House to consider new personal property tax bill

BOISE - The House's tax committee has put off voting on a pair of competing bills to repeal the state's personal property tax on business equipment and instead will consider a new measure.

The Times News said Wednesday that bills from the Association of Idaho Counties and the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry will no longer get a vote in the House Revenue and Taxation Committee Thursday, as originally planned.

That's after hearings on Tuesday and Wednesday on both measures.

Instead, the industry group said a third, unspecified repeal gambit will be introduced in the House panel on Friday.

With lawmakers approaching the 2013 session's end, there's no guarantee that anything will be done in the Idaho Legislature on the tax front this year.

Senate committee delays 2 teacher union bills

BOISE - A Senate committee has delayed a vote on two measures pushed by the Idaho School Board Association giving school districts more leverage in teacher contract and salary negotiations after nearly three hours of testimony.

One piece of legislation debated in the Senate Education Committee Wednesday would limit terms and conditions of teacher's salary contracts to one year, which school districts say is critical to managing their yearly budgets. A second bill would give districts permission to reduce salaries and shorten teacher contracts.

Teachers who testified against the bills argued they send a negative message to educators and voters who struck down similar measures at the ballot box last November.

Committee chairman Sen. John Goedde of Coeur d'Alene indicated he will bring the bills back for discussion and a vote.

Judge dismisses state from school fees lawsuit

BOISE - A state judge has agreed to sever the state from a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Idaho's system for funding public schools.

Fourth District Judge Richard Greenwood sided with state attorneys Wednesday in a case filed by former Nampa schools superintendent Russell Joki.

Joki filed the case last year against the state and dozens of school districts, alleging the class fees charged to parents are unconstitutional.

The case was broadened in hopes that Greenwood would declare the state's method for paying for schools is still as unconstitutional as the Idaho Supreme Court found it to be in 2005.

In his decision, Greenwood cited a law that requires anyone filing a lawsuit over certain education issues must first to sue the local district.

The case against the districts will continue.

- The Associated Press