New Legislative Leadership Announced
The newly seated Legislature was in town this week to elect leadership for the next two years, select committee chairs and vice chairs, and make committee appointments. In Idaho, majority party leadership and committee chairs have significant influence over legislative priorities, which bills are granted hearings, and the timing of hearings. House leadership is as …
County Elected Official Turnover Remains High
In January, 34 newly elected county commissioners will take office. This follows newly elected 33 county commissioners being sworn into office in January 2023. In other words, in just over two years, counties have seen a 50% turnover rate in county commissioners. Most of the turnover is due to sitting county commissioners choosing not to …
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Leader, Advocate, Friend – Dan Chadwick’s Legacy in County Government
With the recent passing of Dan Chadwick, the IAC family lost one of its fiercest advocates for county government. I first met Dan not long after graduating from Boise State University (BSU), while he was serving as the Idaho Association of Counties (IAC) executive director. Dr. Stephanie Witt, a professor in BSU’s Master of Public …
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From the Executive Director – Week of April 8, 2024
The Idaho Legislature recessed for five legislative days on Thursday, April 4th after passing a key appropriation bill for the Idaho Department of Transportation. The Legislature will return to Boise on Wednesday, April 10th to wrap up its work for the year and adjourn sine die. Passage of House Bill 770 ensures that counties and …
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From the Executive Director – Week of April 1, 2024
As the 2024 Legislative Session likely wraps up this week, a key appropriation bill funding state and local highways is still pending. House Bill 723 has thus far failed to advance through the Legislature. The appropriation bill narrowly passed the House on March 20th on a 35-34-1 vote. It subsequently failed on the Senate Floor …
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From the Executive Director – Week of March 25, 2024
Late Action on IAC Legislative Priorities Early this morning, Senate Bill 1403, modernizing Idaho’s area of city impact law, passed the House on a 69-1 vote. The bill previously passed the Senate and now heads to the Governor’s desk for his signature. Senate Bill 1403 was adopted by the IAC membership in September as one …
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From the Executive Director – Week of March 18, 2024
House Ways & Means Committee Introduces New Assessment Burden of Proof Legislation On Friday, March 15th, the House Ways & Means Committee introduced House Bill 717. House Bill 717 is a mashup of House Bill 701 and House Bill 625. House Bill 701 is sponsored by Representative Ned Burns and seeks to codify a uniform …
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From the Executive Director – Week of March 11, 2024
House Introduces Legislation to Tax Rate Regulated Utilities Based on Kilowatt Hours Sold The House Revenue and Taxation Committee introduced legislation last week to exempt the real and personal property of rate regulated electric utility companies from taxation. In lieu of paying property taxes, the three electric companies (Avista, Idaho Power, and Rocky Mountain Power) …
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From the Executive Director – Week of February 26, 2024
Through seven weeks, the Legislature is on pace to eclipse the number of bills introduced in a single session since 2019. As of February 23rd, 717 pieces of legislation have been drafted, with 430 bills and 33 resolutions or memorials introduced. After seven weeks in 2023, 570 pieces of legislation had been drafted, with 338 …
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House Bill 521 Advances to House Floor
House Bill 521 was sent to the floor this morning with a “do pass” recommendation. It will likely be voted on by the full House of Representatives later this week. It is an important bill for counties. While the bill itself is a tax relief bill that provides new and increased state funding for school …