Rep. Smith Week 5 Newsletter

Posted on Feb 15, 2012 in Legislative Updates

This week the House Business Committee received information packets from the Attorney General’s office and the Department of Finance pertaining to the historic $25 billion state-federal mortgage settlement.  Idaho will receive almost $114 million of which $100 million will be direct relief to Idaho homeowners whose mortgages were foreclosed by Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, CITI, Ally or Wells Fargo. Twenty percent of foreclosures in the United States were with these five financial institutions. This settlement has significant new standards on foreclosures.  The Idaho Attorney General’s Office does have a housing specialist or you may contact the Idaho Department of Finance toll free at 1-888-346-3378 for specific details on the full settlement, which is the second largest settlement for the State of Idaho.

There will be a new compromise RS on video franchising brought to the Business Committee on Monday, Feb. 13th.  It was postponed this week to allow more negotiations with Association of Idaho Cities, Century Link and Cable One.  I will keep you updated because this pertains to revenue for the City of Pocatello.

This week in House State Affairs the committee voted to not move the Primary Election from May to August.  Several County Clerks testified against moving the primary election time, plus the Secretary of State was opposed to an August primary.  Public concerns were raised pertaining to elections: our new legislative redistricting, the Presidential Caucus, and election consolidation.  These are enough changes for the voters.  Idaho should have more than 25% of eligible voters voting in the Primary Election, so each person needs to vote and encourage others to vote on May 15th in the Primary Election.

Admiral John Grossenbacher, Director of the Idaho National Laboratory, presented “Idaho’s Leadership Role in Nuclear Energy” to the House Environment, Energy & Technology Committee.  He spoke for about half an hour and took questions for an hour, including giving detailed information on new safeguards for employees and radiation.  INL has 24,000 (direct and Indirect) jobs in Idaho, so it is a major employer in our state with an economic impact of $3.5 billion. By the end of 2012 the complete calcination of liquid high-level waste to solid will be accomplished.  Also, we were told the target date for all transuranic waste to be removed from Idaho is September 30, 2015, even though the Idaho Settlement Agreement deadline is 2018.

Good news this week pertained to my payday lender bill.  In the past the Idaho Association of Bankers had opposed payday lending bills, but after they reviewed the current bill, the banks will now be neutral.  Hope to have a public hearing in a week or two weeks.

There was the bill called the “8 in 6 Program” which created a program in the State Department of Education by paying for certain summer courses and overload courses for 7 – 12th grade  students.  The sponsor of the bill did think outside the box to create a different education program, but I voted no on the bill because of my concern on where money would come from for this program.  It is going to cost from $2.2 million to a future impact of almost $3.8 million and the sponsor could not say where the Legislature could find the money for this program.  It was interesting that several House members on the Appropriations Committee also voted no.

Recently I received the report on the lottery dividend distribution to Idaho public schools by each county.  In 2010-11 year the Marsh Valley School District received $83,731.00, the Pocatello-Chubbuck School District received $680,909.00, The Academy at the Roosevelt Center received $16,523.00, and the Pocatello Community Charter School received $13,871.00.  This money goes for maintenance.  For every dollar coming into the Lottery, about 25% of it goes to public schools and the Permanent Building Fund.

The Idaho Democrat Legislators have been having meetings throughout the state with three issues always being brought forward by the public: education, ethics, and jobs.  Thanks to all who came out for our legislative forum last weekend. There will be another forum in March.  You may contact me at esmith@house.idaho.gov.

Elaine Smith