House unanimous for HB 630, boosting tax credit for donations to IPTV, other agencies

The House has voted unanimously, 69-0, in favor of HB 630, the bill co-sponsored by Gov. Butch Otter, Senate Tax Chairman Brent Hill, R-Rexburg, and House Majority Leader Mike Moyle, R-Star. “This is a good bill,” Moyle told the House. House Minority Leader John Rusche, D-Lewiston, said, “I think it’s a good avenue to increase the participation financially in these very important civic organizations.”

The bill would temporarily boost an existing tax credit for donations to Idaho schools, libraries, and Idaho Public Television, and also expand it to cover the state Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the Developmental Disabilities Council, the Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired, the Commission on Hispanic Affairs and the State Independent Living Council. Otter has said he’s trying to drum up “voluntary” support of those agencies, as they face cuts in state funding. The credit would increase to $500 for a single filer, from $100 now; and $1,000 for a couple, from $200 now. For corporate taxpayers, the maximum annual credit is increased to $5,000, from $1,000. The bill would bring an estimated $10 million more a year to the agencies, while only cutting state tax revenue $5 million, according to its fiscal note; the bill would expire in five years.