2006 Legislative Summary

Monday, May 1, 2006

(John Rusche)

Actions of the 2006 Idaho Legislature

 

 

Infrastructure Development

·        Connecting Idaho (GARVEE) funding  $200 million to accelerate highway construction

·        Approved State Capitol restoration including underground expansion

·        Loan fund to support short-line railroads

·        Matching fund for Broad Band development in rural communities

 

Education

·        School facilities plan to attempt to respond to Supreme Court decision (H743)

·        Increased starting teachers pay to $30,000

·        Increased funding for support unit (per classroom spending)

·        Increased the Education Stabilization Reserve fund by $10 million

 

Crime and Prisons

·        Revised sex offender laws, including increasing punishments, restricting known offender’s access, removed the statute of limitations on reporting and prosecuting, and revised the offender registry rules.

·        Improved protection of personal information by requiring notification of security breach (S1374)

·        New laws on school safety and firearms (H630) and bullying

·        Expanded prison to handle overload, authorized secure drug treatment facility (H839, S1457)

·        Expanded Mental Health and Drug courts

·        Increased sentences for repeat DUI

·        Passed a law on “gang membership” or supplying guns to gang members

·        Defined Human Trafficking and asked for a report on the victims

 

Health and Healthcare

·        Enacted major Medicaid reform through a number of laws and resolutions (H776, HCR48-53), including Disabled “buy-in” (H664) and respite care (H877) to delay the need for nursing home care

·        Passed restrictions on sale of pseudo ephedrine, the major material for Meth labs (H530)

·        Authorized a “Citizens against Meth” program including hotline and rewards for successful tips (H633)

·        Authorized pilot project to determine the cost of Mental Health Parity

·        Developed a registry of advanced directives by the Secretary of State

·        Established protection for genetic information, assuring privacy in employment or insurance

·        Approved physician Apology Legislation

·        Authorized grants for local Mental Health and Substance Abuse programs

·        Increased the number of beds at state Mental Hospitals

·        Funded more community ACT teams

·        Established the Healthcare IT and Quality Commission

 

State Operations and Employees

·        Authorized (but didn’t fully fund) a market-based compensation approach

·        Increased salaries for employees 3%

·        Increased oversight of the Department of Health and Welfare, strengthened the Board of H&W

·        “Endowed” the tobacco settlement fund so only the interest produced can be used for ongoing operations (requires vote by Idaho citizens as it is a constitutional amendment)

·        Added $70 million to the “Rainy Day” fund, filling it to the statutory maximum

 

Laws and Rights

·        Passed restrictions on the use of “eminent domain” in response to a US Supreme Court decision.

·        Improved Sunshine Laws by requiring lobbyists contacting the executive branch to register and by requiring committee meetings of the legislature be open.

·        Tightened campaign finance laws on allowable use of campaign funds

·        Passed HJR2, the Marriage Amendment (requires vote by Idaho citizens)

 

Natural Resources and Environment

·        Required a two year moratorium on coal-fired plants

·        Authorized an update to the State Energy Plan to guide power generation decisions

·        “Experience Idaho” parks proposal funded $26.5 million

·        Authorized beginning North Idaho water rights adjudication process

·        Provided $3.7 million for energy assistance to low income Idahoans

 

Taxes

·        Updated the Homestead Exemption on property tax to $75,000 including the value of the land

·        Updated the circuit breaker exemption

·        Closed the Developers exception

·        Added numerous other tax exemptions and credits, including shooting ranges, movie production companies, and several social agencies

 

Things awaiting further work

·        Tax policy for the future, including sales tax exemptions, tax on services, property tax reform, an appropriate school funding source.

·        Community Colleges—Where, how controlled, who funds (this will be studied by an interim committee)

·        Mental Health and Substance Abuse treatment (this also will be studied by an interim committee)

·        Middle class and lower income working families’ economic distress

·        Cost of Healthcare