House backs more tax auditors

The House has voted near-unanimously in favor of HB 698, the bipartisan budget bill for the state Tax Commission which calls for adding both temporary and permanent auditors to bring in an additional $16 million in taxes already owed. It was sponsored by Reps. Darrell Bolz, R-Caldwell, and Wendy Jaquet, D-Ketchum. The vote was 65-1, with just Rep. Branden Durst, D-Boise objecting; the budget bill now moves to the Senate.