The third part of Superintendent Tom Luna's education reforms is set to resurface in a Senate committee next week, but with a brand new look.
"It sounds like they have a new proposal," said Sen. Michelle Stennett, D-Ketchum, adding that the bill has undergone significant changes since it last saw debate.
Education Committee Chair Sen. John Goedde, R-Coeur d'Alene, told The Associated Press on Thursday that several main components of the bill have been eliminated.
Most notably, the provision that would have eliminated 770 teaching positions and increased class sizes has been chopped. Instead, the new bill would give local school districts more power over how to allocate state funding.
As originally written, the bill would have supplied high school students with laptop computers by the 2012-13 school year. According to The Associated Press, under the new version, laptops would be supplied to teachers by that date and "eventually" to students. However, it also eliminates the requirement for online courses.
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Information on the fiscal impact of what was originally a money-saving bill has not been released. The bill was meant to fund the pay-for-performance system put in place by the second part of the reform package, passed by the Senate and House last week despite objections over funding.
The merit pay system grants bonuses to teachers based on individual performance as well as student achievement, but was set to cost the state $38 million in its first year.
In other legislative news, a bill that would prevent Idaho residents from gaining an additional grocery tax credit was passed by a House committee and scheduled for a hearing in the full House this week.
The new bill does not increase taxes, but delays a planned tax reduction. Currently, all state residents gain $50 in grocery tax credit on state returns each year, while low-income residents receive $70.
The credits were set to increase by $10 next year, which would cost the state $15 million. The House Revenue and Taxation Committee voted to block this expansion Tuesday in an effort to decrease the budget shortfall.
Rep. Wendy Jaquet, D-Ketchum, said earlier this year that elimination of the entire grocery-credit program would mean an extra $184 million to the state. However, both Jaquet and Stennett said there was no appetite for what would be seen as a tax increase.
The bill is scheduled it for its third reading and House vote Friday morning. If approved, the bill will pass to the Senate.
"I think we have a better chance [of passing the bill] in the Senate than in the House," Stennett said Thursday, but said she wasn't sure what the ultimate vote would be.
Katherine Wutz: kwutz@mtexpress.com
