Week Six: Legislative Update

This week, we saw movement on two of our priorities. House Bill 211, which would simplify the e911 payment process and expand the permitted use of the county fee was introduced in the House Local Government Committee. House Bill 166 on Public Notices made it out of the House State Affairs Committee on an 8-7 vote. Now is the time to engage on these issues and let legislators know why these issues matter to counties, your constituents, and the legislature as well.

House Bill 211: e911 Fees

While it does not look like House Bill 211 will progress further in its current form, it has aided us in moving discussions forward. Payette County Sheriff Andy Creech, Bonneville County Sheriff Sam Hulse, and IAC Policy Advisor Kelli Brassfield will be co-presenting to the Senate Judiciary and Rules Committee and the House Local Government Committee early next week and allowing IAC to increase awareness about how the e911 communication system works and issues that need to be addressed in order for it to function correctly. 

House Bill 166: Public Notices

In order to push House Bill 166 through the House, we need your help. The vote will be very close. Please engage on this issue by reaching out to your House members over the weekend and early next week and ask them to support House Bill 166. The House may vote on it as early as Monday, so we need you to reach out now. 

Please encourage other local governments to reach out as well. Below are some talking points that you can use to help explain why this bill would be helpful for Idahoans.

Saves Taxpayer Dollars

– Taxpayers should not have to pay twice for public notices (once through property taxes and a second time through newspaper subscriptions)

– Posting on the SCO website would be free to local governments & private citizens–reducing wasteful spending.

– Many local governments spend tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars annually to meet outdated print publication requirements.

– Eliminates unnecessary expenses, freeing up funds for other mandated services like public safety and roads.

– Nine counties in Idaho are forced to publish in a neighboring county due to the lack of a newspaper of record in their county (If this applies to your county, let your House members know)

Greater Access & Transparency

– Moving public notices online expands access to a larger audience, including those who rely on digital information.

– Online notices allow 24/7 access with searchable archives rather than being limited to a physical newspaper with limited circulation.

– Expedite the permitting process because local and state governments would not have to wait for their notice to be published. Many newspapers in Idaho are only weekly publications. Others use 3rd parties that require a nearly 30-day turnaround time to publish notices.

Expands Public Awareness

– Newspaper readership is declining, while most Idahoans get their news online.

– Digital notice allows for social media sharing and increased visibility.

Expedited Permitting Process

– Many local newspapers only publish on a weekly basis, so being able to publish instantly would speed up the entire process.

– Some newspapers in Idaho use 3rd parties for publications that require up to a 30-day turn-around time before the notices are published.

Click here to view the IAC one-pager on Local Government Public Notice Publishing Costs.