NorthwestMarch 21, 2021

Idaho District 5 representatives say they are concerned about virus-caused setbacks but plan to fine-tune bills during two-week break

Garrett Cabeza, for the Tribune
Caroline Troy
Caroline Troy
David Nelson
David Nelson
Mitchell
Mitchell

MOSCOW — Idaho 5th District legislators expressed concern and optimism about its two-week recess from the 2021 legislative session.

The session came to a halt Friday after at least six lawmakers and a handful of legislative staff and attaches tested positive for COVID-19. The session will resume April 6.

Rep. Caroline Troy, R-Genesee, Rep. Brandon Mitchell, R-Moscow, and Sen. David Nelson, D-Moscow, addressed constituents online Saturday morning as part of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce’s “Coffee with District 5 Legislators.”

“The (House) Speaker (Scott Bedke) assured us that they’re just hitting the pause button and they’re not hitting any erase buttons, so I’m hopeful,” Troy said.

She said she is a little concerned because she and other legislators have been working hard to hold the universities’ budget intact as much as possible.

“I’m concerned that a two-week break is going to set us back,” Troy said.

Nelson said there are still consequential bills, and the recess provides time for lawmakers to improve or potentially worsen them.

He said two proposals that come to mind are a $369 million tax cut proposal and a $67 million transportation funding plan.

Nelson said the transportation funding plan does not distribute enough money to local entities like county highway districts and cities for their streets.

“I’m concerned that it’s going more towards new projects ongoing than keeping our roads well maintained,” Nelson said.

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Mitchell said the recess will provide him a chance to dig deeper into some of the proposed bills and ask questions about them.

On the flip side, “I’m going to get back into work mode at my shop for a couple weeks and then have to go back to Boise and get out of work mode again,” said Mitchell, who owns six Jiffy Lube franchises. “So it’s been an interesting year all the way around because this session from what I’ve heard is a lot different than most other sessions, and this really shows how much different it really is.”

Two consistently hot topics — property taxes and education funding — were discussed Saturday.

Senate Bill 1108, a property tax relief bill, died in the Senate on Thursday on an 18-17 vote. Nelson voted against that bill.

Latah County Commissioner Kathie LaFortune said the Idaho Association of Counties has been pushing to get the homeowner’s exemption reindexed so the property taxes that continue to fall on the backs of residential property owners is shifted to commercial, agriculture and timber industries, which have seen very little property tax growth over the last six years, she said.

“I really hate saying, ‘Let’s push taxes over onto agricultural land when prices are so poor right now,’ ” Troy said.

Troy said she is trying to introduce a bill that taxes digital advertisers, like Google and Facebook, and that money could be directed to schools and provide property tax relief.

“I’m at least trying to get some different thinking done out there and to me, that’s the biggest way we can provide some meaningful tax relief,” Troy said.

Nelson appeared to share a similar concept to fund education. He proposed dedicating money from the tax relief fund to education in order to reduce school districts’ supplemental levies, and in turn, lower property taxes.

“That’s choosing to use income tax and sales tax instead of property tax to fund education but that’s a good thing in my book,” Nelson said.

Cabeza can be reached at (208) 883-4631, or by email to gcabeza@dnews.com.

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