That means that lawmakers may be forced to choose which Otter-backed initiatives to pursue next year. In his budget for 2013, Otter laid out plans for $41 million in bonuses for state workers, $60 million for reserve accounts, $45 million in unspecified tax cuts and more money for public schools and higher education.

Otter told reporters at a breakfast meeting Wednesday that lawmakers could still achieve all the initiatives as long as revenues meet expectations.

Rep. Darrell Bolz, R-Caldwell, a co-vice chair of the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee (JFAC), told IdahoReporter.com he is skeptical of Otter’s message to reporters. “I’m going to have to look at the numbers,” Bolz said. “I would say it’s going to be pretty difficult to do.”

If the lower revenue number means choosing among items on Otter’s wish list, Bolz says lawmakers will have some tough decisions to make. “That’s going to be the key issue,” he said. “How much do we do in tax reduction, for example, if we can do any tax reductions?”

Bolz didn’t say what his priority would be among the governor’s list, but did write last week in the Idaho Press-Tribune that he might have an initiative of his own. As part of the 2011 education reform package, teacher salaries will be reduced to pay for technological classroom upgrades.

That doesn’t sit well with Bolz. “Looking at it from the perspective that teachers are very important in the educational process, it would seem wise to backfill and reduce the likelihood of losing teachers due to the fund reduction,” Bolz wrote in the newspaper.

The state would need about $20 million to backfill teacher salaries on top of the $31 million increase Otter is already requesting for public schools.

Another lawmaker on the budget panel, Rep. Shirley Ringo, D-Moscow, told IdahoReporter.com she would like employee bonuses to be a top priority for lawmakers and isn’t as concerned with pushing tax cuts through for next year. “We’ve been revenue-challenged … and I would certainly look at some kind of compensation for them (state workers) before I would look at a tax cut,” Ringo said. “You can be certain that any increase in pay for them will flow right back into the economy.”

How will lawmakers go about slicing dollars from Otter’s initiatives if forced to do so? Ringo says she would avoid a piecemeal method and instead opt to remove entire objectives from Otter’s budget. “I think when you do it piecemeal, you find yourself not doing a lot of good in any particular area,” she explained. “It’s kind of political to put a little money here and a little money there just to be able to say you did it.”

Bolz wouldn’t say exactly how he would arrange Otter’s ideas within budget constraints. “That’s a decision we have to make,” he said.

JFAC won’t start setting budget for a few weeks and isn’t bound by the revenue target set by the revenue committee Tuesday. It’s likely budget writers will set the final revenue target after January’s final tax numbers are released in February.

McGeachin’s legislation, House Bill 260, provided for $34.6 million in cuts to Medicaid.

Paul Leary, administrator in the Medicaid program, told lawmakers on the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee Tuesday that most of the cut areas will hit targets. There are several areas in which legislators cut, including dental, psycho-social rehab and chiropractic coverage, among many others. At least 13 of the cost-savings areas will meet goals, while the other four will not. There will still be some savings in the areas not projected to meet goals.

The department is tasked with creating “enforceable co-pays” for some of its programs, a process which Leary called “fairly complex.” In the run-up to last year’s Medicaid cut legislation, department officials complained about the federal red tape surrounding the implementation of co-pays. Though the legislation became law on July 1, 2011, the first set of co-pays weren’t instituted until Nov. 1, and the second round came Jan. 1 of this year. Because of the delays, Leary projects only 50 percent of the expected $750,000 in savings for that area.

Greater volumes of residents needing chiropractic services will likely preclude the state from meetings its $200,000 savings target in that area. Leary expects Idaho to save at least $100,000 in chiropractic services.

Cuts in pharmacy reimbursement payments, worth $2 million in savings, are on target, as is another $2 million worth of reductions in psycho-social rehab services.

The cuts are troublesome to Rep. Shirley Ringo, D-Moscow, who believes they will incur some unnecessary human suffering. “I see problems,” Ringo told IdahoReporter.com. She argues that last year’s legislation is forcing some recipients to choose among vital services and cutting the least important ones.

Among her complaints about the reductions, Ringo says that reduced therapy rates give no incentive for service providers to give one-on-one service to those who may need it. Therapy providers now get paid the same if they do one-on-one or group sessions. “People are hardly able to get the one-on-one time they need,” Ringo explained.

The Moscow Democrat also believes that reducing some basic services will eventually lead to greater health costs in the form of more emergency room visits. “This is going to cost us some bucks,” she warned. “If the consequences aren’t yet felt … they are going to be.”

But Rep. Fred Wood, R-Burley, a physician, says the cuts were necessary to maintain the integrity of the overall program. “I think we have an unsustainable health delivery system at this point in time,” Wood said, adding that, “This is the first attempt to sustain the costs going forward.”

Wood quickly dismissed the notion that the cuts will harm some folks. “We aren’t going to jeopardize anyone’s future,” Wood said.

At the end of the 2011 legislative session, House Speaker Lawerence Denney, R-Midvale, stripped two committee chairmen of their posts and explained that the duo should have voted with leadership on procedural matters.

Even without the chairmanship and staring down a closed primary election next year that could ultimately mean his electoral demise, Rep. Tom Trail, R-Moscow, the former top man on the House Agricultural Committee, says he will not switch parties to save his legislative career.  ”I’ve communicated that I will represent my constituents – Democrats, Republicans, and Independents – under the flag of the Idaho Republican Party,” Trail toldIdahoReporter.com.

Trail, in the middle of his eighth term in the Legislature, indicated that the closed primary system – created this year after the Idaho GOP sued over the old system, claiming right of association – could mean that the Republicans lose his seat in District 6. “We have a unique constituency here in the district, obviously,” Trail explained, pointing to a large number of Democrats in the area thanks to the University of Idaho.  ”It (the closed-primary) will make it tougher for moderate Republicans to get elected.”

Trail’s seat mate in Moscow, Democrat Rep. Shirley Ringo, told IdahoReporter.com Thursday that she hadn’t spoken to Trail about switching parties and isn’t sure if that’s something she wants.

“I think it would be better for people like Tom to try to moderate the Republican Party because I’m not comfortable with where they have gone,” said Ringo, adding that she believes House leadership has worked to marginalize moderate members of the majority party.  ”The actions of leadership have made it harder for moderate Republicans to function effectively.”

Ringo said that while re-districting set to take place this year could drastically alter the area’s legislative makeup, she believes that the new primary system could have a greater effect when it comes to Trail.

“Large numbers of people in my area have told me that they are Independent,” she explained.  She believes that if those unaffiliated – and more moderate – voters aren’t willing to register as Republicans, Trail could go down in electoral flames.  ”I think that it (the closed primary) could dilute the ranks of moderates willing to do that,” she concluded.

One man who ran for the Senate as a Republican in Trail’s district in 2010 was Tea Party-backed Gresham Bouma.  Having some experience with Republican primaries, Bouma thinks Trail is in for a steep test in 2012. “There is a lot of the GOP base that is unhappy with his voting record,” Bouma said. “I kind of doubt he could survive a primary challenge.”

Bouma said that he’s heard some locals in the area have been pushing for Trail to switch parties but doesn’t anticipate that happening.  He has no plans to run against Trail.

For now, Trail will continue to focus on two issues that he has made his signature issues: medical marijuana and industrial hemp production.  He is researching federal legislation concerning the legalization of hemp and plans to track that issue in Congress.  He introduced a bill to legalize medical marijuana earlier this year, but it received only informational hearings and no formal vote.  He plans to bring the legislation back next year.

The appropriation cleared the House on a 53-17 vote, with a few Republicans joining all House Democrats in opposition to the plan. It now heads to the desk of Gov. Butch Otter for his consideration.

The budget features an overall reduction in funding of about $47 million, with fewer one-time stimulus dollars included in the appropriation.  State spending for public schools increased by less than 1 percent.

The state funds about $1.2 billion of the total budget, which will equal about half of the state’s total spending in fiscal year 2012.

The plan will increase starting salary for teachers by about $400, but will result in a 1.87 percent pay cut for educators and other classified staff.  The budget also appropriates $13 million money for technology upgrades for Idaho schools.

The money just wasn’t enough for some lawmakers, including Republicans and Democrats.  Rep. Dennis Lake, R-Blackfoot, delivered harsh criticism for legislators purporting to “hold the line” on tax increases at the state level.  He said that local communities would now bear the burden of paying for schools through levies and bonds.  “We are raising taxes,” said Lake.  “It doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.”

But House Education Committee Chairmen Rep. Bob Nonini, R-Post Falls, said that’s not a problem.  “It’s the community people that should be stepping up and supporting those bonds and those levies,” said Nonini.  He also said that legislators should be grateful that cuts weren’t deeper, given that many were projecting much deeper budget shortfalls for fiscal year 2012.  “This is a much better picture than when we arrived here in January,” said Nonini.

Rep. Shirley Ringo, D-Moscow, chided her colleagues for not investing more money into Idaho schools.  “I believe it’s not enough money to support public education in Idaho,” she said, noting that legislators didn’t consider any options to raise taxes or reform the state’s taxing agency to provide more taxpayer dollars for programs.

But fiscal responsibility was the note that seemed to win the day in the House.  One member of the budget-setting committee said that lawmakers balanced the budget as mandated by the Idaho Constitution.  “We’re funding education based on what our individuals can afford right now,” said
Rep. Marv Hagedorn, R-Meridian. “We have the revenue that we have and we have to make that work.”

Freshman Rep. Linden Bateman, R-Idaho Falls, offered the same sentiment.  “We have to consider the bleak conditions we have,” he cautioned.  “This is the best we can do.”

Note: Photo provided by flaivoka.

“I think school districts will feel a $47 million reduction,” said Sen. Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, one of the leaders of the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee (JFAC), which set the budget for public schools Monday. The actual budget shows a smaller $21 million reduction, but the budget includes $25 million in funding from a federal jobs program that isn’t included in the current budget.

Cameron and other Republicans on JFAC said the funding for schools was better than they’d expected. “I’m not happy about this, but it is the reality of what we’re facing,” Cameron said.

“I have been pleasantly surprised with where we’re at with this budget today,” said Sen. Dean Mortimer, R-Idaho Falls. The four Democrats on JFAC opposed the budget.

The spending reduction for the next school year comes as the state expects more than 3,000 new students to attend public schools in the fall.

“It’s still the third year in a row where schools will receive less money,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna. He said school districts had been expecting larger reductions, and that the budget reflects an effort to move away from one-time funding toward more sustainable spending.

Of the $1.5 billion in total state and federal spending for public schools set by JFAC, $1.2 billion comes from state general fund tax dollars. That amounts to close to half of the total $2.5 billion general fund budget.

Luna’s education overhaul affects several portions of the budget. It raises the minimum teacher salary by several hundred dollars to $30,000 while reducing the base salaries for teachers and other school staff by 1.87 percent. Luna’s reform also targets $13 million for technology. That money comes out of discretionary funding that local districts can spend as they wish. Discretionary funding would drop by $27 million overall.

Democratic lawmakers tried to add an additional $10 million to local districts’ discretionary funding, with that money coming from a school buildings repair account, but the effort failed on a 14-6 vote.

“It is appropriate to give [districts] this shot in the arm on discretionary funds, which is still a significant decrease in discretionary funding,” said Rep. Shirley Ringo, D-Moscow. Ringo attempted to tap the building repair fund to add extra money for colleges and universities earlier this year.

Two GOP senators, Joyce Broadsword of Sagle and Mitch Toryanski of Boise, joined Ringo and Democrats in supporting the plan. “I think that our school districts have been handed a number of new unfunded mandates,” said Broadsword, who also voted against Luna’s overhaul.

Toryanski voted several times with Democrats, rejecting spending plans and trying to add more money for public schools. Toryanski said it’s important to get more money for education, and that none of the efforts suggested would increase taxes.

The public schools budget also saves more than $5 million for schools by getting rid of the 99 percent average daily attendance protection that prevents local districts from losing more than 1 percent of state funding if their enrollment drops by a larger percentage. Eliminating that protection is another part of Luna’s legislation.

Cameron said Luna’s plan ties the hands of budget writers, especially on the reductions to teachers’ salaries. Cameron also strongly opposed Luna’s legislation that passed in the Senate on March 24. Another part of the reform plan scraps a $2,000 bonus for master teachers, though it sets up new pay-for-performance bonuses that would go into effect in the fall of 2013.

The state would also set aside $842,400 to pay for high school students in programs that earn college credit. Ringo added a requirement that the state report how many students are in such dual credit programs. Luna was supportive of the plan, though he said it could be an added reporting burden for local districts.

The public schools budget also funds $6 million for the Idaho Digital Learning Academy (IDLA), a $1 million increase, as well as $4.85 million for new high school graduation requirements for math and science. Luna said the IDLA increase is due to increased demand for students for the program that offers online courses.

“Online learning is very popular in Idaho,” Luna said. “It’s only this year that it’s been talked about in a negative way.”

The public schools budget must still be approved by the full Idaho House and Senate.

JFAC also rejected a plan from Rep. Wendy Jaquet, D-Ketchum, to take $10 million from a Division of Veterans Services account to pay for enrollment growth at universities and community colleges. “It seems to me this is one of the best things we can be doing for economic development,” said Jaquet, who also provided a February letter from the veterans division saying they’d support shifting the money back to the state.

Rep. Marv Hagedorn, R-Meridian, opposed shifting the money from veterans services. He said the department may have to repay some of that money to the federal government or use it to cover reductions in Medicaid and Medicare money. Both those potential costs are also mentioned in the letter from veterans division administrator David Brasuell saying the division could weather the cuts.

The bill centers on last year’s megaload controversy, in which large oil companies battled environmentalists over the ability to haul large loads through Highway 12 in central Idaho. The Idaho Transportation Department initially approved oversized load permits for the oil companies, but objections raised by those living along the route delayed the hauling process several months.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Dick Harwood, R-St. Maries, would require that those who want to delay or stop hauling permits put up a bond in order to sue.  The bond would have to equal 5 percent of the total insured value of the load being hauled.   If those objecting to permits lose legal challenges, Harwood explained, the money from the bond would be transferred to the state highway fund to pay for legal costs.

Rep. Shirley Ringo, D-Moscow, opposed the measure, saying the legislation shuts average Idahoans out of the permitting process and that it would create a “David and Goliath scenario.” Ringo said that oil companies are able to fund their own bonds, but that citizens of Idahoans wouldn’t be able to produce the money necessary to challenge the permitting process.  “How are these individuals going to come up with the money necessary?” asked Ringo. “I think there is a huge fairness issue here.”

Rep. Marv Hagedorn, R-Meridian, defended the bill, saying that bonding for legal challenges is a “proven method” to preventing frivolous lawsuits.  “We are not looking to cut anyone out of the legal system,” said Hagedorn.

Rep. Wendy Jaquet, D-Ketchum, said she is disappointed that there is no fee increase for megaloads, which would likely take longer to process than normal oversized loads. Additionally, Jaquet explained, the loads are not helpful to the tourist-dependent economy of central Idaho. “We are hurting our tourism industry on Highway 12,” said Jaquet.

Harwood disputed Jaquet’s claims, saying that because the loads only move between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m., there is little damage to the tourism industry in the area.

The measure passed on a 53-16 vote.  GOP Reps. Lynn Luker, R-Boise, Tom Trail, R-Moscow, and Leon Smith, R-Twin Falls, joined all House Democrats in opposition.

The bill passed on a 66-3 vote, and now heads to the Idaho Senate for consideration.  Reps. Tom Trail, R-Moscow, Shirley Ringo, D-Moscow, and Phil Hart, R-Hayden, were the lawmakers who voted against the bill, though none of them explained their opposition during debate on the legislation.

The sponsor of the bill, Rep. Erik Simpson, R-Idaho Falls, told IdahoReporter.com that the bill stems from an incident in his home district from a few years ago in which two sex offenders attended a school play without informing school officials.  Simpson said that there was a security guard at the event, but the official was unaware of the presence of the sex offenders on school property.

Simpson told colleagues that it is sometimes difficult for school officials to know when those required to register as sex offenders are on school property, especially if their students have different last names.

During the committee hearing on the bill, Simpson said the plan would also be mutually beneficial for schools and sex offenders.  Officials would have the ability to know sex offenders associated with students in schools, while offenders would be able to be easily informed of district policy changes on security or access issues.

The bill would make it a misdemeanor if sex offenders fail to check in with school officials prior to their first visit of a school year. Even sex offenders who enter school grounds solely to drop off students would be required to notify the district.

Sex offenders who live around schools but do not visit grounds would not be required to notify officials.  Offenders are already prohibited from living closer than 500 feet to schools.

Through state code, school districts are allowed to craft their own policies regarding sex offenders on grounds.  Districts may even completely prohibit sex offenders from visiting schools. If passed by the Legislature, the bill will do nothing to change that ability.

Rep. Christy Perry, R-Nampa, said that measure is meant to crack down on illegal sales of food stamps in Idaho.  Perry told committee members that there are food stamp recipients who allow other people to use their food stamp debit cards and secret PIN numbers in exchange for some lesser amount of cash.

Leo Morales, legislative advisor for the Idaho Community Action Network, said the bill would unnecessarily shame food stamp recipients by forcing them to show identification, while other shoppers are not held to the same standard.

The bill, Morales argued, could also present difficulties for home-bound seniors who cannot obtain proper identification.  “This bill, as written, could have some unintended consequences,” Morales said.  “Home-bound elderly community members may have some problems with this law.”

Morales also pointed out that the state would be asking the grocery stores to perform the state’s job of detecting food stamp fraud.

Melanie Roper, legislative intern for Catholic Charities of Idaho, argued that immigrants new to the United States might have difficulty accessing food stamps. “Many refugees left their homes quickly without their belongings, and many arrive in the United States without photo identification,” said Roper.

Making it more difficult to access food stamps, Roper argued, hurts the poor, disabled, and elderly.  “We believe all people should have access to food, particularly the vulnerable among us,” said Roper.  “Having enough food to eat is a basic human right.”

In the end, the measure passed on a 7-2 tally, with Republicans supporting and Democrats opposing the bill.   The measure now heads to the House floor.

Rep. Shirley Ringo, D-Moscow, said that she thinks the law would bring unneeded attention to those on the public assistance program.  “I think this would single them out,” said Ringo, adding that she remembers the days when actual stamps were used to purchase food, meaning a lengthy process at cash registers.  “I kind of felt sorry for them that so much attention had to be drawn to them.”

Federal law prohibits states from enacting regulations that would single out food stamp recipients.  Perry said that making food stamp recipients stand in a separate line at the store would be illegal, but requiring identification prior to purchases would not be.  Rep. Steve Thayn, R-Emmett, strongly suggested that Perry get a legal opinion to gauge the measure’s legitimacy.

Though federal law already requires that children be blocked from accessing pornographic images, there is no prohibition of the same type for adults.  The proposed legislation would put that provision in place, but would allow local libraries to turn off filters if an adult is claiming to be working on research. The discretion to decide what qualifies as research would rest with librarians and library boards.

Local officials could have difficulty in defining what qualifies as pornographic material.  In a famous case in the U.S. Supreme Court, Justice Potter Stewart had a hard time quantifying obscene material.  Potter is recorded saying that, “I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced . . . but I know it when I see it.”

The sponsor of the bill, Rep. Mack Shirley, R-Rexburg, said the bill will ultimately help shield children from sensual images on library computers.  He said officials from a library in his district saw lumberjacks use computers to access explicit materials while children were sitting next to them.

Even momentary exposure to images, Shirley explained, could cause great damage to youth.  He characterized pornography as “one of the greatest destructive forces” on youth in modern times.

Rep. Linden Batemen, R-Idaho Falls, unleashed a passionate rant about the ills of porn, blaming the Supreme Court and the ACLU for looser restrictions on sensual material.  “It’s been thrust upon us,” charged Bateman.  “It’s everywhere for children to see.”

Not everyone was happy with the plan, however. Rep Shirley Ringo, D-Moscow, said that local officials should be able to set their own standards at libraries.

The measure now heads to the Senate for consideration.

Yes, that’s right.  Some citizens say they want to pay more to their state government.

The event, sponsored by a group called Medicaid Matters, was intended to let state lawmakers know that some Idahoans are willing to pay a little more on their tax bill if it means staving off cuts to some state health programs.  Similar rallies were held at several locations throughout the state Saturday.

Treasure Valley resident Jim Baugh, a board member of the Idaho Council on Developmental Disabilities, told the crowd at the Capitol that program and spending cuts are not moral when people’s lives are at stake. “This is serious business,” Baugh.  “We are talking about human suffering. We are talking about life and death.”

Baugh, the father of a developmentally-disabled adult, chided Idaho lawmakers for doing a disservice to Gem State residents by denying them federal Medicaid dollars that come based on how much the Legislature decides to pay.  “If we cut $3 in the Medicaid budget, we leave $7 in Washington [D.C.],” he explained.  Cutting Medicaid money further, he pointed out, would mean the loss of several thousand Idaho jobs and the tax revenue they bring in.

Phoebe Smith, a mother of a disabled girl, said that lawmakers need to think about the road ahead for her daughter. “Do our political leaders think about her future?” asked Smith, adding that removing Medicaid funding structures could cause irreparable damage to disabled citizens.

Smith delivered harsh criticism of a plan that would call on volunteers to fill in service gaps caused by Medicaid cuts, pointing out that estimates say more than 2 billion hours of service would be needed to replace existing paid work.  “Our leaders don’t want volunteers,” Smith said. “They want an unpaid workforce.

Smith slammed the service worker plan because she believes it will lead to gaps in health care and uncertainty for the disabled and their families.  “Volunteers are not an alternative to Medicaid,” she cautioned.

As for the tax increases, Smith said that while many Gem State citizens already volunteer their time for the disabled, they also stand at the ready with their money to bolster Medicaid funding.  “It is a small price to pay to ensure that every Idahoan can live his or her life with a sense of dignity,” she concluded.

Members of the finance committee will begin crafting agency budgets in the new two weeks are looking to trim state spending by $92 million.  Medicaid spending could see as much as a $50 million funding reduction, though only time will tell on that figure.

The rally was attended by several state lawmakers, including Rep. Brian Cronin, D-Boise, Sen. Nicole LeFavour, D-Boise, Rep. Sue Chew, D-Boise, and Rep. Shirley Ringo, D-Moscow.