Coronavirus Relief Fund to Provide Assistance to Counties
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) established a $150 billion Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) to provide funding to state, local, and tribal governments for expenditures incurred due to public health emergency caused by COVID-19. Idaho’s share of the CRF is $1.25 billion. Governor Little has established the COVID-19 Financial Advisory Committee …
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From the Executive Director: Week of March 9, 2020
First of all, brace yourselves for a flurry of emails on Medicaid expansion and property tax caps. Over the next week, the House will consider 2-3 bills related to Medicaid expansion, including the role of counties in funding Medicaid expansion. There are two competing Medicaid expansion funding bills. The first bill, House Bill 600 directs …
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What to Watch: Week of March 9, 2020
IAC Priority Legislation On Thursday, March 6, Senate Bill 1339 (Clerk on Magistrate Commission) passed out of the House Judiciary and Rules Committee with a due pass recommendation. It is now on the 3rd reading calendar awaiting a final vote in the House. On Friday, March 7, House Bill 463 (Juvenile Pretrial Release) passed out …
From the Executive Director: Week of March 2, 2020
This past week, the House voted 46-23 to approve House Bill 409. The bill now advances to the Senate where members of the Senate Local Government and Taxation Committee are negotiating amendments to replace the freeze language with a temporary cap in local government property tax budget increases. While no deal has been reached, there …
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From the Executive Director: Week of February 22, 2020
As we enter the home stretch of the 2020 Legislative Session, two issues remain unresolved for counties: how to fund Medicaid expansion and how to provide property tax relief. I’m personally meeting with members of the House and Senate on both issues as stakeholders strive to find a path forward that addresses legislative concerns while …
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From the Executive Director: Week of January 20, 2020
As we enter the 3rd week of the 2020 Legislative Session, one thing is on most legislators’ minds: how to provide meaningful property tax relief to constituents. There are dozens of ideas floating around the Capitol ranging from eliminating new construction to instituting a one year freeze on the property tax portion of non-school taxing …
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From the Executive Director: Week of January 13, 2020
IAC President Jerry White and I recently returned from a NACo meeting in Washington DC. As part of our meetings, we learned of George Washington and his leadership style. One of the traits I admire the most about George Washington was his ability to bring a group of diverse stakeholders together, listen and respect all …
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Governor Little Gives Annual State of the State
Governor Brad Little delivered his State of the State address yesterday kicking off the 2020 legislative session. Regulatory reform was a chief topic of discussion including more reforms to come. Gov. Little announced, “My first executive order this year will make it a routine practice for Idaho state government to undergo the kind of successful …
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GEM – Modernizing the DMV system
Next step in assuring a quality product is “User Acceptance Testing” After “Stakeholder” and “End of PI” demos, the next opportunity to shape a DMV product is by participating in “User Acceptance Testing” (UAT). The UAT process is hands-on testing of a software product by DMV subject matter experts and technical users. The feedback provided …
Serving Up Ballots with ‘Food Truck Voting’
Article reprinted with permission from NACo County News PROBLEM: Residents waiting in long lines on Election Day. SOLUTION: Bring early voting to street corners around town, using mobile “food truck voting.” By Mary Ann Barton, NACo Senior Staff Writer Long lines, no parking, no time. Some of the most common excuses for not voting were taken out …
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