The Idaho Statesman from Boise, Idaho • 7

HOME 11 1 11 1 i Local Hie Idaho Shitesiniiii Tuesday January 31 1995 Business: Computers: When to upgrade and when to buy Page SB Editor 1 rodreka Schoutcn 377 6440 Inside: Education: Demand is growing for English as Second Language classes Page3B Section Lt Hunting may come to parks Rep Helen call to end the 123 year old bair on hunting in Yellowstone may sound like more nonsense from someone who says salmon endangered because thev i ome in cans Think again i vollev fired Thursday at Interior So long $6 million for engineering Micron withdraws offer to help fund programs at BSU By Julie Bailey the Idaho Statesman Micron Technology Inc has withdrawn its pledge to give the state $6 million for engineering education The offer was rescinded be cause the Idaho Board of Educa tion on riday refused to allow Boise State University to set up its own engineering school The board voted to expand the current cooperative program at BSU that is administered by the University of Idaho "With the state board saying no no one to give the money to at this point" spokes man Kipp Bedard said Monday Bedard spoke at a press con ference after Micron's annual meeting with shareholders He i also suggested that if the Legis lature intervenes on behalf of BSU offer will be back "The state board has made its decision but we understand the Legislature will pick up the is sue" Bedard said Lawmakers are trying to fig ure out how important an inde pendent engineering program at BSU is to Micron executives Some fear the company will ex pand outside Idaho if BSU given its own program Because it controls state reve Page 5B Research not expansion interests Micron sharehold ers nues the Legislature has the authority to Override the Board of Education Bedard said several members of board of directors believe engineering education will be a key factor in deciding which of 13 communities will get the expansion "I think everyone on the board feels the same said board member Jerry Hess of Nampa Hess wants BSU to have its own engineering program If nothing has been accom plished by the Legislature when Construction workers walk out About 120 construction work ers walked off the job at a Mi cron Technology Inc expan sion project Monday to protest the re assignment of three electricians The crew is expected back on the job today after talks Monday among officials with subcontractor Quality Electric Inc Micron Con struction Micron Technology and the Electrical Workers Local Union No 291 Quality Electric President Ken Holtz said the three men who sparked the protest were field supervisors working on $81 million test and assembly building The three were notified that they were being transferred to other duties "to shore up pro Holtz said In pro test they and about 120 others left their jobs Monday spent all day in meet ings and pretty much worked everything out" Holtz said "The people have been re instated and we are expecting everything to be business as usual tomorrow" the board is ready to decide that will weaken the chances that Boise or Nampa will be selected he said The two towns are contenders for the expansion Secretary Bruce Babbitt is another shot in the revolution not something wild or off the wall or half baked" said Sam Routson spokesman for Save Our Wildlife a group of ranchers farmers and others critical of current management policy Routson a former aide to ex US Sen Steve Symms knows the tables have turned "With the change in Congress going to be a general re evaluation of how we deal with natural'resources National parks should not be immune" Chenoweth Idaho's freshman Republican from the 1st District is in the thick of that reassessment Hunters not wolves She used her spot on the House Natural Resources Committee to ask Babbitt whv he wants to use wolves rather than hunters to reduce populations of bison elk and deer in Yellowstone His response was that Congress prohibited hunting in national parks End of storv mostlv true Special permit hunting of elk is allowed in Grand Teton) Well if Babbitt hasn noticed there a new crew in charge Chenoweth is making good on the JO promise to change the wav things have been done for 10 vears Chenoweth is on the House task force reviewing the Endangered Species Act and mav explore the hunting issue during the law revision Sen Dirk hempthorne ldaho also plavs a kev role It just seemed logical to me Chenoweth said Mondav Whv notallow hunting with the receipts cont ributed to the maintenance of the Chenoweth got national plav el lowst one svmbolizes what iiniiiv Americans think of when thev imagine a national park Created 1872 the oldest national park in the world 'I he I5()l)()() member National Parks and onservation Association a said Chenoweth' shows a lack of understanding of the principles and standards that guide nat Kina 1 park management National Park Service spokesman Dennis Burnett said the preservation ethic would be ruined: I here would be no reason to have national parks if hev were open to public hunting ellowstone spokeswoman Marsha Karie said allowing hunting would mean he end of roadside encounters with wild game "They would be a lot shier of people Now they know safe allies Congress may change that People shouldn take it lightly it not just Helen said John Eteemuth a Boise State political scientist I here ate people who agree But reemuth doubts Chenoweth could win a fight to allow hunting in parks Opening up the traditional older national parks to any kind of extractive activity is not supported But you never know" he said Chenoweth said the early returns are good had 102 calls about her comments 100 favoring her view a whole different world than two years said Rep Mike Crapo Idaho "Things are happening" You said you wanted a revolution Dan column runs Tuesday Thursday and Sunday Ideas: 377 6415 or 764243356(acompuservecom Gov Batt legislators Photos by Tom ShanahanThe Idaho Statesman By Marty Trillhaase The Idaho Statesman Age: 40 Spouse: Mike Occupation: homemaker Political background: Bannock County Republican chairwom an 1984 86 managed Boise appoints two new ields Risch are Age: 51 Spouse: Vicki Occupation: attorney mate With a Republican gover nor and an overwhelmingly GOP dominated legislature little reason to fight swimming with the cur rent instead of against it and I ve got to tell you very enjoyable" Risch said Still it's hard to imagine Risch staying still for long Not only did he win leadership races against the likes of Larry Marty Hill said he preferred Risch to Madsen during their 1992 primary election Hill like support of a 1990 anti abortion bill "I voted for Risch when he was in Hill said Even when he got beat I voted for him" Heading into his first session in six years Risch appears to be relatively low key Part of that is deliberate As a fresh Craig and Batt himself in the man supposed to keep a 1970s and 1980s but he also lower profile But it also re describes his best skill as man fleets the changed political cli See reshmen2B Pam Ahrens At right: Sen Jim Risch was appointed by Batt to fill the seat of Roger Madsen James Risch Political background: Idaho Senate 1975 1988 served as majority leader and president pro tern Gov Batt appointed two new state legislators for Ada county this month One Republican a Risch was a familiar face Risch 51 served 14 years in the state Senate and rose to be come its highest officer before he lost a 1988 re election bid Now he describes himself as the lowliest freshman" in that chamber The other Republican Deb bie ield 40 spent 19 years working to elect others with link Li zx I rl i i i i Photoc by Tom ShanahanThe Idaho Statesman ottice herself ield has been appointed to a House seat and Above: Rep Debbie ield Boise pictured in the Rotunda was she admits it's very different appointed by Gov Phil Batt earlier in the month to take the seat of from campaigning Both came to office because the people Ada County voters sent to the Statehouse ended up running departments for Re publican Gov Phil Batt Sen Roger Madsen Boise was named state Department of Employment director Legisla tive District 18 Republicans nominated Risch and Batt fi nalized the selection Rep Pam Ahrens Boise became Batts Department of Administration director The District 13 GOP gave ield its support and Batt appointed her The two new Ada Countv lawmakers sav thev don think it makes much difference that thev were appointed I share the same concerns of people who were ield said I have a feelingthat I 11 standing jie like thev do in two vears to run for the things 1 voted tin and sup ported Anne Carroll Darger a Boise homemaker and mother of five said she urged ield to seek the appointment I think Pam will do a good lob at administration and 1 thrilled to have Debbie repre sent me" Darger said In District 18 dairy farmer Debbie ield Mayor Dirk Kempthorne 1989 re election campaign and worked on campaigns for Gov Phil Batt and Sens Steve Symms and Larry Craig a 7 rant vs TW JJ 'T Ak jreawWfc: 7 V' A A Budget proposal would cap hikes in local taxes By Marty Trillhaase The Idaho Statesman After voting to reimpose a budget capon Idaho cities and counties legislative tax writers Monday put Gov Phil Batt's $40 million property tax cut on the fast track The full House could vote on the pack igi is i irlv is Wednes day setting the stage for early passage and all but settling the issue berore the budget writing committee be gins drafting spending bills House Revenue and Taxation Committee members held in re serve a competing plan that would allocate $40 million in property tax relief through lev ies used to support cities coun ties and school construction projects If passed Batt's plan would provide property taxpayers with Supermajority fails in Senate The Idaho Senate voted down a national GOP Contract With America plank that would have made it tougher to in crease taxes The measure would have re i quired a 60 percent superma jority before lawmakers could raise taxes By almost that margin 21 to 14 the Senate Monday rejected the proposed constitutional amendment All but one Senate Republican leader as well as half of the committee chairmen voted to kill the measure To take effect the measure would have needed the approv al of two thirds of the Senate passage by a similar margin in the House and then voter ap proval in the 1996 election "It surprises me and I'm very disappointed" said the sponsor Sen Rod Beck Boise Senate President Pro Tern Jerry Twiggs Blackfoot ar gued the Legislature needed the flexibility to pass tax in creases by simple majorities During the 1980s lawmakers narrowly passed tax bills to erase multimillion dollar bud get shortfalls PROPERTYTAX the equivalent of $1 per every $1000 their property is worth Batt campaigned on the idea and included it in his State of the State address new in the bill passed out of committee Monday is the budget cap on cities and counties If passed the cap would limit how much additional property tax revenue cities and counties could receive each year Local governments could take all the property tax generated by new construction plus 3 percent for inflation Overall that probably would mean a cut of 1 or 2 percent in property tax revenues for Boise SeeTuM2B Raindrops keep fallin but should ease off soon Statesman staff More rain is expected to fall this week soaking an already waterlogged Ada County The National Weather Service in Boise expects more warm storms to blow in from the west Wednesday and riday A little rain could fall today too fore caster Dan Borsum said Highs could be in the 40s this week Already Boise has seen 183 inches of rain so far this month above the 145 inches that usual ly falls by this time of year This weekend the rain is ex pected to taper off giving way to colder drier air from Canada The relatively warm and rainy weather this week expected to dampen the snow sculpture festivities at McCall Locals will begin building the 60 sculptures today and finish in time for judging riday got lots of fes tival Director Cheryl Hickman said Monday "and they main tain the sculptures every The sculptures will be up throughout town for people to see this weekend Then on Tues day professional sculptors will build their creations for viewing the following weekend Ski areas could benefit from the precipitation provided the temperatures cooperate Clarification To clarify a headline on Page 3B of Saturday's paper Mitchel John Odiaga was sentenced to life in prison on a conviction of two counts of second degree murder and ordered to serve a minimum of 24 years Odiaga who was given credit for four years served will be eligible for parole in 20 years re IsV'try St LEGMIRE.