Legislative budget committee directs federal funds to various programs
Apr. 16—The Idaho Legislature's joint budget committee approved five modest distributions of federal stimulus funds Thursday in Boise, including $40.3 million for COVID-19 testing in all public and private K-12 schools.
Dave Jeppesen, director of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, said details on the coronavirus testing program are still being developed.
"This is an award we were just made aware of this week," he told the committee. "We currently don't have a (COVID-19) vaccine for those under the age of 16. We want to make sure we have an ability to understand what the disease activity might be. The main goal is to ensure that we keep our kids in school, that we give schools the best shot possible at returning to a normal, in-school session in the fall."
Jeppesen said the testing would be voluntary. However, the agency is still determining exactly how the money would be distributed to schools.
That uncertainty raised concerns for several committee members.
"While this may be a great idea, and I want to be supportive of things that make the state better, but I'm quite concerned about voting for a $40 million expenditure when there's no plan how to expend it," said Sen. Carl Crabtree, R-Grangeville.
Crabtree, together with Rep. Priscilla Giddings, R-White Bird, were two of the seven votes against the appropriation. Rep. Caroline Troy, R-Genesee, supported the measure, which passed 12-7 and now goes to the House and Senate for further action.
The committee also approved four other allocations of federal American Rescue Plan funding, which will also next go to the House and Senate, including:
* $2.3 million for the Idaho Commission for Libraries to pay for various services, such as broadband access, computers, digital literacy, e-books, and other digital content and tech services for libraries and patrons.
* $10.15 million for the Department of Health and Welfare's Division of Public Health, to pay for additional COVID-19 vaccination efforts.
* $14 million in additional funding for an existing low-income energy assistance program, which provides crisis payments for people who are in danger of having their electricity and natural gas disconnected for nonpayment of bills. Giddings was one of two committee members to oppose the bill; Troy and Crabtree supported the measure.
* $3.125 million in additional funding to help child care providers deal with the financial impacts from the coronavirus pandemic.
State agencies have submitted more than three dozen requests for portions of the nearly $2.5 billion in federal ARPA funds that require legislative appropriation. The joint budget committee will take action on some of the requests before the Legislature adjourns for the year; others will be postponed until lawmakers return for the 2022 session.
Spence may be contacted at bspence@lmtribune.com or (208) 791-9168.
