Eye On Boise

Ways & Means meets, introduces Barrett bill on gold, silver, two others

Posted by Betsy

March 2, 2010 11:51 a.m. • 8 comments

The House Ways & Means Committee held one of its rare meetings today on adjournment of the House, the second time the leadership panel has met this session. Today, the committee voted along party lines, 4-3, to introduce legislation from Rep. Lenore Barrett, R-Challis, to make electronic transactions in gold and silver an alternative form of legal tender for paying bills or taxes in Idaho. “When we left the gold standard, we did not do a really good thing,” Barrett declared. She suggested her bill, if enacted, would attract businesses to the state who want to “come to Idaho and do a free-market business with gold and silver backing.”

The committee also voted unanimously to introduce two other bills: One from Rep. Mike Moyle, R-Star, to exempt “flaming” of mint fields from state field-burning laws - Moyle said there’s little plant material burned and little smoke released when that occurs; and the other a memorial from Rep. JoAn Wood, R-Rigby, to ask Congress to permit more use of “longer combination vehicle” trucks. It was the second Ways & Means Committee meeting this session. At the first, last Thursday, the committee introduced 10 new bills.

Eight comments on this post so far. Add yours!

63maddog on March 02 at 12:08 p.m.
Let’s all get this clear; Idaho is in a tailspin and this is the best these legislators can come up with?!?

There just aren’t any businesses who are looking for states that …”do a free-market business with gold and silver backing.” None. Zero. Zilch.

If I am wrong and there actually are credible businesses that can hire lots of workers but just can’t find a state that allows the trade to be conducted in gold and silver, then I’ll gladly pay out three hens, two geese, and forty gallons of whole milk as a penalty!

This is just bad lawmaking by people who have no business being in the legislature.
WildWest on March 02 at 12:30 p.m.
You can’t make this crap up, it insane…..!

Can Idaho survive this wacko right-wing activist legislative session?.

Ms. Barrett obviously is out of touch with reality and watches to much FOX NEWS.
BobEly on March 02 at 12:44 p.m.
Now you know why the legislature is raping education: they need an uneducated constituency to allow them to do this sort of “lawmaking”.
scootermom on March 02 at 12:51 p.m.
Squirrels.

Idaho is facing wolves at the door, and the legislature is busy chasing squirrels.
MountainGoat on March 02 at 3:57 p.m.
Maybe we could just make Snuggies legal tender. I bet there are lots of businesses looking to relocate where they can do a free-market business with Snuggie backing.
costaprettypenny on March 02 at 6:43 p.m.
Please adjourn, you are now even making your constituents look stupid!
State_of_Idiots on March 02 at 7:25 p.m.
Greatest Lenore Barrett editorial ever written!! (from 2007)

http://idahoptv.org/idreports/showEditorial.cfm?StoryId=27183

Writer claims she’s “channeling the spirits of Edmund Burke and Ayn Rand” and is “a backwoods version of Leona Helmsley”.

Idaho PTV is getting even with these morons in the Legislature; this is a hoot!
fortboise on March 02 at 7:35 p.m.
“Electronic transactions in gold and silver.”

Ah, OK. Most electronics have some gold and silver in them, is that what she’s talking about? Or are we looking to price items in “oz. Au” and ask our bank to send that on to the merchant?

Lenore Barrett, an Idaho original.