Cabela’s plan a step closer

BOISE – A House committee Friday helped pave the way for a new Cabela’s location in Post Falls by approving a bill allowing developers to pay for a new interstate interchange and be reimbursed by state sales taxes.

Backed by North Idaho lawmakers and House Republican leadership, House Bill 250 authorizes the Cabela’s developer to spend tens of millions on an Interstate 90 interchange for the proposed store. The House Revenue and Taxation Committee sent the bill to the full House despite some lawmakers’ concerns about its effect on state funding priorities.

Rep. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d’Alene, lead sponsor of the State Tax Anticipation Revenue financing bill, said he was encouraged that conservative members of the tax committee backed the measure.

“People that typically aren’t excited about major change in Idaho tax policy were very supportive of it,” he said.

Some committee members did express concern that the bill would eventually usurp existing sales tax revenue from the general fund, but the bill passed with only one objection. Proponents said Cabela’s would draw out-of-state visitors who don’t already pay sales taxes.

Darrell Manning, chairman of the Idaho Transportation Board, applauded lawmakers for considering “creative ways” to fund road improvements. Idaho has a “multi-billion dollar backlog of transportation needs that are not really funded,” he said, and the bill’s financing would help alleviate that problem.

Rep. George Sayler, D-Coeur d’Alene, agreed, calling the bill “a good approach toward creating infrastructure.”

The Cabela’s complex, developed by Foursquare Properties Inc., is expected to be the first to take advantage of the bill if it becomes law.

Once completed, the complex would create hundreds of jobs and generate millions of dollars in sales tax revenue, Nonini said.

Nonini expects the bill to be on a fast track and come up quickly for consideration by the full House.

Nonini’s co-sponsors include House Speaker Lawerence Denney and Majority Leader Mike Moyle, along with Rep. Frank Henderson and Sen. Jim Hammond, both Post Falls Republicans.

Moyle said the STAR issue is a “chicken and the egg debate.” Without the financing scheme, development might not occur, he said.

“If you don’t build the interchange, you’re not going to get anything,” he said.