Tag Archives: Maxine Bell
House clears bill to bolster state’s reserve funds, reform fiscal process
On a 40-27 tally Friday morning, the Idaho House of Representatives cleared a measure backers say will help the state fill reserve accounts, as well as focus on matching revenues to expenditures. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Dennis Lake, R-Blackfoot, … Continue reading
Department of Insurance budget clears JFAC without exchange money
The 2013 Department of Insurance budget debate figures to be much tamer compared to the 2012 rendition of the agency’s spending plan. Members of the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee approved the 2013 budget without money for a federal health insurance exchange, … Continue reading
Transportation chairmen not opposed to looking to general fund for help with infrastructure needs
In a move that caught some legislators by surprise, Sen. Jim Hammond, R-Coeur d’Alene, told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee (JFAC) Thursday that in order to help combat the road and bridge issues facing the state, it may be time to … Continue reading
With money on the mind, committee chairs ask for pay hikes, road funding increase
On Friday, the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee will begin setting the 2013 budget, but on Thursday, members heard from House and Senate committee chairs about how to spend the money. Some of the committee chairs asked for more money for state … Continue reading
Budget committee approves money for election information and indigent care
Before setting next year’s budget, members of the Joint Finance-Appropriation Committee (JFAC) spent Wednesday taking care of this year’s outstanding bills. The committee approved more money for indigent health care, a voter information campaign and child welfare, among other things. … Continue reading
Education could get $56 million due to budget surplus
Idaho budget writers got an update Wednesday on the millions of dollars in surplus state revenues, most of which will go back into the public education system to offset looming cuts. Tax revenues are currently $66 million over the state … Continue reading
April tax revenues exceed expectations
April tax revenues can be the make-or-break month for Idaho’s state budget, and this year’s budget appears to be safe, as revenues were almost $14 million above expectations. That gives the state close to a $74.2 million surplus for the … Continue reading
Legislative watchdog to look into college funding and graduation
The Idaho Legislature’s investigative and accountability arm, the Office of Performance Evaluations (OPE), will spend the next year looking into how the state funds public colleges and universities as well as why Idaho has low post-secondary graduation rates. A panel … Continue reading
Without federal money, insurance appropriation passes Idaho House
Less than a week after being pulled back into the budget committee, an appropriation for the Idaho Department of Insurance has passed the Idaho House. The bill is slightly leaner, however, because $2.5 million in federal health care reform money … Continue reading
Federal money to research health exchanges removed from insurance budget
Lawmakers writing the state budget approved rewriting the Idaho Department of Insurance budget to strip $2.5 million coming from federal health care reforms. Spending that federal money had been approved by the Idaho Senate, but didn’t have support among House … Continue reading