Capitol Letters: First look at new property tax relief bill
By Ryan Suppe, State Politics Reporter
As the legislative session winds down, Idaho Republicans are quickly pushing through a property tax relief bill that would direct hundreds of millions to property taxpayers annually. At the same time, it would limit school districts’ ability to seek funding assistance from local voters.
House Bill 292 would leverage the state’s projected $1.4 billion surplus, a result of higher-than-expected tax revenues, and sales tax revenue to relieve property taxes, while directing funds to school districts to pay off bonds and levies.
“We wanted to come up with a solution that would provide meaningful, immediate tax relief as well as long-term tax relief for our property taxpayers,” Rep. Jason Monks, R-Meridian, who is co-sponsoring the bill, told the House Local Government and Taxation Committee Monday.
The bill also would make it more difficult for schools to pass bonds by eliminating one of four dates school districts could hold bond and levy elections every year.
Read my full story here.
Firing squad bill advances
A bill that would allow Idaho to conduct executions by firing squad is one step closer to approval.
The legislation, from Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa, with help from Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador, cleared the Senate Judiciary and Rules Committee by one vote on Monday.
Idaho officials are pursuing an execution for death row prisoner Gerald Pizzuto, but the necessary drugs for a lethal injection have proved difficult to obtain.
“This is one of those solutions that, looking at neighboring states, allows us to carry out our policy,” said Senate Assistant Majority Leader Abby Lee, R-Fruitland, who supported the firing squad proposal.
Two Republicans and two Democrats opposed advancing the bill.
“I’ve seen people shot up close and personal, and I would never vote for this bill,” said Sen. Dan Foreman, R-Moscow, a former police officer. “It’s the most disgusting, appalling thing a person could ever witness.”
Read reporter Kevin Fixler’s previous reporting on Labrador’s involvement in the bill and what it would cost the state.
What else happened?
- The Idaho House narrowly rejected a bill that would have heavily restricted who can handle absentee ballots.
- Idaho Gov. Brad Little earlier this month spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) about U.S. energy independence from China.
- The Senate passed a budget for the Division of Human Resources that seeks to consolidate the state’s human resource workers across agencies. That would ensure pay parity, a legal requirement for paying employees with similar duties alike wages.
What to expect today
8 a.m. House Education. The committee will reconsider a school voucher proposal, from Rep. Lance Clow, R-Twin Falls, that was previously rejected.
8:30 a.m. House State Affairs. Rep. Jaron Crane, R-Nampa, will introduce a new version of his bill that would allow parents to sue librarians over “harmful material.”
8 a.m. Join Finance-Appropriations. The committee is scheduled to vote on public school budgets.
1 p.m. Senate Commerce and Human Resources. Committee members will consider Gov. Brad Little’s proposal to create $8,500 scholarships for in-demand career training. Senators have made a few changes since the House narrowly approved the bill.
2 p.m. Senate Education. A proposal to open up an existing education grant program for private school tuition is on the docket.
Find the full list of committee meetings and agendas for the House here, and for the Senate here.
Track other bills
Keep track of high-profile bills as they go through the legislative process. You can find yesterday’s updates here.
Lunch with The Idaho Way
By Scott McIntosh, opinion editor
Have you been tuning in to our new livestream show, Lunch with The Idaho Way, at noon on Wednesdays? Episode 1 featured a discussion about transgender rights and an interview with Eve Devitt and her father, Michael Devitt. Episode 2 featured a discussion of school vouchers and an interview with Rod Gramer, president of Idaho Business for Education.
Last week, opinion writer Bryan Clark and I spoke with Reclaim Idaho co-founder Luke Mayville about the recent move to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot to make it nearly impossible if not impossible to get a citizens initiative on the ballot. Check out the latest episode here.
This week, Bryan and I take on a bill to remove restrictions on groups parading in public with firearms.
Advocates say it’s about freedom to bear arms and to assemble. Opponents say it could encourage the formation of private militias.
We dig into the issue with special guest Dave Neiwert, an award-winning journalist, author and well-known expert on American right-wing extremism.
He’s been on “Anderson Cooper 360,” “CNN Newsroom” and “The Rachel Maddow Show,” among others. He has written for The Washington Post, MSNBC.com, Salon.com and other publications. His most recent book is “Red Pill, Blue Pill: How to Counteract the Conspiracy Theories That Are Killing Us” (Prometheus Books, $28.95).
Register for this discussion for free at our Eventbrite and ask your question in advance. Click on “select a date” and choose March 15.
Or simply tune in at noon every Wednesday on Facebook or YouTube. Ask questions and join the conversation.
If you like this newsletter, forward to a friend or colleague, and they can sign up here.
This story was originally published March 14, 2023 at 4:00 AM with the headline "Capitol Letters: First look at new property tax relief bill."
