Lawmakers Stall Request for Stand-In for Deaf and Blind Board

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A legislative panel is stalling Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra's request to appoint a substitute to lead a board supporting students who are visually impaired or have hearing loss.

The House Education Committee voted to hold the bill Wednesday after lawmakers questioned the wording and need for the bill. Tim Corder, the superintendent's special assistant, told lawmakers that appointing someone would bring continuity to the eight-member board.

According to the bill, Ybarra would be able to appoint a replacement to chair the board of Idaho's Educational Services for the Deaf and the Blind. Republican Rep. Patrick McDonald from Boise asked why the superintendent couldn't attend the meetings. The panel could still pick up the bill at a later time.