Yet another version of big transportation funding bill…

Yet another version of the big transportation funding bill has been introduced in the Senate, and now it’s up for a hearing this afternoon in the Senate Transportation Committee, starting momentarily. Like its predecessor, SB 1184, SB 1188 includes numerous boosts to transportation funding, including $300 million in new GARVEE bonding; $200 million in new general obligation bonds to be paid off with sales taxes; extending a surplus eliminator for five years; exempting materials used in constructing public roads from sales tax; shifting the Idaho State Police off the highway fund, and replacing its lost funding from that source with a dedicated share of state sales tax revenues; allowing counties the option of levying a local-option sales tax of up to 1 percent for transportation projects; and more.

The difference between 1184 and 1188 reportedly is that the new version makes it extra-clear that the local-option tax could be used only for transportation. SB 1188 hasn’t yet shown up on the Legislature’s website.