The Senate Local Government & Taxation Committee is going over possible amendments to the various property tax bills and their impacts, and conferring publicly with experts like state Tax Commissioner Duey Hammond and administration chief economist Mike Ferguson. It’s the same workshop format the committee has used all session to study, in-depth, the property tax issue. Tomorrow, however, the style changes – when the bills come up for amendment in the full Senate’s 14th Order. Then, it’s up to all the senators to figure out which amendments to paste onto which bills, all within the strict procedural and debate limits of the formal order.

Among the amendments being kicked around upstairs right now: Trying an advisory vote or constitutional amendment on the idea of raising sales tax to offset a cut in property taxes for school operations. Committee Chair Sen. Hal Bunderson, R-Meridian, just said that’s the kind of major change that really should go to a vote of the people.

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