COEUR d'ALENE - The two big issues that have been brewing throughout this legislative session saw a little progress last week giving lawmakers hope that the session will end soon.

"It's looking like we could get out of here by the end of (this) week," said Rep. Ron Mendive, R-Post Falls. "Things could really start coming together toward the end like this, but it could all fall apart too."

The two biggest issues facing the Legislature are finding money for transportation needs and funding a pay increase for teachers.

Mendive, who sits on the House Education Committee, said the so-called career ladder bill finally passed out of committee on Friday, and could possibly get a full House vote today.

"They want to vote on it (today), but I am not sure if that is going to happen yet," he said. "But we could change the rules and vote on it (today.)"

The bill would increase teacher pay over the course of five years, and would cost the state a little more than $200 million over that period of time.

"We are not sure exactly how much the fiscal impact will be because they added more slots and forgot to change the fiscal note on the bill," Mendive said, adding the last fiscal note was for $214 million.

He said the true cost will be calculated before the floor vote is taken this week.

Mendive said he was encouraged by the bill's unanimous support in the committee. He said all of the testimony on Friday was positive even though a few tweaks will need to be made as the bill makes its way through the system.

"We still need to do a little more work on the teacher evaluations," Mendive said, adding everyone is comfortable with the way it is moving forward. "Even the unions like it."

Rep. Luke Malek, R-Coeur d'Alene, said the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee will start the Education budget once it sees the career ladder bill move through the House.

He said that may take a little time to work through the process, so he believes the session will be extended a little bit.

"It would be a miracle if we get out of here (this) week," he said. "I would be ecstatic if it did, but I don't think that is likely to happen."

Sen. Mary Souza, R-Coeur d'Alene, said she has sat through a lot of the House discussions on the career ladder bill because once it passes the House, she will be dealing with it in the Senate Education Committee.

She said there was big hang up on the master teacher pay slots that were being funded, but she said it appears that a compromise has been reached.

Sen. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d'Alene, also sits on the education committee. He was pleased to see that legislation moving.

"It was a unanimous vote and all of the comments were positive and supportive."

He hopes the same thing can be done with transportation funding.

One bill, HB 260, has been passed out of the House Transportation Committee that would raise the gas tax by five cents a gallon and siphon off a small portion of new revenue growth out of the general fund each year to buy the gas tax back down.

That would generate an estimated $80 million for transportation projects, but the state's backlog of bridge and road repairs tops $265 million. That's without any new projects being funded.

"When the total ongoing appropriations from future growth to the highway distribution account reaches $20 million on an aggregate basis, the motor fuel tax will be reduced by one cent," the fiscal note on the bill said. "For every additional cumulative $20 million, the motor fuel tax will be reduced by another one cent until the motor fuel tax reaches its current level."

That bill will likely come to a full vote of the House earlier this week.

"Whatever they get on the floor of the House will need to get 36 votes to move it to the Senate," Nonini said, adding there are still a lot of competing ideas.

Nonini, who is vice-chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, said the biggest problem with reaching a consensus on transportation is that some legislators want to use general fund dollars like the bill above, but others feel transportation should be funded by user fees like car registrations and gas taxes.

"I hope they can come to some consensus soon," Nonini said, adding he thinks the Legislature will stay in session an extra week to get everything done." I think we could be wrapped up by the 3rd of April."

Sen. Steve Vick, R-Dalton Gardens, said another issue with transportation funding is that the current proposals don't raise enough money to address Idaho's transportation needs.

That, combined with the angst over what revenue stream will be tapped to fund the proposals, still hasn't been decided.

The chairman of the House Transportation Committee proposed a new bill on Friday, HB 299, that would raise $135 million. Vick said the bills were similar in nature, but HB 299 moved the State Police Budget out of the gas tax fund and put it in the general fund.

That bill would have also used some general fund money to pay down GARVEE bonds that were used to fund the upgrade to U.S. Highway 95.

However, HB 299 was killed in committee late Friday afternoon.