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Idaho lawmakers weigh ideas for funding school construction

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Idaho lawmakers weigh ideas for funding school construction


BOISE — From a revolving mortgage fund for varsity building, to increasing the present bond levy equalization fund, to creating a brand new everlasting constructing fund for colleges, lawmakers on a joint committee taking a look at funding for varsity services signaled Tuesday that they’re open to a variety of concepts.

“I’m a believer in brainstorming and collaboration,” stated Sen. Dave Lent, R-Idaho Falls, co-chair of the legislative interim working group. “I admire the inventive course of that we’re in proper now.”

Rep. Jason Monks, R-Meridian, the panel’s different co-chair, invited committee members to proceed to ship the co-chairs their concepts, and he and Lent stated they’re open to others, together with permitting affect charges for colleges.

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Lent stated the legislative panel hopes to assemble a brief checklist of concepts and start delving into them throughout the coming weeks, with the hope of agreeing on legislative proposals by the tip of December.

“That’s our aim, that we’ve one thing we will transfer ahead within the Legislature,” he stated.

In January, the Legislature’s Workplace of Efficiency Evaluations issued a 103-page report, discovering that it could value an estimated $847 million to get all colleges within the 77 of Idaho’s 115 faculty districts that responded to surveys for the report as much as “good” situation. The Legislature final commissioned a statewide facility situation evaluation of college buildings in 1993.

Idaho largely leaves the price of faculty building to native property taxpayers, who should vote by a two-thirds supermajority to boost their taxes with a view to construct a brand new faculty. In 2005, the Idaho Supreme Courtroom dominated that system unconstitutional, as a result of the Idaho Structure requires the Legislature to fund colleges. However solely minor modifications have been made since then.

On Tuesday, Sen. Lori Den Hartog, R-Meridian, proposed each a revolving mortgage fund for varsity building and growth of the present bond levy equalization program, which gives some matching funds for bond funds for qualifying faculty districts with low property values.

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“I do know we had communities simply exterior the Treasure Valley that had years of making an attempt to move bonds,” she stated, however they “saved getting turned down as a result of frankly their people couldn’t afford it. And but these are Idaho college students that all of us care about.”

She stated she thought the thought of a revolving mortgage fund for brand spanking new building is “one thing that may and needs to be explored.”

Rep. Sally Toone, D-Gooding, stated the state wants to deal with facility prices for costly career-technical education schemes, equivalent to laboratories, that rural Idaho faculty districts presently can’t afford.

Sen. Janie Ward-Engelking, D-Boise, enthusiastically backed each Den Hartog’s and Toone’s proposals. “I believe we’ve gotten to the purpose in Idaho the place passing bonds is now not potential with a skyrocketing property tax as we’ve seen all through the state,” she stated. “So we’re taking a look at districts which have tried time and again to determine a pathway ahead for brand spanking new colleges or for renovating colleges, and it hasn’t occurred. … I applaud them for bringing these ahead.”

Lent floated the thought of “one thing like a everlasting constructing fund for colleges,” to probably pay half the price of building, reducing in half the necessity for property taxes to repay a faculty bond.

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Rep. Julie Yamamoto, R-Caldwell, instructed trying into normal designs for colleges that may very well be made obtainable cost-free to high school districts; and in addition trying into how Idaho’s older faculty services might be outfitted with dependable broadband service.

Sen. Jeff Agenbroad, R-Nampa, co-chair of the Legislature’s Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, shared a number of pages of information from an earlier analysis venture about Idaho faculty funding, bonds and levies through the years. As of 2020, he identified, the state had about $150 million much less in excellent faculty bonds than it had in 2004, in inflation-adjusted {dollars}. “I don’t suppose which means we don’t have a necessity,” he stated.

Rep. Matthew Bundy, R-Mountain Dwelling, stated progress in pupil enrollment additionally must be factored in, and that lawmakers ought to weigh priorities together with new building and refurbishing getting older buildings.

Monks stated he’d wish to see constitution faculty facility building funding addressed as effectively.

The committee plans to proceed to satisfy each two to 3 weeks via the tip of the yr.

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On the shut of Tuesday’s assembly, Lent stated, “I’ve been considering so much about this matter for the final couple of months. I’m reminded of our duty as a Legislature to satisfy the necessities as said within the Structure because it comes to colleges. I’d encourage our committee to evaluation that once more, have a look at it.”

He stated he thought the 10-member bipartisan panel was precisely the proper group to work on the issue. “I do know every one among you, and your contribution and your data and background on this topic,” he stated. “Your participation and enter is important to assist us give this situation a tough scrub and see what comes out of it, see if we might be of profit to the folks of Idaho.”



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Protest against immigration policy planned in Idaho Falls Saturday – East Idaho News

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Protest against immigration policy planned in Idaho Falls Saturday – East Idaho News


IDAHO FALLS — A protest against the Trump administration’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement policy is planned for Saturday in Idaho Falls.

Organizers say a peaceful demonstration will begin at noon on the southeast corner of the Broadway Bridge and the public is invited.

“We want to take a stand against systemic racism and unjust immigration policies,” said Shantelle Duran, one of the demonstration’s organizers. “We invite the community to stand with us and show support for our neighbors who are likely to be targeted under increased ICE raids and detentions.”

Organizers ask participants to be respectful and follow laws regarding obstruction. Duran has been working with the Idaho Falls Police Department and the city of Idaho Falls, according to a news release.

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“Duran stresses the importance of nonviolence and nonaggression toward counter-protesters and others who might show up with intent to agitate,” the release says.

Students are also involved and plan to provide participants with helpful information about Constitutional and legal rights for those who live in the United States.

“Together, we can fight for justice and build community,” Duran said. “We encourage like-minded people to join us in this show of solidarity.”

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Kilgore house explosion kills two after snow breaks propane line, says sheriff – East Idaho News

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Kilgore house explosion kills two after snow breaks propane line, says sheriff – East Idaho News


KILGORE — A gas explosion at a Kilgore home killed two people Tuesday after snow reportedly broke a propane line.

Clark County Sheriff Mark McClure tells EastIdahoNews.com the explosion, at a home on 1557 Kilgore Lane, killed an 80-year-old man and his wife. Their names have not been released.

According to McClure, the couple arrived at a property on Kilgore Lane around 12 p.m. Tuesday. At 12:56 p.m., they reportedly discovered a gas leak and called the propane company to report it.

“There was a utility worker about a mile away, and at 1:06 p.m., he reported to the Clark County Sheriff’s Office that there was an explosion out on Kilgore Lane. He went to the property, as he is one of our local responders,” says McClure. “He began life-saving measures on the first victim. We got there, the house was completely engulfed, and we continued working on (the first victim).”

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McClure says the explosion is believed to have been caused by snow falling off the roof and breaking the propane line that leads into the house causing the leak.

The man was found outside the home and is believed to have been blown out through a front window during the explosion.

“He was conscious when the first person got there. They had asked him if anybody else was there, and he stated that nobody else was there, but because there was an explosion and he was kind of out of it, and he had a pretty significant gash on his forehead, he probably didn’t really understand the question,” McClure says.

The Dubois/Clark County Volunteer Fire Department responded to the scene, but were unable to get inside the home due to the severity of the fire.

McClure says emergency responders learned from a friend of the victims that there was a high likelihood the man’s wife was inside the home. Due to the structure being unsafe, firefighters could not search the property at that time.

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“Overnight, we posted a deputy on the scene to guard it so we could go through the following day. We got the ATF fire investigator as well as the State Fire Marshall and his deputy Fire Marshals,” says McClure. “They came up and assisted with the recovery of the remains of the second victim between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. (on Wednesday.)”

Clark County Coroner Brenda Laird says they are waiting to hear back from the next of kin before releasing the names of the victims.

The mailbox outside the home. | Jordan Wood, EastIdahoNews.com

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Idaho high school students looking to decrease teen nicotine use speak with state lawmakers

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Idaho high school students looking to decrease teen nicotine use speak with state lawmakers


BOISE, Idaho — The American Heart Association and local teens teamed up and encouraged state legislators to support smoke-free air laws and licensed retailer enforcement to help establish a tobacco-free Idaho.

“So we’re looking to increase funding for education of tobacco and nicotine prevention,” said a Meridian High School student.

About a dozen high school students took on the challenge Thursday morning of connecting with busy lawmakers to make a change for their futures. “As a high school student I can definitely say that I see nicotine being used in my school very often,” said Abigail Wallace, a local high school student.

The decrease in the traditional cigarettes has made way for nicotine intake via vape and new chewing tobacco style products like ‘Zyn.’

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Bebeto Matthews/AP

Containers of Zyn, a smokeless nicotine pouch, are displayed for sale among other nicotine and tobacco products at a newsstand on Feb. 23, 2024, in New York.

Nearly 18% of Idaho high schoolers report regularly using nicotine in some way.

“It’s common to go into the bathrooms and you would smell it. It’s just always like a constant thing that you’re surrounded by, especially with the new nicotine pouches, it’s like people put them in like gum,” said Lydia Kamann, a local high school student.

The American Heart Association is helping coordinate and educate these passionate teens to encourage their representatives and senators to keep nicotine and tobacco laws and regulations top of mind.

“And they want to hear from us. No better way to do it than be here and share with them real-life instances and stories,” said Angela Creason, a cardiac arrest survivor and advocate, who volunteers with the American Heart Association.

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The association aims to have e-cigarette smoke included in the Idaho Clean Indoor Air Act and increase taxes and costs on new popular flavored and smokeless tobacco products, potentially using that money to fund impactful prevention education

“[We’re] just trying to up the education level on that and getting teens more focused on why they should not do it,” said another local high school student while speaking with Democratic Senator Melissa Wintrow.





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