Education
Teacher’s Unrest Grows Statewide
April 21, 2011 
Opposition to State Education Super Tom Luna and the reforms passed by the legislature is growing statewide.
We got word of the Reject the Luna Laws website today.
Teachers are seeking to recall the Super and repeal his legislation through a referendum. As we have noted before, both efforts are an uphill battle. It will take more votes to get rid of him at an August election than were cast last November…that’s after 20% of the registered voters sign a recall petition.
As for the referendum, the legislature can simply “repeal the repeal” at the next session. They have ignored citizen referendums in the past–including a term limits law passed by voters.
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© 2011 Boise Guardian. 
Apr 21, 2011, 4:47 pm
Taking a page from the Northwest carpenters union, how much does anyone want to bet that those solicitating signatures are high school students?
Apr 22, 2011, 10:19 pm
Hummmm, I almost never take issue with The Guardian’s statements (opinions can be another matter altogether)BUT I think there may be an slight unintentional error (or, more probably, confusion) in this story. There are three options for voters in this state to initiate a vote on something.
The Initiative, the Recall and the Referendum. Each state may differ to some extent upon each of these three options. In Idaho the Initiative is TO THE LEGISLATURE. That body is not bound by either the Constitution or by Law to follow the exact wishes of the voters IF the Initiative is “successful” at the polls.
The Recall is a call for a special election to review whether or not to retain a previously elected “official”.
The Referendum to a call for a vote OF THE PEOPLE on an issue which has already been acted upon by the Legislature.
Idaho is somewhat unusual in its use of the Initiative; in some states an Initiative MUST be considered, AS PASSED by the Legislature, in some other states an Initiative which attains a majority vote BECOMES law, when the Legislature endorses it, AS IT MUST, unless there is a conflict with the State or Federal Constitution.
So, these pesky Idaho Initiative are viewed by the Legislature NOT as specific directives, but as advisory actions by the citizens to “do something”. God and the Speaker alone know what that may be.
Apr 23, 2011, 8:20 am
You have to be 18 and an Idaho resident to legally collect signatures. Friday I ran into 5 signature collectors, three on 8th street and two in front of the library. All of them were paid collectors. I asked if they were working for the union and said they worked for “national ballot access.”. They said they didn’t know who was footing the bill but that they were making $10 an hour. They were telling people that “the Luna laws” would eliminate 25,000 teachers. Is that possible? Are there that many teachers?