Senator
Nuxoll's weekly newsletter
 hearing
on this issue. Although there is a need to help many people, the mood of
the legislature has been to work on alternatives to this issue.
Our Founding Fathers never envisioned the federal government in distribution
of wealth. Many are hoping for the state to start a new state program of
expansion that requires state money. Some of us are still working on other
alternatives for helping those in need, especially requiring a financial
plan for those people to climb out of the entitlement system.
A School Based Medicaid and Therapy Services rule was passed, although I voted against it. The schools are mandated by the feds to provide education and therapy services for all children immediately upon entrance to the school, including the develop-mentally disabled. Many times, due to the lack of an immediate signature of a doctor and the load of paperwork, the rural school district gives up and loses the Medicaid money so the taxpayer pays twice for this service. The Dept of Health and Welfare argued with the School Superintendents and School Boards that the rule did not need to be changed. Since I trust the people more than the government, I voted against the rule. Isn’t our country a government by the people? In Finance, the Depart-ment of Lands gave a presentation on fires. These fires cost the state around $65 million for 2015. The state has granted them more money for personnel to fight fires for their 6.3 million acres of timber land for next year. The Fish and Game has a request for $2 million for a conservation easement of 13,000 acres held in perpetuity in Bonner County called the Clagstone Meadows Forest Legacy Project. Stimson Lumber Company wishes to sell the development rights. Idaho Department of Lands is also involved in this request, receiving $5.5 million from the USDA for this purpose. Although this is meant to be a game and timber reserve, I definitely have issues with easements that are in perpetuity. The Department of Administration at the request of the governor wants to raise employee wages 3%. The employees are also receiving the benefit of $13 million that will be paid for their health insurance. It seems that the department did not realize that Blue Cross costs would go up so fast (due to Obamacare), so they are willing to pay the total increase in premiums because the department has said the increase in premiums would take up to half the increase in their wages. I wonder why the increase is not paid as an increase in wages since that is what it is. I have an issue with the lack of transparency that it creates because the public doesn’t see how much extra benefits state employees receive. Non-governmental citizens pay for their own increase in health insurance. Please contact me if you have questions. Sen. Sheryl L. Nuxoll Idaho State Senate (208) 332-1355 (Direct line) (208) 332-1417 (Assistant’s line) snuxoll@senate.idaho.gov |
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