Leaders will be listening

COEUR d'ALENE - The joint committee responsible for setting the budgets in the Legislature is taking listening to an unprecedented level this year.

For the first time, the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee is holding hearings to accept testimony from citizens on the public school and Health and Welfare budgets - two areas facing significant challenges, and potentially deep funding cuts or shifts.

"We felt that it was very important to hear from the people affected, that the people that pay for and require these services need an opportunity to voice their concerns," said JFAC Co-chair, Rep. Maxine Bell, R-Jerome.

The first hearing, on the public education budget, is scheduled 7 to 10 a.m. PST Friday. For those who wish to view the proceedings from North Idaho, it will be streamed live over the Internet on Idaho Public Television's website, www.idahoptv.org.

The joint committee's decision to take public testimony is unusual, Bell told The Press Wednesday by telephone from Boise.

Other legislative committees have previously heard from members of the public, but not JFAC. The budgeting committee generally receives testimony only from the state agencies whose budgets they are working on.

"We know they serve the people," Bell said.

But this time, JFAC members felt they needed to go deeper, and possibly even hear a solution that hasn't been considered.

More important to lawmakers though, is hearing from the people who will have to live with the budgets the committee decides on.

"They need to know that we understand," Bell said.

Lawmakers are used to navigating economic challenges when setting budgets, she said, but the slow rebound from the recession is proving especially daunting.

"Did you know we lead the nation in food stamps distribution?" Bell said.

There are no more "Band-Aids" to be used to put the budget together, she said.

"We've used our savings accounts, and our stimulus money. At this point there is not more sitting around," Bell said. "The economy is flat. The revenues are not there."

There are many people from throughout the state, especially from North Idaho, who won't be able to attend the hearings. Bell encourages those individuals to e-mail their comments to JFACtestimony@lso.idaho.gov. Any comments sent to this e-mail address will be added to the public record and distributed to the members of the committee.

The second JFAC public hearing, on the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare budgets, is scheduled Jan. 28.