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 …

IAC Priorities Need Member Engagement to Push Across the Finish Line

IAC still has priorities pending in the legislature. We need significant engagement from our members to get these bills over the finish line. Essential, Sustainable EMS System Senate Bill 1416, which would help create a more sustainable EMS system, passed the Senate last week on a 26-9 vote. We expected the bill to be routed …

Outreach and Engagement Needed on Two IAC Legislative Priorities 

While many things are beginning to wind down in the legislature, this week is an important week for IAC. We hope to see positive movement on two of the Idaho Association of Counties’ (IAC) legislative priorities, Area of Impact and EMS Sustainability.  The Area of Impact legislation (Senate Bill 1403) will likely be heard in …

BLM Proposes Stronger Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation Plans

By BLM Press The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is announcing a draft plan to strengthen greater sage-grouse conservation and management on public lands, informed by the best-available science and input from local, state, federal, and Tribal partners. The draft plan is built on decades of partnership, research, and on-the-ground knowledge and experience in maintaining, …

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 …

2024 Directory of County Elected Officials Now Available

IAC’s 2024 Directory of County Elected Officials is now available! Published annually, this directory is a valuable resource for those looking to reach Idaho’s nearly 400 county elected officials, hundreds of county staff, and members of affiliate organizations. The directory provides the contact information and office locations for all 396 county officials. Additionally, the directory …

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) …

BEAD Regional Coordination and Planning Grant Now Open

By Cody Allred, Idaho Commerce  The Idaho Broadband Advisory Board (IBAB) and the Idaho Office of Broadband are now accepting grant applications for the Idaho Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Regional Coordination and Planning Grant. The Board approved $500,000 for broadband planning funds to be used to establish a Broadband Action Team and additional …

Updates on Bills Monitored by IAC – Week of March 4, 2024

This morning, the House Revenue and Taxation Committee heard House Bill 625, which would shift the burden of proof from the property owner to the county assessor during Board of Equalizations (BOE) assessment hearings. Hollie Ann Strang (Gem County Assessor), Brian Stender (Canyon County Assessor), Josh Dison (Elmore County Assessor), and Justin Baldwin (Gooding County …

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 …