The formal reading of bills across the desk in the House this morning went on – and on. At its end, House Speaker Bruce Newcomb commented, “We just read another 33 bills across the desk. I just went through 33 more bills that are just…
The vote in the House Rev & Tax Committee to send a bill increasing the homeowner’s exemption to the full House with a “do-pass” recommendation – with only one committee member dissenting – is historic. Since 1982, similar legislation has been proposed in 11 different…
Both the House Rev & Tax Chair, Rep. Dolores Crow, R-Nampa, and Rep. Dennis Lake, the co-chair of an interim committee on property taxes, say they’re thrilled that there’s been so much progress this week toward addressing property tax issues in the Legislature.“I think it’s…
After long and heartfelt debate – including many compliments for Rep. Ken Roberts, R-Donnelly, for his creativity in fashioning HB 505 to replace all property tax funds for school operations with a 1 cent sales tax increase – the bill went down on a 7-12…
Up in the Gold Room of the state Capitol, the hearing that just wrapped up featured sign language interpretation of every word uttered, for an audience that included more than a dozen deaf students. The bill that was up for hearing, SB 1316, sets standards…
Among the 14 property tax reform bills that just went down to defeat in Rev & Tax were HB 503, by Rep. George Eskridge, R-Dover, and HB 455, by Rep. Bill Deal, R-Nampa. Eskridge’s bill, which had seven co-sponsors, would have capped increases in annual…
Subdivision developers in the state’s three most-populated counties would get a big property tax break, under legislation introduced Tuesday morning in the House Rev & Tax Committee. The bill “puts a legitimate process in place for developers to be assessed and taxed on lots they…
The state budget, the school facilities lawsuit, increased school enrollment, the sale of Albertson’s – all were discussed by the Senate Majority Caucus behind closed doors, according to Caucus Chair Brad Little, R-Emmett. “Since the governor developed his budget, things have changed,” Little said.He said…
Locations of upcoming field burns would no longer be state secrets in Idaho, under legislation introduced in a House committee this afternoon. “This was requested by our sheriff and our emergency services,” said Rep. Tom Trail, R-Moscow, who’s sponsoring the bill along with Sen. Shawn…
Bonner County Commissioner Karl Dye told the House Rev & Tax Committee this morning that the Intermountain West is becoming the “Third Coast” – the place where people want to retire and live out their life in a beautiful setting. That’s pushing up local property…
Idaho water bodies are being taken over by a nightmarish monster, according to state Agriculture Director Pat Takasugi – as Eurasian water milfoil multiplies and its thick mats of plants fill the waters.“Swimmers have actually drowned in it, boaters have lost boats, and fishermen, obviously…
The state Change in Employee Compensation Committee, a panel of legislators charged with recommending how much state employees should get in raises next year, met in a hastily called session today, with the aim of recommending more money – possibly another 2 percent, on top…
Sen. Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint, missed the vote on introducing the higher truck speed limit bill in committee yesterday because she’d been called by leadership into a meeting on budget issues. “And I missed Health and Welfare because we were meeting on school facilities,” said a…
The Idaho Transportation Department had just finished briefing the Senate Transportation Committee on the process it goes through to set speed limits in Idaho, when Committee Chairman Skip Brandt, R-Kooskia, had this question about a 55 mph stretch of Highway 55 near Shadow Valley Golf…
The House Resources Committee today voted to send a memorial to Congress calling for allowing helicopters to land in the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness for the purpose of putting radio collars on wolves. Normally, of course, wilderness areas are places where motorized vehicles…
Rep. Ken Roberts, R-Donnelly, had a quick comeback to Judith Brown of the Idaho Center on Budget and Tax Policy, when she told lawmakers this morning that Idaho actually ranks low compared to other states in local government spending, and therefore shouldn’t further limit local…
Chuck Thomas, head of Citizens for Annexation Reform, finally pushed it too far at the property tax hearing this morning. Thomas has testified repeatedly to the House Rev & Tax Committee on various property tax bills over the past three days, usually returning to the…
Phil Reberger, former chief of staff to Gov. Dirk Kempthorne, has sent a letter back to Secretary of State Ben Ysursa responding to an investigation into whether Reberger lobbyied without registering with the state as required. In his letter, dated today, Reberger admits he attended…
When one of the more than 30 property tax relief bills that’s pending in the Legislature came up for a hearing today, Rep. Shirley McKague, R-Meridian, the sponsor, got some questions about her proposal from fellow House Revenue & Taxation Committee members.The bill, HB 470,…
Here’s my tally: 23 people testified before the House Rev & Tax Committee this morning, six of them twice, and only one out of the whole group opposed increasing the homeowner’s exemption or expanding the circuit-breaker exemption for low-income seniors. That was Idaho Farm Bureau…
In a crowded elevator at Boise City Hall on the way up to the House Rev & Tax Committee’s hearing this morning, a well-dressed woman asked, “I assume we’re all going to the property tax hearing?” “I think that’s a good bet,” responded Dan John,…
The Associated Press just reported this scoop: Secretary of State Ben Ysursa has opened a formal inquiry into whether Phil Reberger, Gov. Dirk Kempthorne’s former chief of staff, violated Idaho lobbying law when he met with a state legislator earlier this month over a disputed…
Sen. Mel Richardson, R-Idaho Falls, a longtime radio broadcaster, told state schools Superintendent Marilyn Howard this morning that he’d heard on the radio that the high school redesign plan was being put off a year, and he wondered what was up. “I’d like an update…
Gov. Dirk Kempthorne’s community college initiative raised all kinds of questions in JFAC this morning, to the point that at the end of the hearing, Senate Finance Chairman Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, said, “I don’t feel like we’ve even scratched the surface yet.” Much more discussion…
Rep. Dick Harwood, R-St. Maries, took issue when University of Idaho President Tim White told legislative budget writers today that higher education provides great benefits to the economy, the environment, security and society. “In my community, we have four people, the only thing they got…
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