Perhaps the nicest thing we can say about the 2002 legislative
session is that it's
over.
This was a budget-driven session, one filled with rancor, arguments
and protests
- against the first-ever cut in school funding, against the Republican
Party's
closed-door caucuses, against the decision to repeal the term-limits
law twice
upheld by Idaho's voters.
This was a session that spared no one - not schools, schoolchildren,
colleges,
college students nor Medicaid recipients.
This was a session in which redistricting loomed large in the
back of many
minds.
This was, in short, no fun at all.
"I've never seen a Legislature so anxious to go home,"
House Speaker Bruce
Newcomb said a few days before the session ended.
Republicans left Boise saying they made the tough decisions
needed to balance a
budget left barren by the state's declining revenue stream.
Democrats left Boise saying that revenue stream was barren
in part because of
the tax cuts the Legislature passed in 2001.
"The Legislature mortgaged some of our future," said
Roger Sherman of United
Vision for Idaho, a watchdog group that lobbies for Medicaid patients
and
farmworkers. "It's going to take a long time to recover from
that."
Idaho's lack of money dominated the session and will be the
talk of this election
season until the economy finally turns around. But if that doesn't
occur soon,
things could get very interesting.
Consider that Idaho's revenues for fiscal year 2002 so far
are $174 million under
expectations - a number that could surpass $200 million if April's
numbers are
as poor as anticipated.
"I believe this Legislature and I have been responsible
in light of all that," Gov.
Dirk Kempthorne said.
Consider that Idaho is depending heavily on one-time money
to make ends meet
in fiscal year 2002. That's one-time money being used to meet
ongoing
obligations.
The Legislature used money from its tobacco settlement and
money from its
rainy-day fund. It delayed Capitol restoration indefinitely and
put several
construction projects on hold in case things get worse before
they get better.
Consider also that another $43 million in one-time money will
be used to get
through fiscal year 2003 - and that's only if the state gets the
2.5 percent growth
planned for next year.
"If the revenue stream comes in, it's a good budget,"
said Rep. Dennis Lake,
R-Blackfoot.
If not, the state will further raid its permanent building
fund, pushing back
construction projects on college campuses for years.
If that doesn't pay the bills, Kempthorne could face the grim
choice of calling for
more holdbacks or a special session.
"You know what the charge of a special session is, and
I don't want to go there,"
Newcomb said.
He may have no choice.
A special session would be called for one of two things, to
cut spending or
increase taxes. Neither choice would make legislators, many of
whom could find
themselves battling for their jobs in the May primary and November
general
election, very popular at home.
But popularity may no longer be an issue in some places after
the term-limits
repeal.
Term-limits advocates have already challenged the repeal in
the courts. They
plan to place another term-limits initiative on the November ballot.
And they
are promising to be very active in this year's elections, remembering
who voted
for repeal and who did not.
"I think there will be a huge repercussion from term limits,"
said Rep. Tom
Loertscher, R-Bone, who voted not to repeal the law.
And while term limits may be a huge issue in some parts of
the state, many
eastern Idaho legislators said they felt comfortable voting for
the repeal because
this part of the state has always been lukewarm to the issue.
"I don't feel like the Legislature was the least bit arrogant,"
said Rep. Dell
Raybould, R-Rexburg.
Many legislators called the 68-day legislative session the
toughest they've ever
experienced. Idaho's governor, however, is focusing on the positive.
Kempthorne said he thought the Legislature did about as well as it could have.
"I commend the Legislature for following my blueprint
to balance the budget and
make some tough decisions without raising taxes," Kempthorne
said. "Idahoans
have had to tighten their budget, and so has their government."
But for some Idahoans, this session was anything but positive.
Sherman said that because it preserved tax cuts at the expense
of public schools,
higher education and Medicaid patients, history will be anything
but kind to the
members of this Legislature.
"That's what they are going to be remembered for,"
Sherman said. "They did it
at the expense of children and families."
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