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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Eye On Boise

A four-part plan…

Rep. Ken Roberts, R-Donnelly, right, presents a transportation funding proposal to other members of the House Ways & Means Committee on Thursday afternoon. (Betsy Russell / The Spokesman-Review)
Rep. Ken Roberts, R-Donnelly, right, presents a transportation funding proposal to other members of the House Ways & Means Committee on Thursday afternoon. (Betsy Russell / The Spokesman-Review)

The House Ways & Means has introduced two new bills, one with Rep. Frank Henderson's car registration fee bracket change, which raises $3.1 million a year; and one with the $13.1 million in annual increases in DMV fees. The idea, House GOP leaders said, is for a four-part plan: Those two bills, plus another already introduced to repeal the fuel tax exemption for ethanol; plus another that's still being worked up to shift a portion of Idaho's future general fund growth into road work. The idea of looking at sales taxes from auto parts, tires and related purchases was cited as fitting in with that general fund shift idea.

House GOP Caucus Chairman Ken Roberts, R-Donnelly, said the first three bills would raise more than $30 million a year. The general fund shift idea, which still is being developed, would apply an economic trigger, but instead of triggering a gas tax hike, a upsurge in growth in the state would instead trigger a deposit from the general fund into the state highway fund. One possible amount that's been kicked around is 2 percent of the general fund, or about $50 million.

 



Eye On Boise

News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.