The Senate on Friday overwhelmingly rejected a bill that would have added private school tuition grants to the Empowering Parents program.

Sen. Dave Lent’s bill would have increased annual spending on Empowering Parents from $30 million to $50 million, hiked annual grant awards from $1,000 to $5,000 and added private school tuition as an eligible expense.

Senate Bill 1025 likely wouldn’t have advanced in the House, anyway. House GOP leadership backs a competing proposal, House Bill 93, to create a refundable tax credit covering non-public school expenses.

Lent, R-Idaho Falls, on Friday touted the “minimum threshold of accountability” for public spending in his bill. It called for income eligibility restrictions, a $50 million spending cap and standardized testing. It also would have barred participating private schools from discriminating based on religion, disability or race.

“It’s really meant to strike a balance between the flexibility that we would like to see our private, religious schools utilize and the accountability that we need on our side of the fence.”

The bill ran into strong, bipartisan opposition Friday and failed by a 6-28 vote.

Senate Minority Caucus Chair Janie Ward-Engelking said she was opposed to supporting private, religious education with public dollars, particularly while public schools rely on local levies to supplement state funding.

“We have not met, in my opinion, our constitutional duty to adequately fund public schools,” said Ward-Engelking, D-Boise.

SB 1025 originally promised public schools $30 million in additional special education funding, but the Senate removed this section Thursday.

Sen. Brian Lenney said he not only opposed the bill but also Empowering Parents overall. The grant program helps parents buy “stuff” that has little to do with “educating children,” said Lenney, R-Nampa.

“I would rather see something like this be repealed, and then we take the money we’re currently spending on Empowering Parents and roll that into a program that focuses on actual education, not just giving parents handouts.”

Lenney in 2023 co-sponsored a bill that would have created a universal education savings account program with eligible expenses similar to Empowering Parents. In addition to private school tuition, Lenney’s ESA proposal would have funded costs for textbooks, curriculum, testing fees, computer hardware, uniforms, transportation costs and therapies, among other things.

Sen. Van Burtenshaw was one of just six senators who cast “yes” votes on SB 1025 Friday. Burtenshaw, R-Terreton, tip-toed around mentioning the other private school bill awaiting a vote by the Senate. (Per Senate rules, referring to other pending legislation is prohibited during floor debates without unanimous consent from the body.)

But Burtenshaw managed to say that SB 1025 “most closely represents what the gentleman on the second floor asked us to do,” referring to Gov. Brad Little’s promise of $50 million for a private school choice program that’s “fair, responsible, transparent and accountable.”

“I don’t like any of this, to be honest with you,” Burtenshaw said. “But the door was opened up by the gentleman on the second floor.”

House Bill 93 — which is co-sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Lori Den Hartog — is on the Senate’s third reading calendar. The Senate could take it up early next week.

New bill would require Ten Commandments in public schools, colleges, universities

Idaho public schools, colleges and universities would be required to display the Ten Commandments under a bill introduced Friday.

Similar to a Louisiana law that’s mired in court, the bill would direct all institutions governed by the Idaho State Board of Education to display the Ten Commandments in a “conspicuous” location.

A federal judge in November temporarily blocked the Louisiana law from taking effect, ruling that a group of public school parents would likely succeed in their lawsuit arguing it is unconstitutional. The Associated Press reported on the ruling.

The Idaho version is sponsored by Sen. Glenneda Zuiderveld, R-Twin Falls, and Rep. Faye Thompson, R-McCall.

“This bill will affirm for students, staff and the general public the historical, traditional and ongoing significance of the values held in the document,” the bill’s statement of purpose says.

Schools, colleges and universities would have to display a “durable poster” or “framed copy” of the Ten Commandments that’s at least 16 inches wide and 20 inches tall.

The House Education Committee voted to introduce the Ten Commandments bill, without discussion, alongside four other draft bills Friday.

Rep. Douglas Pickett, R-Oakley, chairman of the committee, recommended introducing four proposals in a single motion to preserve time for a well-attended public hearing scheduled for later in the meeting.

Three committee members objected. “I just object to mass approvals of” draft bills, said Rep. Lance Clow, R-Twin Falls. Reps. Monica Church, D-Boise, and Jack Nelsen, R-Jerome, agreed.

But a motion in favor of the sweeping introductions passed, and the committee altogether printed five new bills Friday. Lawmakers only discussed Rep. Shawn Dygert’s bill that amends a law dealing with school boards’ rights to deny enrollment to students with severe behavior issues.

“It tightens up some language for school boards to be able to identify dangerous individuals that would be applying for attendance,” said Dygert, R-Melba.

The committee also introduced:

• A new version of Rep. Barbara Ehardt’s previous proposal aimed at protecting free speech rights on college and university campuses.
• Another replacement bill from Ehardt, R-Idaho Falls, that requires public school parents to opt-in to sexual education for their children.
• A bill making public school transfer students immediately eligible for sports. Pickett is the sponsor.