Senate Tax Chairman Brent Hill, R-Rexburg, says he's not likely to introduce local-option tax legislation in his committee this year, even though House Speaker Lawerence Denney said he saw no problem with senators doing so - since Denney's blocking such bills from being considered in the House unless they contain a constitutional amendment. "My internal count in the House committee indicates there's not sufficient support ... to get it through," Hill told Eye on Boise today. "I'm not interested in making members of the Senate go on record on that issue if there's no chance to get it realized."

Hill said he's actually not a big supporter of local-option taxes. "I would not support a local-option tax in my community - I'd probably campaign against it," he said. "My point is people ought to have that right to make that decision for themselves," rather than having state lawmakers "dictate" it for them. "I guess I just have confidence in the local governments and the local citizens, that they'll do what's best for their community. ... It's the principle of local control."

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