What do new Idaho laws mean to you?
IdahoStatesman.com, ID -
7 hours ago
Some other laws passed during the 2008 legislative session have already gone
into effect. Laws generally take effect July 1, but some include "emergency
...
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Committees Our Legislators Are On and Other Committees That Affect US
House Resources and Conservation Minutes
JoAn Wood is Vice Chair;
Lenore Hardy Barrett is on the committee.
House Revenue and Taxation Committee Minutes
Lenore Hardy Barrett and JoAn Wood are on the committee.
House Transportation and Defense Committee Minutes
JoAn Wood is Chair
House Local Government Committee Minutes
Lenore Hardy Barrett is Chair
Bills referred to committee.
Senate Agricultural Affairs Committee Minutes
Jeff Siddoway in on the committee.
Senate Local Government and Taxation Committee Minutes
Jeff Siddoway in on the committee.
Senate Resources and Environment Committee Minutes
Jeff Siddoway in on the committee.
House, Senate, Committee Calendars and Agendas are here.
Ideas Being Debated in Committees Before the Idea Becomes a Bill in 2008
Idea: Grocery Tax and the Personal Property Tax
To repeal the grocery tax, the legislature needs to get 32 million elsewhere.
To repeal the personal property tax, the legislature needs to get $100 million elsewhere.
James Ruchti and others propose to repeal the personal property tax for 84% of Idaho’s businesses, the small and medium-sized companies. That would cost the state about $10 million. But lobbyists for Idaho corporations want their property tax repealed too.
Senate President Pro-Tem Bob Geddes said the state can’t just repeal the personal property tax. In the Senate, he said, the debate is about offsetting any such change with other revenue. Cities and counties rely on those local tax revenues, and if they aren’t replaced, everyone else would have to pay more on their property taxes to make up the difference. “The question I think really does come back to the economy – can we replace those revenues for the counties and the cities with state funding?” Geddes asked. “Right now that’s looking very questionable at best.” He added, “A lot of pressure is being brought to bear on legislators to support that, but ultimately we have to balance the budget.
Lobbyists for the big Idaho corporations may be the pressure that Geddes is talking about.
Idaho’s Growth Continues with Fourth Fastest Rate
- BOISE, Idaho (Jan. 24, 2008) —Idaho was named the
fourth fastest-growing state in the nation for the third consecutive year,
the U.S. Census Bureau reported on Thursday.