Week 8

Welcome to Week 8 of Motivation Monday!

Are you ready to make your voice heard? Advocacy starts with a simple call , and we’ve got you covered with some quick tips to help you get started:

Quick Tips for Calling Your Legislators:
Be prepared: Write down key points about the issue you’re calling about.
Introduce yourself: Share your name, where you’re from, and why this issue matters to you.
Keep it brief: Be clear and concise with your message.
End with an ask: Politely request their support or action on the topic.

Check out these helpful resources to guide your journey:
https://legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/
https://ipulidaho.org/news/legislative_update
https://shorturl.at/CSXLj – IPUL’s Champion for Change – Power of a personal story Padlet

[Week 8] Legislative Update This Week’s Highlights:

Key Legislative Actions:

STATE – Idaho House Bill No. 93: Idaho Parental Choice Tax Credit

** As of February 27 Governor Brad Little has signed the bill into law.** Introduced in the House, this legislation aims to create a refundable tax credit to cover private school tuition, fees, tutoring, and transportation. It is currently awaiting a public hearing. Eligible families can receive a refundable tax credit of up to $5,000 per child not enrolled in public or charter schools, increasing to $7,500 for children with special needs.

STATE – Idaho House Bill No. 328: Medicaid Reform and Cost-Containment Act

Unlike its predecessor, this Medicaid reform bill omits many of the 11 policy changes included in Rep. Redman’s earlier Medicaid expansion reform-or-repeal proposal, which narrowly passed the full Idaho House last week. Unlike the previous bill, this new legislation does not tie reforms to the potential repeal of Medicaid expansion. Instead, the bill directs Idaho to submit a plan to the federal government for implementing “comprehensive Medicaid managed care,” which would shift Medicaid benefits management to private companies and eliminate the state’s current doctor-managed system, commonly known as value-based care.

STATE – Idaho House Bill No. 236: Denial of Attendance, Enrollment

**On February 24th House Bill No. 236 passed the House (61-0 with 9 abstaining), it will now move to the senate.** This bill expands reasons for denying school enrollment or attendance to include: habitual truancy, continues disruptive behavior, behavior deemed detrimental to the health and safety of other students, possession of a dangerous weapon, or previous expulsion or disenrollment due to safety concerns. Requires parents or guardians to disclose a student’s relevant criminal history when seeking enrollment.

STATE – Idaho House Bill No. 291: Idaho High Needs Student Fund

This bill establishes a fund to assist with costs related to students with disabilities who require substantial supports. The funding will be allocated to districts and charter schools through an application process overseen by the State Department of Education.

FEDERAL – Proposed Medicaid Spending Cuts:

The administration and House Republicans have proposed significant cuts to Medicaid funding as part of efforts to finance extensions of tax cuts. While some GOP members and President Trump have expressed reservations about reducing Medicaid benefits, the proposed cuts aim to address funding gaps for the $4.5 trillion in tax cuts over the next decade.

FEDERAL – Executive Order: Make America Healthy Again

President Trump signed this executive order on February 13th and its initial focus will be on addressing childhood chronic diseases. It is directed to assess the potential threat of over-utilization of medication and exposures to children with respect to chronic inflammation. It also includes a Make Our Children Health Again assessment. This assignment will evaluate the effectiveness of existing educational programs for nutrition, physical activity and mental health for children.

Get Involved!

You can use IPUL’s “Power of a Personal Story” template to craft testimony to share with legislators. Other testimony tips can be found in the padlet as well. You will find all our tips at this link https://shorturl.at/kSLOf

Looking Ahead:

Updates on upcoming legislative actions will be shared as they become available. Stay tuned!

Stay Connected: