Debt Ceiling Battle Sharpens
News Roundup Apr 25-27
US House Passes Budget
By a narrow 217-215 vote, the US House passed the ‘Limit, Save, Grow Act’. It still needs to clear the Senate and overcome a likely Biden veto, but it does put cards on the table on certain key issues.
Chief among them is raising the debt ceiling by $1.5 trillion. This saw four Republicans vote with the Democrats. If it were to pass, it would kick the debate over the debt ceiling out until March of 2024 or so.
If the two sides cannot come to terms on a budget deal, then the debt ceiling matter is looming in June.
Battle Continues at North Idaho College
While accreditation is still an open issue that will probably not be determined until June, the matter of who sits as President of the college continues to be a topic of heated debate.
Nick Swayne was appointed President by the State Board of Education last June to the objections of two of the five trustees. When the November election flipped the control of the trustees, Swayne was put on paid leave and another President was brought in. A court order saw Swayne reinstated in March, but on Monday night, the trustees voted 3-2 to nullify Swayne’s contract. He will remain as acting President as of now while the legality of the trustees actions is clarified.
Default Judgment Awarded to St Luke’s
Ammon Bundy has eluded arrest, but the civil trial resulted in a default judgment to St. Luke’s due to Bundy not appearing in court.
State Board of Ed Bans Diversity Statements
The move by Idaho’s State Board of Education goes into effect immediately and applies to all four of the state’s public colleges. The resolution prevents job applicants from having to sign diversity statements as a condition of hiring. In it’s decision, the Board stated that diversity statements result in employment decisions based on factors other than merit.
Ada Library Reverses Book Removal
The Ada County Library Board had removed six books from its library that had drawn criticism for being inappropriate for minors. The Board reversed course and restored the books when accused of violating Open Meeting Law for not giving community notice. The battle over inappropriate books is taking place in several areas of Idaho as well as in several states across the US.