Spokane7
42°Quick links: 2012 graduating seniors • Summer camp guide • Jobs: The Road Ahead • Prep sports • News quiz
Two House GOP leaders have hatched a plan to use $45 million from the federal economic stimulus to cut corporate tax rates, and floated the idea to IACI, Idaho Statesman political columnist Dan Popkey reports today. You can read his full report here. The plan, from House Majority Leader Mike Moyle, R-Star, and House Assistant Majority Leader Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, might not fit with the rules for federal stimulus funds, and it got a decidedly cool reception from the co-chairs of the Legislature’s joint budget committee. House Appropriations Chair Maxine Bell, R-Jerome, told Popkey, “How can you do that in this climate - give a corporate tax break while you’re trimming education and state employees?” Senate Finance Chair Dean Cameron called it “foolishness,” saying, “We would be laying off people from decent-paying jobs, furloughing people, reducing salaries. We’d love to recruit jobs, but our approach is to save the jobs people currently have.”
A couple of other downsides to the plan: It’s up to the governor how to apportion the chunk of federal stimulus money the two have in mind, and he hasn’t signed on; and the last time Idaho granted permanent tax cuts with one-time money (in that case, a state budget surplus), it played havoc with the state budget for years, including forcing the first-ever permanent, mid-year holdback in education funding in 2002.
999 W. Riverside, Spokane, WA 99201
P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210
Main switchboard: (509) 459-5000 • (800) 338-8801
Newsroom: (509) 459-5400 • (800) 789-0029
Customer service: (800) 338-8801
© Copyright 2012, The Spokesman-Review
Terms of use • Privacy policy • Copyright policy
thomg57 on March 11 at 8:09 a.m.
Tax cuts for BUSINESSES?!?!?! Now? Who elects these people?
Sisyphus on March 11 at 8:29 a.m.
Its worse than that Thom. Instead of the legislators hearing a pitch from IACI, it was actually House leadership lobbying the lobbyists. We’re deep into bizarro world.
BluNorthern on March 11 at 8:29 a.m.
The citizens of Idaho vote them in, and will continue to do so, regardless.
Sisyphus on March 11 at 9:45 a.m.
Wow, after reading it I realize they are trying to give stimulus money to IACI.
Lisa on March 12 at 8:32 a.m.
Isn’t that tax cuts for LARGE Businesses and Corporations?…thats always been the way in Idaho Politics.