How’s the Idaho legislative session going? ‘Divisive.’ ‘Productive.’ Depends on whom you ask.

Depending on whom you ask, the 2020 legislative session in Idaho has “disappointed” or “not disappointed” members of legislative leadership.

“It feels like we have really taken a hard right turn into divisive social issues, which is not where I would like to see us go. It is disappointing to me that we weren’t able to have those conversations about property tax relief … education … infrastructure,” said House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, D-Boise.

“Well, I am not disappointed in this legislative session,” said Senate Pro Tem Brent Hill, R-Rexburg, in his response to the question. “I think we have accomplished some good things, and we continue to do so.”

Hill, Rubel, and two other members of Senate and House leadership — Senate Minority Leader Michelle Stennett, D-Ketchum; and House Speaker Scott Bedke, R-Oakley — met with reporters during the annual Idaho Press Club luncheon Tuesday in downtown Boise.

During the hour-long session, property tax reform and divisive legislation were two of the hot topics.

Property tax reform starts strong, now struggling

Over the summer, Idaho House Republican leaders traversed the state holding town hall meetings focusing on the “absolute madness” of escalating property taxes and indicating they are gearing up for a tax-relief rumble during the 2020 legislative session.

House Majority Leader Mike Moyle, R-Star, set the tone at the start of the session saying changes are coming. He said lawmakers wanted cities and counties to trim their budgets and give long-suffering residential property owners some relief.

The session is set to end at the end of next week. So what property-tax reform legislation has the GOP-dominated House and Senate passed so far? How many property-tax reform bills are awaiting the governor’s signature? None.

A short-term, hit-the-brakes bill — so lawmakers and stakeholders could come together this year to find solutions — that would institute a one-year freeze of local government budgets, appears to be dead. Instead, that bill could be amended to a temporary, three-year 4% cap on budget increases. Otherwise, no real property-tax relief legislation is making the rounds.

Rubel says it is not for lack of trying. She said the Democrats have several proposed property-tax relief bills ready to go, including ones addressing the state’s homeowner’s exemption, circuit breaker programs and property value assessment limitations. But, their bills “were never sprung from the chairman’s drawer,” she said, referring to the House Revenue and Taxation Committee’s refusal to hold an initial hearing on the Democrats’ bills.

Bedke said there is still time to get something done. He explained part of the problem is just four urban counties are experiencing escalating property taxes, while Idaho’s other 40 counties are doing just fine.

Bedke said lawmakers will probably increase the circuit breaker and homeowner’s exemption.

“We’re waiting to see how all the pieces fit together,” he said.

Socially divisive Idaho bills

While meaningful property tax legislation has been stagnant, the Legislature has made swift work of advancing anti-transgender, anti-affirmative action and abortion-related bills.

“I am profoundly concerned. … I find it nothing short of horrifying,” Rubel said of these bills, some of which she called “flagrantly illegal beyond which I mean unconstitutional.”

One bill relates to transgender girls and women participating in school sports and another prohibits transgender people from changing their birth certificates.

“It’s really unbelievable that the Legislature would choose this group, of all groups that can least withstand this kind of attack, and focus so much on divided legislative assault on them,” Rubel said.

Rubel said Idaho’s transgender population “is probably literally the most vulnerable group in the state, the group that has the highest rates of bullying, the highest rates of physical attacks on them, emotional attacks on them, the highest rates of suicidal (thoughts) and actual suicide attempts.”

Hill defended the transgender bills, saying these issues need to be addressed.

“We are addressing them in the appropriate way,” he said. “And, hopefully, we can go forward and show our acceptance for everyone as we go through, but there are just some things that are not acceptable.”

The Legislature is in a rush to sine die, or adjourn, by March 20 because it is an election year — all 105 legislative seats are up for election this year. The primary is May 19.

Stennett said sometimes the intention with such divisive legislation is “to make sure you go home and tell your people that you made a statement and are pushing an agenda and or an emotional fire button so that you can win races. … We have to recognize that there’s an awful lot of politics to it.”

This story was originally published March 10, 2020 at 4:37 PM.