Capitol Letters | The Idaho Legislature Report
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By Hayat Norimine, Accountability Editor; and Ryan Suppe, State Politics Reporter
‘Please, please vote yes’: Bill aims to help teachers afford better health care
House members passed a bill they hope would make health insurance more affordable for Idaho teachers. House Bill 443 would create a state fund to help subsidize the costs for school districts to join the state employees’ insurance plan.
Rep. Wendy Horman, an Idaho Falls Republican, said she had been working on this bill since her first legislative session 10 years ago, with the singular goal of making health care coverage more affordable for Idaho educators. Salaries haven’t kept pace with climbing health insurance prices, she said, and teachers in some cases have had “catastrophic” health care coverage.
With the help of Rep. Rod Furniss — a Rigby Republican who’s a licensed insurance agent — “what’s coming this year is a game-changer, I believe, for teachers,” Horman said on the floor.
“I plead with you to pass this bill,” Rep. Gary Marshall, an Idaho Falls Republican and former public school teacher, told his colleagues. “It is the right time. It is a thing that we must do. Please, please vote yes on this bill.”
It’ll still need approval from the Senate. Read the Associated Press’ full report here.
What else happened?
The State Board of Education president got questioned about critical race theory again. At the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee yesterday, Rep. Ron Nate, a Rexburg Republican, brought up diversity, equity and inclusion goals and said they were manifestations of critical race theory. President Kurt Liebich said school officials are trying to define these terms — “so we’re not running around the state chasing ghosts.”
Committees to watch today
8 a.m. Joint Finance-Appropriations. Included on the agenda today is Boise State University’s budget and the governor’s office. Here’s where to watch remotely.
9 a.m. House Education. The committee will consider legislation that would open up the state’s armed forces scholarship to the children of Idaho Guard members killed in a helicopter crash near Boise last year. Here’s where to watch remotely.
1:30 p.m. Senate Commerce and Human Resources. Lawmakers will consider several pieces of legislation, including one on health savings accounts. Here’s where to watch remotely.
1:30 p.m. Senate Transportation. Draft legislation would repeal “legislative intent language” from a 2015 transportation bill. The language said that the Legislature intends for any additional money raised from the measure to be “used exclusively” for bridges and road maintenance and replacement projects. Here’s where to watch remotely.
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