Yes, the numbers ARE identical

Kevin Richert | 04/03/2013

For those who care only about the bottom line: the new K-12 budget proposal allocates $1,308,365,400 in general fund dollars.

Just like the budget the Senate rejected a week ago.

Now to the backstory.

DeanCameron77 — Sen. Dean Cameron, R-Rupert

In the aftermath of that surprise Senate vote, Sen. Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, said the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee would have to come back with a slightly different budget figure. The difference would need be only cosmetic, the longtime JFAC co-chair said at the time, but legislative rules would require the committee to make some modification, most likely downward.

Yet on Wednesday, the numbers came out just the same.

State budget analyst Paul Headlee explained the discrepancy, or lack of same. As a “privileged” legislative committee, JFAC would be able to run a virtually identical bill from committee. “The point is the committee is on very firm ground having the same dollar amount in the budget.”

Kevin Richert

Senior reporter and blogger Kevin Richert specializes in education politics and education policy. He has more than 35 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. He can be reached at [email protected]