Legislative Update


Boise Metro Chamber's 2010 Legislative Priorities


2009 Agenda Items:

 Support Funding for Transportation Improvements
 Support Continued Funding for the College of Western Idaho
 Support Efforts to Avoid Non-Attainment in the Treasure Valley
 Support Repeal of Personal Property Tax
 Review Urban Renewal District Legislation
 Support Efforts to Grow Idaho’s Economy
 Support Low-Cost Electricity
 Other Legislation

GARVEE authorization of $82 million passed the house 39-29-2 on 4/10/09. The Governor is happy with $82 million. Support.

The eight stimulus projects passed the House and Senate in April and were signed into law by the Governor on 5/01/09. $200.3 million was allocated from transportation in the federal stimulus bill. This law will go into full effect on 7/01/09. Support.

The Governor’s new registration fee bill, House Bill 254, was redrafted after an $11 million error was found therein. It was referred to the House Transportation Committee but was not heard this session. This legislation had a three-year ramp up that would have generated approximately $31.6 million annually beginning in 2013. Estimates for 2009 were close to $12 million. Support.

House Bill 96, relating to the elimination of exemptions for fuels such as ethanol, failed in the Senate 15-55 on 4/21/09. Passage of this legislation would have generated approximately $4.1 million in annual funding. This was part of the Governor's Plan. Support.

House Bill 119, which clarified the type of transportation projects eligible for the State Tax Anticipation Revenue (STAR) statute and adjusted the thresholds for eligibility, was signed into law by the Governor on 3/31/09. (Rep. Moyle, Rep. Nonini, Sen. McGee, Sen. Winder, Sen. Hammond). Support.

House Bill 135, Representative Wood’s 2 cent fuel tax increase bill failed 32-37-1 on the House floor on 4/9/09. This legislation would have generated approximately $17.6 million in on-going revenue. Support.

House Bill 309, which appropriates $28,632,200 to the State Board of Education for community colleges for FY 2010, passed the senate 33-1-1 on 4/21/09 and was signed into law by the Governor on 4/30/09. This will go into full effect on 7/01/09. No Position.

2008
$5 million- College of Western Idaho
$10.9 million- North Idaho College
$12.6 million- College of Southern Idaho

2009
$4.7 million- College of Western Idaho, plus $200,000 in liquor revenue
$10.7 million- North Idaho College, plus $200,000 in liquor revenue 
$ 12.3 million- College of Southern Idaho, plus $200,000 in liquor revenue 

2010 
$4.6 million College of Western Idaho, plus $200,000 in liquor revenue
$10.1 million North Idaho College, plus $200,000 in liquor revenue 
$11.7 million College of Southern Idaho, plus $200,000 in liquor revenue

House Bill 83, which relieves small business owners from the doing an annual inventory if it is obvious that their personal property value is under the $100,000 threshold, was signed into law by the Governor on 3/23/09. This is a small step in providing some administrative relief to business, but work must continue to fully eliminate this tax. No Position. (Rep. Leon Smith)

House Bill 244aa, relating to the ability of urban renewal districts to operate by eliminating the ability to add to the land area and limiting existing revenue allocations to 24 years (in almost all cases) was signed into law by the Governor on 4/23/09. This will go into full effect on 7/01/09. No Position. (Rep. Hart)

House Bill 140, relating to the taxation of beer and wine on the basis of the wholesale price of the beer or wine, failed in the House Revenue and Taxation Committee after three days of testimony in a 13-5 vote. The bill proposed a 250 percent increase on the beer and wine tax without any input from affected businesses, and it changed the method of taxation from a volume-based tax to a value-based tax. This would be even more onerous to small businesses that served premium products. Oppose. (Keith Allred, the Common Interest and Rep. Lake)

House Bill 242, also known as the Small Business Employer Act extension, was signed into law by the Governor on 4/20/09, and will go into full effect on 7/01/09. This bill is one of the only tools Idaho has to compete with other states in economic development. Support. (Rep. Pearce)

Senate Bill 1148, relating to state-issued liquor licenses, would have provided changes to existing law that would create two types of liquor-by-the-drink licenses, municipal (new) and state (grandfathered). It would have also separated the administration of licenses from the enforcement authority, an important component of due process. This bill, which would have been good for business in the state of Idaho, failed 28-42 in the House Judiciary, Rules and Administration Committee on 4/15/09 and has been filed in the Office of the Secretary of State. Support. (David Hensley, Office of the Governor)

House Bill 203, relating to a property tax exemption for renewable energy projects and providing an energy tax on renewable energy projects which would be paid to local units of government in lieu of the property tax, was referred to the Senate Local Government and Taxation Committee on Tuesday, March 24, and was not heard therein this session. No Position. (Reps. Jaquet, Cronin, Moyle and Anderson)

House Bill 233, which would amend existing law to provide that a renewable energy device attached to residential property would be exempt from taxation and to provide that certain energy property shall be exempt from taxation, was referred to the Senate Local Government and Taxation Committee on Tuesday, March 24, and was not heard therein this session. No Position. (Reps. Anderson, Moyle and Eskridge, Sens. Werk and McKenzie)

House Bill 221, which relates to money being allocated for Professional Technical Education failed in committee. The counties and community colleges were not consulted. No Position.

House Bill 287, which adds to existing law, providing immunity for employers who allow certain firearm storage, was signed into law by the Governor on 5/01/09 and will go into full effect on 7/01/09. Support.