March 19–BOISE — State budget writers slashed Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter’s request for $2 million to kill up to 500 wolves and shrunk the budget to a mere $400,000 on Tuesday.
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee voted 17-3 to provide funding for HB 470, which would create an oversight board to approve projects to kill wolves that prey on livestock or wildlife.
State Reps. Shirley Ringo, D-Moscow, Phylis King, D-Boise, and Sen. Dan Johnson, R-Lewiston, were the only lawmaker to vote no.
“If we were looking for $2 million and that was what we needed, but if we are cutting it back to $400,000, are we going to be coming back every year?” asked Sen. Dan Schmidt, D-Moscow.
“I think the plan is to come back every year,” said Rep. Marc Gibbs, R-Grace.
Gibbs said $400,000 over five years adds up to $2 million, but annual appropriations will give budget writers a chance to make sure the program is still effective.
A large reason the bill got less than half of its funding was the surprise bailout that JFAC was forced to make to the state’s high school broadband program, said state Rep. Maxine Bell, R-Jerome, in an interview with the Times-News earlier this month.
JFAC had to approve more than $10 million to make up for past-due and future payments to Education Networks of American, the state’s contractor on the broadband project. It’s money the federal government was supposed to pay for the state’s school broadband program but never did because the contract is being contested in court and reviewed by a separate government agency.
Just a few hours after JFAC passed the wolves funding in HB 470 — sponsored by Sen. Bert Brackett, R-Rogerson — the Senate voted 26-8. The bill now goes to the governor for his approval.
The legislation, which includes a sunset clause for 2019, calls for a five-member oversight board made up of directors from the state’s Department of Fish and Game and Department of Agriculture as well representatives from the livestock industry, public and sportsmen.
Along with the $400,000 from the state’s general fund, the board will receive money from the livestock industry and hunting license fees contributing $110,000 each year.
Brackett’s bill has received criticism that it’s unnecessary because the state already has a predator control board.
Brackett said that the bill allows for the board to use both lethal and non-lethal methods to address problematic wolves.
“Wolves are a special animal, they require special management,” he said.