Dist. 7 legislators look ahead to session

SANDPOINT — District 7 legislators gathered at Panhandle State Bank’s community room Thursday to talk some of the big issues with their northern constituents.

The informal meet-and-greet provided Sen. Sheryl Nuxoll and Rep. Shannon McMillan an infrequent opportunity visit the Panhandle residents of the large legislative district, which stretches from southern Bonner County to central Idaho.

The legislators discussed issues ranging from the implementation of the Idaho Health Insurance Exchange to Common Core State Standards.

With the latest numbers from Your Health Idaho indicating 4,700 Idaho families having completed applications and 3,305 applicants approved for the Advanced Premium Tax Credit, the health exchange has expanded substantially since a troubled Oct. 1 launch. However, both Nuxoll and McMillan said they are discouraged at what they see as a significant submission of state’s rights.

“I’m hoping for a repeal of the exchange, although I’m not sure if that’s possible,” Nuxoll said.

 Particularly troubling for the legislators is the looming deadline for an expansion to Medicaid services. Due to the Supreme Court ruling on the Affordable Care Act, it’s up for the states to decide whether or not they will expand Medicaid coverage, which would broaden coverage to Idaho’s poorest residents. A decision on this topic is expected by the end of the year.

“I think our job is to help people learn how to make a living,” Nuxoll said. “I don’t think it’s compassion to make people dependent or force doctors out of business.”

Common Core State Standards is another hot button issue that Nuxoll and McMillan said weighs heavily on their constituents’ minds. The new educational standards, which significantly escalate expectations for Idaho students, have been adopted by 45 states.

Some conservatives, however, see it as another aspect of federal control and are wary of its data-sharing component, testing and the impact to curriculum necessitated by those tests. McMillan and Nuxoll blast the standards as a one-size-fits-all solution that doesn’t work for Idaho.

“Every state is different, and every district of every state is different,” McMillan said. “I don’t see why we need the same English and math standards as states out east.”

The meet-and-greet piggybacked with a Bonner County Farm Bureau meeting, where guest speaker Ken Ivory, a Utah state representative and president of the American Lands Council, spoke about federal lands transfer. A subject McMillan and Nuxoll anticipate exploring in the coming legislative session, federal lands transfer proponents seek to gain state control of federally-controlled lands for an expanded tax base and access to natural resources.