IEA rips collective bargaining bills

A second round of bills, modeled after the defeated Proposition 1, amount to another round of “teacher attacks,” according to the Idaho Education Association.

On Tuesday, the House Education Committee printed three bills containing elements of Proposition 1, the collective bargaining law rejected by voters on Nov. 6. This came one day after the Senate Education Committee introduced four collective bargaining bills.

The next step: stakeholder meetings. Representatives of several education groups — including the IEA and the Idaho School Boards Association, which is sponsoring the bills — are slated to meet this afternoon with Senate Education Committee Chairman John Goedde and House Education Committee Chairman Reed DeMordaunt, according to an IEA news release.

The IEA opposes the seven bills.

“Just as we have been doing since the beginning of the legislative session, IEA representatives will engage in conversations about all of these proposals. However, we do so with the knowledge that legislators are once again heading down the same path that forced voters to demand a voice through the referendum process.

“Contrary to what the ISBA or some legislators may believe, process does matter.”

Tuesday’s House committee hearing, like Monday’s Senate hearing, was brief; lawmakers quickly voted to print the ISBA bills. The House hearing was somewhat less contentious, with two of the three bills introduced on a unanimous voice vote. The other five bills were printed on party-line votes.

For a full rundown on the bills, here’s our Monday story from the Senate committee and our Tuesday story from the House side. And here’s what the ISBA has to say about the bills.

Kevin Richert

Kevin Richert

Senior reporter and blogger Kevin Richert specializes in education politics and education policy. He has more than 30 years of experience in Idaho journalism. He is a frequent guest on "Idaho Reports" on Idaho Public Television and "Idaho Matters" on Boise State Public Radio. Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KevinRichert. He can be reached at [email protected]

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