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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Eye On Boise

House passes two piecemeal transportation bills

A divided House has voted in favor of two piecemeal transportation funding bills: HB 310 from Rep. Jason Monks, R-Meridian, to shift the $16 million in gas tax fund that now goes to underwrite the Idaho State Police to road work, forcing the state general fund to pick up that $16 million in ISP costs, and also shifts millions more a year in general funds to roads; and HB 312, from House Transportation Chairman Joe Palmer, R-Meridian, to raise vehicle registration fees and impose new fees on electric and hybrid cars to raise a total of $20 million a year for roads.

House Appropriations Chair Maxine Bell, R-Jerome, was among those speaking against HB 310. “Let this budget stay stable and let’s find another way to take care of our roads,” Bell told the House, noting that Idaho long has struggled to have enough state troopers to patrol the state’s roads.

That bill passed on a narrow 39-31 vote; the registration fee bill on a 43-26 vote; both had bipartisan opposition. The votes send those bills over to the Senate side.



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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