From The Statehouse

Fri., March 24, 2000

Fish and game fees left alone

The Senate removed one of the potential roadblocks to adjourning the 2000 election-year session on Thursday when it narrowly rejected attempts to tinker with House-passed increases in sportsmen’s fees.

On an unrecorded 17-14 vote, the Senate refused to consider a half-dozen proposed changes to the legislation, including one to reduce the $4.4 million in annual revenue intended to bail out the financially beleaguered Fish and Game Department.

Advocates of the fee hike called on lawmakers to give the new Fish and Game Commission majority and Rod Sando, the new director who takes over in 10 days, a chance to show that the controversies of the past are over.

Taxpayers may foot truck settlement

The overwhelming Republican majority in the state Senate reached a general consensus on Thursday against making truckers pay the cost of settling a damage claim linked to Idaho’s now unconstitutional two-tiered truck tax.

The end result could well be that general taxpayers will finance most, if not all, of the $27 million payment the state needs to make to interstate truckers in addition to revamping the tax to settle the suit that resulted in the ton-mile tax being voided.

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From The Statehouse

Jesse Tinsley

Jim Meehan

Molly Quinn

Rob Curley

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