House GOP Caucus Chairman Ken Roberts says he “misspoke” yesterday when he said lawmakers and the governor had reached a compromise in the new grocery tax bill introduced this morning. “I had a misunderstanding, a miscommunication with the governor’s office,” Roberts said. “I maybe misread some information that they’ve given me. As far as their compromising on the bill, that’s not the case – I misspoke yesterday.”

Gov. Butch Otter’s press secretary, Jon Hanian, said, “The governor says we have not reached a compromise. Our position remains the same.”

Last year, the governor got into a veto fight with the Legislature over his insistence that grocery tax relief be targeted to the needy, and the Legislature’s insistence that it be across the board. As a result, nothing passed. Today’s new bill, introduced this morning, grants a higher credit to people who make $1,000 or less a year in Idaho taxable income, plus an overall increase for everyone.

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