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 …
IAC Legislative Committee Meets in Person this Valentine’s Day
The IAC Legislative Committee met on February 14th in downtown Boise. Those who could not attend in person joined virtually. The meeting started off by approving February 7th minutes and was followed by an overview of IAC Priorities including: IGA-05 Hospital Property Tax Exemption, IGA-07 Area of Impact Agreements, JPS-02 Essential Emergency Medical Services, and …
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IAC’s Premier Event Unites County Officials and State Legislators
By Jessica Roth and Gracee Gorrell, IAC’s Communications Team The Idaho Association of Counties (IAC) hosted its 2024 Midwinter Legislative Conference at the Boise Centre from January 29th to February 1st. The conference united county elected officials and county staff, local government entities, state employees, and Idaho’s legislators. “The Midwinter Legislative Conference is IAC’s biggest …
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From the Executive Director – Week of February 5, 2024
I want to thank everyone for attending IAC’s Midwinter Legislative Conference. While there wasn’t a lot of activity at the Capitol, there was plenty to discuss with your legislators. I hope each of you had the opportunity to meet with your legislators while you were in town to discuss the legislative issues most important to …
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From the Executive Director – Week of January 22, 2024
We are one week out from IAC’s largest annual event: the IAC Midwinter Legislative Conference. The timing of the conference is perfect this year, as things begin to heat up in the Statehouse. We’re also holding the conference downtown at the Boise Center for the first time; an easy four blocks from the Idaho Capitol. …
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Idaho EMS Sustainability Task Force to Present EMS Basics at the Capitol
Today, Idaho EMS Sustainability Task Force members will present EMS 101 at the Capitol. The presentation will provide insights into the world of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) sustainability in the state of Idaho. The presentation is scheduled for today from 3:30-4:30 pm MST / 2:30-3:30 pm PST in the Lincoln Auditorium on the Garden Level …
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From the Executive Director – Week of January 15, 2024
With the first week of the 2024 Legislative Session in the books, expect bill introductions to pick up over the next couple of weeks. While significant legislation impacting counties has yet to be introduced, bills regarding investigations of county officials (H0390), limiting public health district authority (H0392), and limitations on vacating public roads providing access …
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IAC Advocating for Five 2024 Legislative Priorities
As the 2024 Idaho Legislative Session gets into full swing, we want to remind our IAC members about the legislative priorities set for the year. Hospital Property Tax Exemption: The IAC supports reinstating the board of county commissioner’s annual hospital property tax exemption review process and adding a charitable requirement back into the exemption qualifications. …
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