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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Eye On Boise

Road funding bills chip away at shortfall in lieu of broad plan

Idaho House members are slowly chipping away at addressing the state's transportation funding shortfall, the AP reports, providing the only solution thus far this session as legislative leaders struggle to gather support for a comprehensive transportation bill. House committees have considered proposals that would provide up to $40 million in combined funding and savings for Idaho's crumbling roads and bridges — still far short of the $262 million annual shortfall. Another $281 million per year is needed for improvements.

AP reporter Ryan Struyk reports that House Transportation Chairman Joe Palmer, R-Meridian, is saying he doesn't think a comprehensive plan will pass this session, even though the multimillion-dollar deficit has been clear to legislators since 2010. "You're not going to see a big (bill) at this point," he told the AP on Monday, while noting that things could change. Meanwhile, House Majority Caucus Chair Rep. John Vander Woude, R-Nampa, said he remains optimistic a sweeping plan will come together, and he's continuing to hold talks this week. You can read Struyk’s full report here, including a rundown of the three bills in progress so far, HB 95 to exempt road materials from sales taxes; HB 145, on charging sales taxes for some out-of-state purchases of off-road vehicles and trailers; and HB 132, which would alter taxes on special fuels.



Betsy Z. Russell
Betsy Z. Russell joined The Spokesman-Review in 1991. She currently is a reporter in the Boise Bureau covering Idaho state government and politics, and other news from Idaho's state capital.

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