OPINION: The school facilities bill is the right thing, done in the wrong way
Jim Jones
The Idaho Supreme Court ruled in 2005 that the Legislature has the constitutional duty to provide for the construction and maintenance of safe public schools for Idaho children. The state has the primary responsibility for school facilities, not local property taxpayers. Those of us on the Court expected to see some legislative action to comply with the ruling, but little of substance has been done since then to get the job done.
In recent years there has been a growing chorus of responsible legislators, demanding that action be taken to comply with the constitutional mandate. Studies showing the deplorable condition of public school facilities and unrest amongst property taxpayers helped to fuel that chorus. This year, to his great credit, Gov. Brad Little called for spending $2 billion dollars over the next 10 years in an attempt to address the problem.
House Speaker Mike Moyle, who had not previously demonstrated a great deal of interest in school facilities, undoubtedly saw the growing groundswell for action and also recognized that corrective legislation would provide a great vehicle for a tax cut that would be popular with his voters. Thus was born House Bill 421, which calls for spending $200 million per year on school facilities, while reducing corporate and individual taxes by $60 million. It’s hard to figure out how that math works.
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