The Senate Education Committee voted unanimously to send SB 1317, SB 1318 and SB 1319 to the floor with a recommendation that they “do pass.” These bills, supported by the IEA, school administrators and school boards associations extend for an additional year, the sunset provisions attached to the three labor laws passed last year.
SB 1317 extends the sunset date on the law that requires RIF decisions be made by the local school board and encourages the board to adopt a policy establishing how to recall individuals who were subject of a RIF, a law IEA supported last legislative session. SB 1318 extends for one year, the sunset on the law that requires all negotiations to be completed by June 10 of each year. If bargaining has not concluded, the district will impose its last, best offer. It also allows either party to call for mediation, as long as the mediation is completed before June 10th. IEA opposed this legislation last session. SB 1319 extends the one-year sunset on the law that gives the local school boards sole authority to reduce or increase contract days and/or reduce or increase the salary of employees for any reason or no reason whatsoever and further deny an individual due process hearing for affected employees. It also allows, in very limited circumstances and for a limited period of time, districts to lower contract days with or without concurrence through the negotiations process. IEA also opposes this law.
The purpose for extending the sunsets on these three pieces of Idaho Code will allow for additional time for the collection of data to show whether or not the laws are working. If the laws are proved to be ineffective, they will be removed from the books.
