End of Week Update for the Legislature:
On Monday the Senate passed HB 214 which amends and strengthens Idaho’s paternity statutes. The legislation is intended to make sure that at the end of an adoption all parties can feel contentment and a sense of peace. The Senate Education Committee had a busy afternoon passing a slate of bills: H 206, H 221, H205 and S 1148. All of these bills were sent to the amending order on the Senate calendar.
Tuesday, the Senate Commerce Committee heard public testimony on HB 248 (the House bill on the state exchange). After public testimony the bill passed the Committee on an 8-1 vote. Much of the debate against was more against Obamacare vs. the choice of a State or Federal Healthcare Exchange in Idaho. The bill went to the floor of the Senate for debate. The full Senate passed S 1136. This bill bans the formula of two new forms of synthetic cannabis and aims to keep Idaho’s citizens safe from harmful substances.
Wednesday morning the State Affairs Committee heard testimony on the"Add the Words” legislation. This legislation would ban workplace and housing discrimination based on sexual orientation. The actual legislation is not going to come up this session. The Senate unanimously passed House Concurrent Resolution 019. HCR 019 is intended to showcase the problem of physical inactivity and poor eating habits and increase awareness of the role of nutrition and physical activity in a healthy lifestyle. This HCR will also aid in writing and securing grants and foundation dollars for needed projects, interventions and research to improve the health and reduce healthcare costs for citizens in Idaho. Later in the evening the Senate voted on several amendments relating to education bills HB 206, HB 221, SB 1147 and SB 1148. The bills will be amended and returned to the reading order to be voted on at a later date.
Thursday, the Senate took up HB 248 (state exchange). After meaningful 3+ hours of debate and conversation the bill passed and has been sent to the Governor.
 I voted for this bill as I believe an Idaho, non-profit, exchange can/will protect the Idaho citizens and businesses that end up using the exchange until the ACA is eliminated or modified to focus more on the delivery COSTS of healthcare instead of what we are paying for it through insurance (the PRICE).
Friday, the Senate passed SB 1149. SB 1149 would require that both School Boards and Teacher's unions show good faith in school contract negotiations by proving they have majority support of their members. The Health and Welfare committee had a joint Senate and House session to review the department and Governor's recommendation to expand Medicaid. It pencils out over a 10 year period and would do away with the Catastrophic Care Fund and potentially lower county property taxes and payments for indigent healthcare now paid for by both the State and Counties. The concern I have is that the analysis of that 10 years is based upon the federal government payments for Medicaid to remain flat. I have concerns that the feds can't continue to borrow 40% of what we are now being paid for Medicaid, that must come to an end soon. If that happens in the next 10 years, as I suspect it must, I am concerned that expanding Medicaid will still pencil out in the State's favor.
http://chumly.com/n/1b1007e