Bill Would Raise Liquor Taxes

If legislation introduced in the Idaho Legislature on Friday becomes law, it’s going to cost drinkers more.

Rep. Ron Black, R-Twin Falls, on Friday got the House Education Committee to introduce a bill imposing a 10 percent surcharge on state liquor sales to support community colleges.

If enacted, that would generate $6 million per year. Black wants to offset property taxes paid by the residents of three counties to support the two-year colleges in Coeur d’Alene and Twin Falls.

The panel also approved introduction of a second measure from Black to double the state beer and wine taxes. That would bring in $5 million per year, which Black says should go to counties to carry out their probation responsibilities under the state’s new juvenile justice system.

Counties got some funding from the Legislature last year when the Department of Juvenile Corrections was created to deal with a rising wave of murders and other serious crimes by juveniles. But Black said the funding isn’t nearly enough, imposing more burdens on local budgets.