Capitol watch: Education bills and animal cruelty legislation
ID House approves bill on early college graduation
BOISE (AP) - The Idaho House 58-12 to approve a program aimed at helping students complete one or two years of college by the time they graduate high school.
Republican Rep. Steve Thayn says students in his "8 in 6 Program" would take summer courses - with the state picking up a large portion of the tab - to finish their junior high and high school coursework early, and then get started on college.
The idea is students could complete junior high, high school and two years of college in six years not eight, hence the program's name.
Thayn predicts savings in the long run, with state funding fewer students for four years of higher education. But some lawmakers question how Idaho will come up with the initial funding for the summer courses.
Bill to tweak online class requirement approved
BOISE (AP) - A part of Idaho's new education laws that deals with online courses is getting a slight tweak.
The state is requiring high school students to take at least two online credits under changes lawmakers approved last year.
A bill that cleared the 2012 Idaho Legislature on Thursday would revise one of the new education laws, deleting language that defines an online course and says the instructor cannot be physically located in the same school in which the student is receiving the virtual instruction.
The provision aimed to ensure the state was providing distance education, as the new education changes intended. But lawmakers have since learned it could also cause problems, such as prohibiting a teacher from loading online course material in the same school where students are taking the class.
Idaho cattle group unveils animal cruelty bill
BOISE (AP) - An Idaho cattle group is backing legislation to punish third-time animal cruelty offenders with a felony, part of its bid to sap momentum from a voter initiative that would be even tougher on people who intentionally hurt animals.
The Idaho Cattle Association introduced a bill Thursday in the Senate Agricultural Committee to make a third animal-cruelty conviction within 15 years a felony crime punishable by a year in jail.
Its bill also narrows animal cruelty's definition.
Animal cruelty in Idaho remains a misdemeanor.
To change that, animal welfare groups including Stop Torturing Our Pets are gathering signatures for a 2012 ballot initiative.
Their initiative would define animal torture, make it a felony on first offense, and levy escalating punishments for cruelty that would become a felony by the third offense.