Jeff Sayer, director of the Idaho Department of Commerce, was the first up to testify this morning at the personal property tax hearing. “I will in advance apologize to my peers who come from counties and cities,” he said. “We are in full support of eliminating this tax. We need to find and drive our costs and our operating costs for our businesses down to the lowest point we can possibly get, and eliminating this tax helps us get there.” He added, “It needs to include operating property. … There are companies associated with those assets, they do employ people, and in Idaho we don’t pick winners and losers. … We need to protect a level playing field for all companies.”

Donna Yule of the Idaho Public Employees Association was up next, supporting HB 272 and opposing HB 276. “Idaho now has the largest percentage of minimum wage workers in the country,” she said. “It’s time to realize much of the policies we are pursuing aren’t working for families and workers … when we cut revenues in such a way.” Said Yule, “You will allow 5,000 of Idaho’s biggest corporations to get out of paying their fair share of costs for Idaho’s … communities. … It’s time to stop giving tax cuts and start collecting adequate revenue … for Idaho’s future.”

John Fiedler, board chair of Catholic Charities of Idaho, spoke against the full repeal of personal property tax. “My message is really very simple and straightforward: We can’t afford it,” he said. “Struggling families and struggling counties cannot afford to lose this revenue.”

Many more people have now signed up to testify. By my count, there are about 40 who want to testify in favor of HB 272, the counties bill, and against HB 276, the IACI bill; another 15 or so, including representatives of the Idaho Chamber Alliance, want to testify in favor of HB 276.