Idaho House Clears Open Teacher Negotiations Bill

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A bill requiring open negotiations during teacher contract talks has unanimously cleared the House. The House voted 61-0 Friday to makes collective bargaining talks public and require school districts to post notices of all upcoming negotiating sessions.

The bill would also make all meeting minutes and contract offers subject to state open records laws. Both the Idaho Education Association teachers union and the Idaho School Board Association support for idea of open talks.

The legislation represents a rare point of agreement between school boards and the state teachers union, which have butted heads on several other bills introduced this session that resurrect portions of the "Students Come First" laws voters dumped at the polls last November. The bill has already passed the Senate and now heads to the governor's desk.