As the girls in green uniforms fan out across Idaho for their annual sale, 22 cents of every $3.75 box will go to the state rather than to programs for the Girl Scouts.
The Silver Sage Council thinks that needs to change. It is pushing for legislation this year to end Idaho's distinction as one of just two states - Hawaii is the other - still taxing Thin Mints and Samoas.
"I honestly did not know, along with most of my colleagues … that we were taxing the cookies the way we are," said Rep. Eric Anderson, R-Priest Lake, the bill's lead sponsor.
Removing Idaho's 6 percent sales tax from the fundraiser would cost the state roughly $140,000 a year. The Girl Scouts say the money could go to a great cause: 23 percent of Silver Sage Scouts are on scholarship, and the money to pay for their membership fees, badges, sashes and camps comes from the cookie sale.
"I don't want to leave any of these young ladies that are out there working hard to sell cookies not being able to go to camp because we kept $140,000 of their money," Anderson said.
Girl Scouts also sponsor anti-bullying and education programs, among other good works. Their results speak for themselves: 80 percent of Girl Scouts go on to earn bachelor's degrees; 80 percent of U.S. women business owners are former Girl Scouts; every female astronaut who's flown in space is a former Scout; and 70 percent of the women in Congress are former Scouts.
"The state shouldn't be balancing its budget on the backs of Brownies," declared Julie Hart, a lobbyist who isrepresenting the Girl Scouts free of charge.
She's also the mother of a 9-year-old Brownie, Ella Marcum-Hart, who was among about 30 girls who came to the state Capitol on Monday to press the case for their tax bill, which is awaiting possible introduction in the House Revenue and Taxation Committee.
Hart said she's gotten overwhelmingly positive response from legislators so far - except from the Revenue and Taxation Committee. She's hoping to get an introductory hearing date soon; Ella already is working on her speech.
"I'm not saying that the Girl Scout cookies isn't a good cause and all that, but there are a lot of good causes out there," said taxation committee Chairman Gary Collins, R-Nampa.
He said he's still weighing the request.
The Girl Scouts distributed cards to every lawmaker about their cookie program and set up displays in the Capitol rotunda.
Rep. Grant Burgoyne, D-Boise, stopped by. He is a former Boy Scout.
"I was very impressed with the analysis I read about how many successful women in the United States were Girl Scouts," said Burgoyne, a co-sponsor of Anderson's bill.
