[Vision2020] Legislative Update 4 from Rep. Trail

[ttrail at moscow.com]

LEGISLATIVE NEWSLETTER IV--February 1-7/2009

Constituents:

     In general, the economic picture continues to be bleak and this 
overshadows practically all discussions in the legislative hallways.   
January sales tax revenues dipped well below projections.   Unemployment 
figures may soon top 7.0% in Idaho.    Bankruptcy figures have increased 
over 50% in the past six months and home foreclosures are up as well in 
Idaho.   I stopped by a barber shop this morning and talked to one 
customer. He worked with a John Deere sales and repair facility.  Last 
summer he said they had a staff of 20 and today they only have three 
still with the operation.

     The Idaho Congressional delegation will vote against the stimulus 
package now before Congress; however, I haven't talked to anyone who says 
we shouldn't accept any stimulus funds directed toward Idaho.   Idaho 
legislative leaders at least are talking about the need to plan for any 
federal funds that come our way.  Both the Legislative and Executive 
Branch should work together to make both short and long term plans for 
these funds.  We should best use dollars for their stated purpose to help 
create jobs--these are in the areas of transportation infrastructure, 
energy development, university research, and other comparable areas.  We 
need to have plans in place before the funds show up.    We will 
carefully have to examine the conditions attached to the stimulus 
funds.   Some conditions may unacceptable to the state. 

 1.  Transportation  --  The Governor's plan for transportation 
infrastructure will be presented next week to the House Transportation 
Committee.  The plan includes the following five proposals, totaling $174 
million. These include 1) raising vehicle registration fees, 2) raising 
the gas tax, 3) redirect 5 percent funding from the Idaho Police to the 
general fund, 4) elimnate the tax exemption for ethanol, and 5) and 
taxing rental cars.    It is reported that Rep. Leon Smith will introduce 
legislation raising the fue tax by 25 cents per gallon.

 2.  K-12 Funding  --  Legislative leaders are committed to keeping the 
public education budget whole through the rest of the year even if it 
means dipping deeper into the state's education rainy day fund.  The fund 
which was at $114 million at the start of the year is now down to $53 
million.   Tax revenue has come in about $100 million less than a year 
ago, and there are some estimates that we could face a 15% decrease in 
tax revenues this year.   SPI Tom Luna has asked for a decrease in about 
$75 million in the K-12 budget for the FY10 year.   An interesting 
scenario is that there are funds in the tentative stimulus package which 
would restore K-12 funding back to FY08 levels, and this could also apply 
to Higher Education.  Once the vision becomes clearer it will make for 
interesting discussions/

 3. Local Option Taxes  --  several proposals have been talked about in 
recent weeks in the  Legislature.  The main discussion has turned to 
whether to grant this authority by statute or by amending the State 
Constitution.   Personally I support the local option tax proposal, and 
voted for the bill last year that would have granted it via the State 
Constitution path because it was the only game in town.   This year I 
would support the path via statute  --  a 60% vote of the citizens and 
50% of the money going to property tax relief and the other 50% to a 
specific project (an example  --  in Latah County the Joint Law 
Enforcement Center)

 4.  Palouse  --  Clearwater Forest  --  One of the issues of importance 
facing local citizens is the potential impact of a proposed U.S. Forest 
Service land swap which would exchange 48,000 acres in the Lochsa area 
near the Montana border for about 18,000 acres in the Palouse-Clearwater 
area.   Most of the land in Latah County lies between Elk River to the 
Washington State border.   If the exchange were approved then a private 
development company  --  Western Lands would benefit and manage the 
18,000 acres in Latah County.   Your Legislative delegation has major 
concerns about the negative impact that such a land swap might have.   It 
is estimated that over 150,000 Idahoans utilize the forest land in Latah 
County each for hiking, hunting, fishing, bird watching, and other 
activities.   Your legislators met with Tom Reilly, Forester out of 
Orofino for the U.S. Forest Service, representatives from Western Lands, 
Mike Stivers from Sen. Crapo's office, and other legislators.   We've 
asked for contacts that Western Lands has had in managing projects in 
other states, and also that the Forest Service would conduct more public 
hearings in Latah County.   We talked to the County Commissioners about 
the issue this week and said that we would follow their lead when they 
make a public statement.   Personally I am opposed to the proposal.

 5.  Homeland Security boots out terrorist cat from the Moscow-Pullman 
airport.    How many of us have appreciated that the Moscow-Pullman 
airport had Dash the Cat to add some class to our local airport. Many of 
us who used the airport looked forward to this friendly feline.   
However, it is apparent that in reality Dash was a deep undercover 
terrorist cat trained by Al Qaeda and just waiting to launch an attack on 
local citizens.   Homeland security agents became suspicious when they 
saw Dash with a deadly weapon  --  she unsheathed her claws.
 Agent suspicions also grew in intensity when they realized that over 4 
years there had not been a single high jacking, terrorist attack, the 
sign of a single rodent, and not a single case of bubonic plague at the 
airport.   This perfect record  was just too good to be true.
 Dash was last seen being escorted under armed guard and the rumor is 
that she is being shipped off to Catanamo for intensive interrogation.  
Citizens of Moscow can now rest assured that their government by spending 
millions to assure our protection against terrorists has no doubt pulled 
off a major coup in capturing one of the major terrorists of our 
times.    A bit of humor in these times makes life seem a bit brighter.

I'd appreciate your comments and suggestions.  My e mail is 
ttrail at house.idaho.gov and phone 208-332-1184.

Rep. Tom Trail


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