The legislative session did not end Friday as House and Senate leaders had planned. Splits over some key budgets have extended the session for at least another month.
Here's what happened on Friday before both chambers adjourned until Tuesday after the long Easter weekend.
Pronouns bill advances to Senate
The Senate State Affairs Committee narrowly advanced a bill that would ban teachers from using students' preferred pronouns without parental consent.
House Bill 538 provides broad protections for public employees, including teachers, who are reluctant to use someone else's preferred pronouns. This will impact not only students and government employees who are transgender, but also others who do not conform to the traditional male-female binary.
The bill protects employees from disciplinary action and provides a basis for employees to seek unlimited civil damages against their employers if they suffer adverse action for misbehaving with someone in the workplace.
“This bill is about protecting free speech,” said Sen. Chris Trakel, R-Caldwell, who co-sponsored the bill with Rep. Ted Hill, R-Eagle.
After a public hearing in which most commenters opposed the proposal, the Department of State approved the bill on a 5-4 vote. That included a representative from the American Civil Liberties Union of Idaho, who argued the bill could be unconstitutional and violate anti-discrimination protections in federal law.
“We are encouraging people to create hostile work environments and hostile school environments,” said Acting Sen. Mary Shea, a Democrat from Pocatello who replaced Sen. James Ruchti. “Unconstitutional violations of civil rights cannot be repared through legislation,” she said.
The bill now heads to the full Senate. It has already passed the House of Representatives in a party-line vote.
House approves public school budget
The House approved budgets for three public schools on Friday.
House Bill 757The bill, which passed unanimously, provides about $215 million to school districts for property tax relief. The money has been coming since last year. House Bill 292 And this year House Bill 521. The district must first use the funds to pay off existing bonds and levies and then use them to pay for new facilities.
House Bill 761 Provides $36.1 million in discretionary funding to school districts. It is part of a five-pronged approach to the provision of public school education. $145 million To account for funds lost due to this year's return to an attendance-based funding formula. The budget passed the House by a vote of 59 to 8.
House Bill 762 Provides approximately $27.6 million to state and federal programs administered by the Department of Education. This includes $20 million for the Career Ready Students program; Disability Innovation Partnership and $350,000 for suicide prevention, among other programs. The House approved the budget plan by a vote of 47 to 20.
The budget bill now goes to the Senate.