BOISE - The 2011 Idaho Legislature ended Thursday with lawmakers dumping a rebate extension for alternative energy developers and passing the governor's plan to spur new jobs.

Lawmakers adjourned the session after 88 days that were dominated by a contentious plan to reform Idaho's public schools, deep cuts to state funding for Medicaid and conservatives who took on issues ranging from firearms on college campuses to abortion to changing the Republican primary so only party faithful could vote.

The sweeping reforms to Idaho's schools, along with the cuts to health care for the poor and disabled, were the subject of hours of debate as lawmakers worked to fill a $92 million hole in the state budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which starts July 1.

Idaho's Republican majority, reluctant to boost taxes, cut $35 million from state Medicaid spending and crafted a public schools budget down $47 million in total funding.

"While we may go home and some will criticize the budget that we set, I believe we honestly did the best we could do with the resources that we had," said Republican Sen. Dean Cameron of Rupert, the co-chairman of the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee.

Democrats bemoaned the budget cuts and complained lawmakers, who opted to spend based on a 3 percent revenue growth next year, were leaving money on the table.

Idaho already has one of the lowest per-pupil spending rates in the nation, said state Rep. Shirley Ringo, a Moscow Democrat.

"I believe we had other choices," Ringo said.

Minority House Democrats tried to force Republicans into holding hearings on a proposal to boost Idaho's cigarette tax by $1.25 to help fill budget holes, but GOP lawmakers refused.

Senate President Pro Tem Brent Hill commended lawmakers for balancing Idaho's budget in the face of a severe economic crisis without shifting the burden to taxpayers.

"Anyone who claims we haven't accomplished much wasn't paying attention," Hill said.

In a session where majority Republicans targeted labor unions and declared a statewide wolf disaster state of emergency, foes of the federal health care overhaul passed a measure to help block it in Idaho while comparing the law to Nazi Germany and saying it would allow the government to "take our children."

Lawmakers also took on "the mother of all controversies," Hill joked, when they debated - and later dumped - legislation to allow advertising and corporate logos on school buses.

"In most sessions we're lucky if we deal with one of these hard issues," Hill said.

Among legislation that passed Thursday:

* Gov. Butch Otter's bid to reward employers who add to their payrolls through 2013 with tax credits worth between 2 percent and 6 percent.

* A bill aimed at curtailing lawsuits filed against the state for permitting oversized truckloads.

* A plan to establish a military-based program targeted at high school dropouts in North Idaho.

* Legislation to temporarily guarantee funding to school districts with enrollment declines to help shield teacher jobs, restoring funding protections for one year that Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna had eliminated in his education reforms.

* A bill to speed up the effective date of Luna's education reforms and take the steam out of a voter referendum on the sweeping changes for schools.

A group of parents and teachers union representatives have taken steps to launch a referendum on the reforms. The group would need to collect 47,432 signatures from Idaho voters within 60 days after the end of the legislative session is expected to decide in April whether to proceed with the repeal campaign.

The governor has signed parts of the reform plan that phase out teacher tenure, restrict collective bargaining and introduce merit pay. Otter plans to sign a third bill, which will shift money in the public schools budget to fund classroom technology and teacher pay-for-performance, on Friday.

Bill that failed to emerge from the session Thursday included a measure to extend a sales tax rebate for alternative energy developers. A bill to lift Idaho's cap on charter schools was also left to languish after passing the Idaho House. Speaker Lawerence Denney used his final remarks to apologize for a late Wednesday dustup over the last-minute legislation.

Democrats objected to bright yellow felt scarves handed out to lawmakers with the slogan "National School Choice Week," saying the materials aimed to influence lawmaker votes.

"I do apologize for the little scarf incident yesterday. I take responsibility for that," said Denney as the House moved to adjourn. "It was a learning experience. We all have to be very careful about what we say and what we do and how we're perceived."