On
Monday, January 8, 2018,
the Second Regular Session of the Sixty-fourth Idaho Legislature convened.
Lawmakers
and the public were greeted on the first day of the session by a U.S. flag
posted in the rotunda of the Idaho State Capitol. The majestic flag is approximately the height
of two floors of the Capitol building.
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Governor Butch Otter delivered his “State of
the State” message to a joint session of the Idaho legislature on Monday,
January 8, 2018.
Otter:
State is ‘prosperous,’ tax cuts proposed
Jan. 8, 2011 - Eye of Boise
By Betsy
Russell
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“The state of Idaho is prosperous, positive,
and poised for even better times ahead,” Gov. Butch Otter told a joint session
of the Legislature today as he began his 12th and final
State of the State message and released his budget for the coming year, which
includes proposed tax cuts. Click here for the full
story.
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Members of the Idaho Association of
Soil Conservation Districts (IASCD) came to the capital this week and educated
lawmakers about their organization.
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The IASCD's mission is to represent
Idaho’s conservation districts as the primary entities to coordinate voluntary,
locally led efforts to sustain and enhance Idaho’s natural resources, and
strengthen Idaho’s conservation districts and thereby the non-regulatory
approach to conservation.
They believe in strong,
independently lead conservation districts fully exercising their role to lead
non-regulatory conservation efforts throughout the State of Idaho.
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HB 335, legislation that over the
next three years would save Idaho employers approximately $115 million, passed
the House unanimously this week and is now in the Senate for
consideration.
The bill lowers unemployment
insurance taxes which are paid by Idaho businesses by adjusting the employment
multiplier down. Lawmakers are working to pass the bill early in the session because
businesses will start to pay this tax in the first quarter of this year. By having this legislative change in place,
businesses will know what their adjusted rates will be for the coming
year.
We
are told no matter how good the medical advice is, always get a second
opinion. With that in mind, the budget committee has begun to do a
thorough examination of Governor Otter’s budget presentation. We began
the annual session with the longest presentation I can remember. This will
be his last opportunity to place his hopes and plans for the state in
play, and after the long climb back from the 2009 depression, the economy
appears to be on a steady growth cycle. One word of caution here,
however, I have been in the legislature long enough to know that economic
cycles, no matter how strong they appear, are not always permanent. That
is not to say there are many worthy ways to help the citizens of Idaho, and the
Governor included a very good plan for lowering our taxes along with the
support of the needed areas in education, safety, and economic
development.
As we
take each area into study and before the first dollar is placed to be
spent, the federal fiscal picture is always before us. The revenues
for the payment of state taxes came in almost fifty million over projection for
the amount expected for December, Because of the uncertainly of the
federal changes, the tax experts feel that many are paying taxes before they
are due and some changes are coming. If that is the situation, instead of
the month of April being our largest collection, it could be the month when all
those who overpaid will be requiring the refunds. And of course, we would
be wise not to have spent the income.
One
item does seem to be secure, as we conform to the new federal tables, we will
be to the good about 100 million dollars that can then be added to and
turned back to the tax payers in Idaho with the same amount in state
revenue. While our tax burden is relatively light compared with other
states I and many others serving here would be grateful if we can drop our
rates and return some hard earned wages to those who earned them. Last
year when the revenue came in ahead of the projection, we were able to divert
it to the heavy snow and flood damages in our state.
It is
too early in the session to have any bills come to the floor that may be of
interest to you, more of those later. For now, my major committee is
listening, and sifting, and watching the tax picture. There are funding
needs in infrastructure, our schools, and health care. The prison and
jail population have blossomed, and those who need help from Medicaid has
grown. The growth of new students in our schools continues, and the roads
still need repairs. These issues will be weighed and we will find a way
to address each need as the days go by. I look forward to keeping in
touch as the work progresses and would be happy to hear from you on any
concern.
This year I am serving on the same committees that I served
on last session. Revenue & Taxation,
Transportation & Defense and Resources & Conservation Committees. The first week of the session was getting
organized and reviewing rules. Rules
review is an important function of the legislature to insure the implementation
of laws passed last year follow legislative intent. The rules review usually take a week or two,
but at the same time bills are being drafted and start the process of becoming
law or dying.
This week I signed up for the “Steps for Schools” sponsored
by Blue Cross. In February if I average
10,000 steps a day, I earn $500 for playground or physical activity equipment
for one of the elementary schools in District 25. This is a competition with fellow legislators
and this is the fourth year that I have participated. At the end of February, Representative Bell
and I have a drawing to choose the school to receive the money.
On Sunday
evening I had the honor of attending The Twin Falls Composite Squadron, Civil
Air Patrol. The Civil Air Patrol is the official auxiliary of the United
States Air Force and has three primary missions: Aerospace Education of
the American people, Emergency Services, and the Cadet Program.
One of the cadets, C/2nd Lt Wesley LaFleur has worked his way up
through the ranks and has reached a Mile Stone Award, the GENERAL BILLY
MITCHELL AWARD. I was invited participate in the awards ceremony by
presenting the General Billy Mitchell Award to Wesley.
The
General Billy Mitchell Award has existed since 1964. This award honors
the late General Billy Mitchell, an aviation pioneer, advocate, and staunch
supporter of an independent air force for America.
The Cadet
Program provides opportunities for the learning, maturing, accepting, and
nurturing of leadership to over 26,000 young Americans from 12 to 20 years of
age. Cadets are exposed to a structured program comprised of aerospace
education, leadership, special activities, physical fitness, and moral and
ethical values through group and individual activities.
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On Monday we celebrated Martin Luther King Day at the
capitol. The ceremony, themed “Find Common
Ground,” opened with trumpeting from Boise State University trumpeters with the
pledge to the flag, with a giant American flag hanging in the middle of the
Capitol rotunda.
On Tuesday the Idaho House voted
unanimously – 69-0 – in favor of HB 335, to cut unemployment insurance taxes
for Idaho employers due to a growing reserve fund. The bill cuts the divisor that determines the
base rates for unemployment insurance tax from 1.5 to 1.3 and will save
employers $115 million over the next three years.
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This week I was one of 55 House members who received the Ag
All Star award for my voting record last year on issues supporting the
agriculture community. I also met with
the VFW/ American Legion, members of the Idaho Cable Broadband Assn., the
National Federation of the Blind, Idaho Association of Soil Conservation
Districts, the Idaho State Pharmacy Assn., the Idaho State Broadcasters Assn.
and Midas Gold.
I am honored to represent District 25.
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This week Hemmingway, the friendly
moose mascot of the Idaho Commission for Libraries, snapped a few selfies in
the Rotunda of the Capitol while educating lawmakers and the public about the duties
of the commission.
The Idaho Commission for Libraries assists libraries throughout the state to build the capacity to better serve their communities.
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It provides access to the Libraries Linking Idaho program, (LiLI), which is
a group of projects and services that bring networked library service to the
residents of Idaho.
Click here to learn more.
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