Senator Kevin Cook - District 32
This past week ….
The 2025 legislative session is off to a busy start as we work to serve the people of Idaho responsibly and effectively. From budget discussions and education policies to innovative ideas for school buildings, we’re tackling key issues that impact our state. I want to share an update on our progress and what’s ahead.
Sen Kevin Cook
Contact:
- (208) 332-1358 (Session Only)
- kcook@Senate.idaho.gov
Committees:
Education
Joint Finance Appropriations
Resources & Environment
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Budget Discussions in Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee (JFAC)
As a member of the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee (JFAC), I help set the budgets for the state of Idaho. One of our priorities is reviewing programs that have historically received automatic funding. Last year, we shifted several of these programs to one-time funding rather than ongoing, ensuring their effectiveness is regularly re-evaluated. This approach allows us to evaluate their return on investment (ROI) and determine if taxpayer dollars are spent wisely.
This year, I’m taking a deep dive into 21 budgets, including the largest ones from the Department of Health and Welfare. Over the past few weeks, I’ve spent many hours meeting with program managers, asking them to justify their budgets and demonstrate the value of their programs. It's a time-consuming process, but ensuring your tax dollars are used effectively is worth it.
On Friday, the JFAC committee voted to approve the State Maintenance budgets, totaling $12.6 billion. These bills will now move to the Senate and House of Representatives for a vote.
Change in Employee Compensation (CEC)
This week, JFAC considered proposals for changes to employee compensation and benefits. Two motions were presented:
1. A flat $1.55 per hour raise for all state employees.
2. My proposal: A $1.55 or 4% raise (whichever is greater), distributed based on merit.
Let me share a scenario to explain the difference:
Imagine two employees, Joe and Jim, working the same job. Joe works hard, arrives early, stays late, and constantly looks for ways to improve. Jim, on the other hand, arrives late, leaves early, and spends much of his time watching videos on his phone.
Under the flat raise proposal, Joe and Jim would both receive the same $1.55 raise. However, under my merit-based proposal, their manager could reward Joe’s hard work with a larger raise and give Jim a raise that reflects his performance.
Merit-based systems motivate employees to strive for excellence, maintain high standards, and foster innovation. Unfortunately, we ran out of time before voting on these motions. Stay tuned for updates as we revisit this issue.
As Vice-Chair of the Senate Education Committee, I’ve been busy reviewing new education rules. One proposed rule that has caught my attention involves replacing the required high school communications credit with a technical computer class.
As a software engineer, I wholeheartedly support preparing students for a technical future. They need to understand how to use tools like artificial intelligence and navigate the internet safely. However, I believe computer literacy should be introduced much earlier—starting in elementary school.
Communication skills are just as critical when preparing our high school students for the future. In my experience interviewing candidates for jobs and internships, communication is often a skill most young people lack.
Communications classes teach essential skills like public speaking, conflict management, group communication, media literacy, and more. A former director at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) once said, “We can reteach hard skills, but we can’t make better communicators.”
Our students need both computer and communication skills to succeed in today’s world. For this reason, I cannot support the removal of the communications credit.
I also serve on the Model School Facility Committee, which met for the first time this week. Our goal is to design building plans for schools that can be reused across Idaho, saving school districts millions of dollars.
For example, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints standardizes its buildings. While the layout of each church building is consistent, small adjustments are made to meet the needs of the local community. We’re aiming for something similar— standardized school designs with interchangeable components that prioritize best practices for learning environments while allowing room for future expansion.
This modular school design will help districts save on construction costs while still creating schools that meet the specific needs of students and communities.
Children’s Protection Device Act
I will be meeting with Google to discuss their concerns regarding my Mobile Device bill. The goal of this bill is straightforward: if a mobile device is activated in Idaho for use by a minor, parental filtering should automatically be enabled. This is a commonsense measure to prioritize the safety and well-being of our children. My hope is that Google will come to the table with constructive options, rather than simply stating it cannot be done.
Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee (JFAC)
As a committee, we will continue to meet daily at 8:00 AM, where we will hear presentations from budget analysts and state agencies regarding their proposed budgets. Next week, we plan to vote on 6 to 8 smaller enhancement budgets. We also remain focused on reaching a compromise on state revenue and employee compensation. I’m optimistic that we will find common ground that benefits both Idaho’s workforce and our fiscal priorities.
The legislative session is just beginning, and there’s a lot of work to do. I’m committed to making decisions that reflect Idaho’s values and serve the best interests of our state.
Thank you for the opportunity to represent you. Your feedback is always welcome—please feel free to reach out. Together, we will continue to build a stronger Idaho.
-Senator Kevin Cook
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