlooking the need for permission.
H294 provides $500 grants to qualified families, regardless of their student's school setting, for items and services such as laptops, speech therapy, or curriculum. The bill also provides scholarships at the rate of 90% of public school dollars allocated for students who have left public schools. This money would go to families for them to pay tuition anywhere like private schools, religious schools, or for home schooling. It is, in essence, a voucher program.
Restricting Idaho's Ability to Respond to Emergencies
On Thursday, the Senate amended S1136 substantially. On Friday, with little time to review the new amendments and before the Governor's office had an opportunity to provide feedback, the Senate passed S1136a. Allocating power in emergencies to allow for protection of Idahoans while maintaining a functioning government is one of the most important tasks the legislature undertakes. A thoughtful approach that allows for a thorough discussion of any particular proposal is critical to the best decision making.
Some concerns that arise with this bill include
the lack of definition for violent insurrection or revolt,
how natural disasters would be handled quickly,
why epidemics are removed from these provisions,
how the Governor would be able to respond beyond the 60 day limit for emergency declarations if a substantial portion of the legislature is dead, incapacitated, or unable to travel to the Capitol city and thus unable to convene,
and whether federal law will permit this bill's attempt to end an emergency declaration while still collecting federal emergency dollars.
This bill will now go to the House for its consideration.
Idaho Salmon
Salmon have been an integral part of the Pacific Northwest for time immemorial. It is important to have a robust conversation about all the benefits and costs of the status quo on the Snake River with four dams.
The Idaho State Senate recently passed SJM103, which discussed the importance of the Snake River dams to agriculture in Idaho. Agriculture is a key component of Idaho's economy ($7.9 billion annually) and way of life. However, the bill neglected to mention Idaho's strong recreational sector ($7.8 billion annually) or how to turn around declining salmon populations in Idaho. Rural communities, such as Riggins, are dependent on guides, outfitters, and recreational fishermen for their existence. And salmon have long been the symbol and lifeblood of the Pacific Northwest Tribes.
Some important considerations when thinking about the Snake River dams:
They do not provide any flood control.
They do provide a comparatively small amount (around a thousand megawatts) of low cost, clean, and reliable energy.
And the dams provide transport of Idaho agricultural products through barging. However, managing ports is costly.
We should also think about the costs of the status quo, including:
Over 17 billion dollars have been spent on fish recovery already.
Without the four lower Snake River dams, fish could recover. The 487,000 acre feet to help fish flush through these dams each year could remain in Idaho for recreation, agriculture, and recharge.
We have spent decades locked in litigation with all the attendant expenditures.
A comprehensive discussion on these complex topics is worthwhile in an effort to avoid outcomes like that in the Klamath Basin where the dams are coming down without a plan to make the stakeholders whole.
