Today in the Legislature

Idaho bill on rehiring retired teachers introduced

BOISE (AP) - School districts could still rehire retired teachers as full-time employees under legislation introduced in the Idaho House.

House Assistant Majority Leader Scott Bedke wants to extend the life of the program, which was created in 2007 amid growing concerns about teacher shortages as districts worked to meet increased demands of the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

Previously, administrators and teachers could come out of retirement, but were limited to 20 hours a week.

Bedke says 60 employees have been rehired full-time under the program approved five years ago. Districts still contribute to the retirement system but rehired teachers who return to work and who already receive retirement packages do not, under the program now due to sunset.

The House Education Committee voted Tuesday to introduce Bedke's legislation.

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Bill to broaden merit pay pool sent to Idaho House

BOISE (AP) - A bill headed to the Idaho House would allow teachers will less than three years of experience to compete for leadership bonuses under the state's new merit pay plan.

The House Education Committee voted Tuesday to advance Republican Rep. Mack Shirley's bill to broaden the pool of teachers competing under the leadership portion of the pay-for-performance plan. It was signed into law last year as part of a massive education overhaul.

The system rewards teachers who raise student achievement and take on hard-to-fill positions or leadership roles. But as the law is currently written, teachers with fewer than three years of experience would not be eligible to boost their pay under the leadership piece of the plan.

Shirley says new teachers already struggle financially and excluding them seems unfair.

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Idaho lawmakers tussle over state worker raises

BOISE, Idaho (AP) - Lawmakers in the Idaho House set the stage for more debate on state worker pay raises moments after legislative budget writers set the increases at 2 percent.

Republican Rep. Stephen Hartgen of Twin Falls introduced two pieces of legislation Tuesday. One measure that supports giving state workers a 2 percent pay raise but gives agency directors discretion to award the increases how they see fit, while the other measure would ditch the pay increase altogether.

Hartgen expressed frustration with the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, which voted Tuesday to approve a 2 percent, across-the-board raise for state workers. Hartgen says that power should be reserved for the House Commerce and Human Resources Committee, which he vice chairs.

Hartgen says his intent is to get "the horse back in front of the cart."

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Idaho Senate votes to help private school athletes

BOISE, Idaho (AP) - Senators voted overwhelmingly for a measure aimed at allowing Idaho's private schools to field teams for state and district athletic events.

Tuesday's 26-6 vote directs the Idaho State Department of Education to outline new accreditation requirements for schools to be allowed to participate in extracurricular activities.

Currently, some private schools can't compete at district- and state-level competitions regulated by the Idaho High School Activities Association.

That's because they're only considered associate members of this nonprofit, member-run group.

Republican Sen. Russ Fulcher of Meridian wants to change that, to give more students a chance to compete.

Though some Democrats opposed the measure, Senate Minority Leader Edgar Malepeai, a sports referee, said he'd spoken with Idaho High School Activities Association officials and found they didn't object.

It now goes to the House.

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Senate sends texting-while-driving ban to ID House

BOISE (AP) - A proposed texting-while-driving ban for Idaho is headed to debate in the House, after senators agreed stricter limits on smart phones behind the wheel of a car would make people safer on the roads.

If the bill approved Tuesday on a 29-6 vote sounds familiar, it should.

Since 2010, Idaho lawmakers have sought unsuccessfully to settle on a measure that strikes a balance in government-wary Idaho: Find a law that representatives don't think is too intrusive or unenforceable, while still trying to keep people safe from themselves.

Idaho's bill isn't nearly as strict as Washington state's law, which bans all but hands-free devices.

Other states have stricter limits, too.

What Idaho's bill would do is make an infraction of texting while driving, punishable with an $85 fine, including court costs.

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Measure seeks state input on federal debt limits

BOISE (AP) - House lawmakers are considering joining a movement that would force the federal government to get permission from states before raising the nation's debt limit.

The House State Affairs Committee agreed Tuesday to consider a resolution supporting an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would give states a voice on efforts to raise federal spending limits.

Rep. Pete Nielsen says identical legislation has emerged in 17 other states. The Mountain Home Republican says the measure has already been adopted in North Dakota and Louisiana.

A showdown over raising the debt ceiling embroiled Congress for months in 2011.

Nielsen says the states have abdicated any role in monitoring escalating federal budgets and spending.

He says his resolution would be a step toward giving taxpayers a way to check federal spending authority.

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Internet sales tax bill passes initial hurdle

BOISE (AP) - House lawmakers want to hear from businesses in Idaho about the latest plan to join a national effort to tax Internet sales.

The Revenue and Taxation Committee on Tuesday voted 12-6 to introduce the measure.

A similar 2012 push made it this far, too, but was shelved by House Speaker Lawerence Denney without testimony.

As a result, the fate of this latest measure remains uncertain.

However, there's strong sentiment among some lawmakers that collecting sales tax on out-of-state Internet purchases will level the competitive playing field for Idaho brick-and-mortar businesses that must collect sales tax when they make a sale. '

Strong resistance remains, however, from the likes of Republican Rep. Lenore Barrett of Challis, who complained that bringing this up again this year is like beating a dead horse.