Highlights from Thursday, Jan. 17:

ANIMAL INDUSTRIES

Panel sheepishly corrects goat slight

A slightly late and fully contrite Stan Boyd told the Senate Agriculture Committee Thursday morning that last year’s revamping of the Idaho Sheep Commission into the Idaho Sheep and Goat Health Board overlooked a key aspect of the reform: Goatmen.

The law, 2012's House Bill 512, revised assessments on producers, including goatmen, and made other changes. But a key driver of the measure was overlooked when no provision was made for having a goat producer on the board.

Boyd is the longtime lobbyist for the Idaho Woolgrowers Association for decades.

He said Sen. Dan Schmidt, D-Moscow, noted the oversight. “He thought it would be wise a allow a goat producer to sit on the board,” Boyd said.

The committee introduced Boyd’s bill correcting the error, as well as adding a provision sought by Gov. Butch Otter that would allow the state to audit the board at any time. The board is part of the Division of Animal Industries at the Idaho Department of Agriculture.

Dan Popkey

TAX CONFORMANCE

House passesyear’s first bill

After a brief delay to return the measure to committee for a hearing, the House approved its annual conformance measure.

“This just uncomplicates the matter of filing your tax return," said House Bill 1’s sponsor, Rep. Dell Raybould, R-Rexburg.

The bill was returned to committee Tuesday for a hearing, after some lawmakers had questions, including whether conformance would ensnare Idaho in enforcing provisions of the Affordable Care Act. That is not the case, Raybould told the House Thursday.

The House Revenue and Taxation Committee approved the bill unanimously, as did the full House.

Assuming the bill passes the Senate and is signed by the governor, Idaho taxpayers will use their adjusted gross income from their federal tax returns on their Idaho returns. They also will be able to use the same depreciation schedules, rather than keep two sets of books.

Dan Popkey