[Vision2020] Legislative Overview

Bill London london at moscow.com
Thu Nov 30 16:56:26 PST 2006


T-
many thanks for posting your agenda to the V2020 list.
I support your agenda, and thank you for your leadership on these issues.
I have a question regarding your "Citizens Commission To Review All of the
75 Tax Exemptions Granted by the Legislature"....could you please provide a
list of those 75 exempted groups?
Please send that list to V2020 so we can all see who has been granted these
exemptions.
thanks BL





----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tom Trail" <ttrail at moscow.com>
To: <vision2020 at mail-gw.fsr.net>
Sent: Thursday, November 30, 2006 4:28 PM
Subject: [Vision2020] Legislative Overview


> Visionaires:   Next week is the date of the legislative organizational
meetings
> in Boise.  The leadership races in the Senate on the Republican side
> have already been decided.  It remains the same as last session.  The
> most important
> race is that for the Speaker of the House.  Rep. Bill Deal and Rep.
Lawrence
> Denney are the two candidates running for the post.  The election will be
held
> next Wednesday evening.   Committee Chairmanship positions will be
assigned
> on Thursday the 7th as well as committee assignments.
>
> A number of constituents have asked me to report on some of the
legislative
> issues that I will advocating this coming session.
>
>   1.  Eliminating the Grocery Tax--Gov. Risch and Gov. Elect Otter have
both
>       stated they want to eliminate the tax on groceries.  Gov. Risch
would
>       phase out the tax over a period of six years.  The total cost runs
about
>       $186 million/year.  Gov. Risch plan would be to phase out about
> $30 million
>       per year.   This will still leave a $30 million hole in the General
>       Budget each year.  Gov. Elect Otter wants to expand the grocery tax
>       credit.
>
>       My proposal would eliminate the grocery tax.   The $186 million
needed
>       to replace the grocery tax would be generated from a 4.2% sales tax
>       on services except health and medical.  The recent passage relief by
i
>       increasing the sales tax by one cent.  Studies clearly demonstrate
that
>       this shift negatively impacted lower income citizens.  I've talked
to
>       several economists and they indicate that taxing services will on a
>       prorated basis impact more heavily on middle and higher income
brackets
>       thus providing some relief for lower income citizens.
>
>       This is another approach, and it will be the first time (if we get a
>       hearing) that discussion will be held on the taxing of services.  At
>       least we are headed in the right direction, and I hope that some
action
>       is taken to eliminate the tax on groceries.
>
>   2.  Citizens Commission To Review All of the 75 Tax Exemptions Granted
by
>       the Legislature--Approximately 75 organizations and groups of
> organizations
>       receive tax exemptions (which is a privilege granted by the state
and
>       not a right).  The total of these exemptions is about $1.6
billion/year.
>       This is money that if not granted an exemption would flow into the
Idaho
>       General Fund.  Basically Idaho Taxpayers are subsidizing these
groups
>       for the perceived "good" of the State.
>
>       The first exemption was granted in 1965.  To date no organized and
>       systematic approach has been developed to review whether or not the
>       exemptions are or are not benefiting the State.  My proposal will
>       charge the Legislature to organize a citizens committee to evaluate
and
>       review all tax exemptions in cooperation with the Legislature,
Governor's
>       Office, DFM, Office of Performance Evaluation,and the Idaho State
Tax
>       Commission.   Each exemption would be reviewed every three or five
years,
>       and a report would be submitted to the Legislature.
>
>   3.  Minimum Wage--the minimum wage in Idaho is now $5.15.  I will be
> supporting
>       legislation to raise the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour.  This will
be
>       similar to other surrounding states.   The Federal Government last
raised
>       the minimum wage 10 years ago.  Over 24 states have raised the
minimum
>       wage since 1997 via legislative initiative or referendum.  Polls
indicate
>       that 77% of Idaho's citizens support increasing the minimum wage.
>
>   4.  Scholarships--I've been working this past summer and fall with the
State
>       Board of Education in developing several scholarship proposals.
>
>       a.  Needs Based Scholarships--Idaho ranks about 50th in the country
>           in terms of needs based financial aid granted to students--about
>           $17/student as compared to over $500/student in Washington
State.
>           There are serious concerns about providing access to students
from
>           low income families with the escalating cost of higher
education.
>           Students from the lowest income quartile are almost six times
less
>           likely to go on to higher education than students from middle
and
>           upper income families.
>
>           The basic proposal which will be brought to the legislature
calls
>           for a partnership approach.  To qualify for need based aid a
student
>           would have to apply for a Pell Grant.   This automatically
identifies
>           the student at the federal level as one who qualifies for need
based
>           financial assistance.  The student would then apply for all
>           scholarships that they would be eligible for.  Then the family
would
>           identify the financial resources they have available that could
>           help the student--loans, grants, workstudy, etc.  Then the State
>           would come in with assistance needed to enable the student to
attend
>           college.
>
>           A total of $10 million will be asked for the State Board's
budget.
>           The first year of operation a pilot project would be set up, and
then
>           the program would be in full operation the second year.  The
second
>           year program would probably reach over 5,000 students.
>
>           Excess funds would be placed in an endowment program managed by
the
>           Idaho Secretary of the Treasury.  We are also proposing that tax
>           deductions or credits could be made available to encourage
business,
>           foundations, and individuals to contribute to the endowment
fund.
>
>           In reviewing the success of similar programs in Indiana, Oregon
and
>           Oklahoma, it is apparent that these types of scholarship
programs
>           have enabled thousands of students from low income families to
gain
>           access to college education.  In general, these students have a
higher
>           graduation rate than the general student population.  It is,
indeed,
>           an important investment in our human capital improving our
workforce
>           development.
>
>       b.  Math, Science, and Special Education Scholarships and
Loans--These
>           are the areas of critical shortages of teachers in the K-12
public
>           school system.   We will be proposing several types of
scholarship
>           programs which would  be available to Idaho students willing to
major
>           in one of these areas and then teach in Idaho.  Loans would also
>           be made available.  A teacher who takes out a loan would get a
25%
>           loan forgiveness for every year taught in Idaho.  Practicing
teachers
>           who want to get certified in one of these areas would also be
>           eligible.
>
>
>   5.      Increasing the number of School Days to 200--Frankly, this will
be
>           legislation for discussion purposes.  Currently most of our
> competitors
>           in the world provide K-12  students 200 or more days of school
each
>           year.   These include Canada, Ireland, China, Japan, Singapore,
and
>           many other countries.  One of the problems that we face is that
with
> ]        a long summer vacation many students have to relearn fact,
concept,
>           etc. in reading, math, science, etc. when they return in the
fall.
>           Research clearly shows that by providing more days of school
that
>           students not only retain and perform at a higher level when
returning
>           to school in the fall, but perform at a higher level in taking
>           required tests.   Again, to be realistic, Idaho probably could
not
>           afford to fund 200 days of school, but I think it is important
to
>           discuss the topic.
>
>   6.      Dog Fighting Felony--This is a bill that several of us have
carried
>           for two years.   The legislation would make anyone organized in
>           dog fighting activities eligible for a felony conviction.  Idaho
>           is only one of two states which does not call for a felony on
the
>           first conviction.  I've received over 10,000 letters in support
>           of this legislation.  I'll be working with Rep. Donna Pence and
Rep.
>           Marge Chadderdon on this legislation.
>
>   7.      Milk--Idaho's Official Drink--we  have a 5th grade class who is
>           interested in this legislation.  Idaho does not have an official
>           drink, and the class would like to propose Milk as Idaho's
official
>           drink.  This has the support of the Idaho Dairyman's
Association.
>
>   8.      Credit Freeze--This is a Victim ID Theft Bill--17 states have
>           laws requiring that once a financial institutional suspects that
>           a customer's personal data has violated then they contact the
>           customer.   The individual can then put a freeze on his/her
credit.
>           This sounds logical; however, financial institutions are
generally
>           opposed.
>
>           I have several other bills in the wings, but this gives one an
idea
>           of some of the major and minor issues that I will be working on
with
>           other legislators.  Constituent input has been very valuable in
>           the development of these legislative proposals.
>
>           I'd appreciate your comments and suggestions.  My e mail is
>           ttrail at moscow.com
>
> Rep. Tom Trail
>
>
>
>
> -- 
> Dr. Tom Trail
> International Trails
> 1375 Mt. View Rd.
> Moscow, Id. 83843
> Tel:  (208) 882-6077
> Fax:  (208) 882-0896
> e mail ttrail at moscow.com
>
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