[Vision2020] Legislative Update 5 from Rep. Trail

[ttrail at moscow.com]

 LEGISLATIVE NEWSLETTER V--February 7-13/2009

Constituents:

     As we near the midpoint of the 2009 Legislative Session, the economy 
and negative impact on budgets is by far the major topics of discussion.  
Rather than dwell in this newsletter on those two topics, I am going to 
report on some other issues of interest being reviewed in the legislative 
process.   On the lighter side, I asked President Griffin, of the College 
of Western Idaho, about their football team and congratulated him on 
their not losing a game yet.   Of course, they don't have a football team 
yet, but he did say they have a name of their teams  --  the Fighting 
Otters  (Could it be pandering to the Governor).    I guess the Fighting 
Otters is a better than the Banana Slugs  --  (University of California 
Santa-Cruz).

 1.  Latah County Soil Conservation District  --  Cody Anderson, a 
supervisor for Latah County Soil Conservation District visited Boise and 
sat in on a report by the Idaho Soil Conservation Office and State 
Association in both the Senate and House Ag Committees.    There have 
been problems between the Soil Conservation Districts and the Idaho Soil 
Conservation Commission.   One of the major problems was the release by 
the Commission of personal/private data (social security, bank account 
numbers, tax numbers, etc.) posted on their website.   I've drafted two 
pieces of legislation stemming from this incident that would strive to 
more firmly protect Idaho citizens from the misuse of their private 
information by state agencies and their employees.

  2.   Personal Business Property Tax--The Idaho Association of Commerce 
and Industry wants to make "operating property" eligible for the tax 
break which exempts the first $100,000 of business equipment from taxes.  
The IACI wants the exemption extended to power lines and railroads.  
However, it will take years before the $100,000 exemption takes effect 
because the measure  also requires tax revenues to rise by 5 percent from 
2008 collections to trigger  the exemption.  This will not happen soon 
because of the economic slump.

  3.   Consolidated Elections  --  Key legislators are pushing to cut 
elections to just  four dates annually.  In this version, school 
elections could be in March and August and other elections in May and 
November. Our Latah County Clerk and Commissioners are not supportive of 
the legislation unless there is state money coming in to help the County 
Clerk and her staff with the expanded work load.   I see no chance of 
this and since it would put an added tax burden on our local citizens, I 
will vote against it.

   4.  Grocery Tax Credit  --  Last year the Legislature passed 
legislation which approved the grocery tax credit.   Personally I don't 
think we should delay the increase in the grocery tax credit  --  which 
would give the state nearly $15 million more in revenue.  I feel that we 
made a commitment as legislators and should honor this commitment.  The 
grocery tax credit provides a course for eventually eliminating the tax.  
In short, the bill provides a $50 credit for the most needy and $30 for 
all other Idahoans.  The tax credit goes up by increments of $10/yr until 
it reaches $100.  The credit is an exclusive benefit for Idahoans.  
Tourists and visitors will continue to pay the sales tax.

   5.  I continue to shake my head in wonderment as we look for 
additional revenues. In the Boise Statesman this week a report outlined 
that many part time auditor positions were being eliminated from the 
Idaho Tax Commission.   The cost of the positions was about $1 million 
and that the auditors brought in about $7 million in unpaid taxes  --  
for a net gain to the state fund of $6 million.   We also lose about $4 
million a year in federal highways funds because we do not have a helmet 
required law for motorcyclists.   A review of all of the 75 tax 
exemptions we have to see if they do or do not provide a benefit to the 
state might reveal that some exemptions do not benefit the state.   The 
elimination of these exemptions would contribute more money to the State 
General Fund.

  6    Japanese Banks  --  Japanese banks have been hit almost as hard by 
the economic downturn as American banks.  The Origami Bank has folded; 
and we hear the Sumo Bank has gone belly-up too.  The Bonsai Bank plans 
to cut some of its branches.  The Karaoke Bank is for sale and is going 
for a song.  Meanwhile the staff at the Karate Bank got the chop and 
analysts report there something fishy going on at the Sushi Ban where 
workers think they may get a raw deal.

 Again,   I welcome constituent ideas, opinion, suggestions, and 
recommendations.
My phone is (208) 332-1184 and e mail ttrail at house.idaho.gov
 Representative Tom Trail


---------------------------------------------
This message was sent by First Step Internet.
           http://www.fsr.com/