Legislative Update--Senator Mark Harris
Dear friends and neighbors —
The Senate has been busy this week as we have been going to the floor twice a day to hear and debate bills. Some notable bill passed this week involve taxes, water, and firing squads.
The Senate passed a $250 million income tax reduction bill earlier this week. House Bill 40 (H40) reduces the corporate and individual rate from 5.695% to 5.3% in the State of Idaho. The bill also includes an income tax exemption for disabled military veterans under the age of 62 and removes capital gains taxes and loses on precious metals from State income taxes. H40 will now go to the Governor.
The other significant tax bill we debated on the floor this week was House Bill 231 (H231). This tax bill increases the grocery tax-credit Idahoans receive at the end of the year. This is an interesting issue as I have received many calls from individuals asking for the elimination of grocery taxes all together. Many of these calls are spurred by texts and a flyer sent out by a special interest group from Texas. This raises the question of why a special interest group out of Texas is so interested in Idaho politics? Who is funding them, and why? Regardless, the grocery tax repeal has little support in the legislature as the tax-credit returns more money to Idaho taxpayers.
H231 increases the grocery tax-credit from $120 per person to $155 per person. Using numbers provided by the Associated Taxpayers of Idaho, an average family of four pays about $515 in sales tax on groceries. The same family would get $620 back with the grocery tax-credit, giving them a $105 annual saving on food. The other plus with the tax-credit is all the tourists and visitors that travel throughout Idaho and purchase food. They contribute to the State by paying sales tax on groceries. This is a tax out-of-Staters and nonresidents pay. They put wear-and-tear on our roads, use our parks, and enjoy our State without getting a tax-credit back. This money helps us fund Idaho services that benefit Idahoans. H231 also has a provision in it that if a person chooses, they can itemize their grocery receipts and apply for a $250 per person refund in addition to getting the tax-credit. H231 provides approximately $50 million more to Idahoans. I voted in favor of both these significant tax bills.
Senate Bill 1128 (S1128) provides for $30 million in ongoing money for water infrastructure across the State. Some of the projects include aquifer recharge, groundwater management, development, and rehabilitation of storage, delivery improvements, and supply. These funds are to be allocated by the Idaho Water Resources Board and used across the State. This legislation is especially important for Eastern Idaho and the future of the water agreement that was made last year to prevent any future curtailment in water usage. S1128 passed the Senate and is currently in the House Resources Committee waiting for a hearing.
The Senate also passed House Bill 37 (H37) this week which makes the firing squad the primary method to execute an inmate on death row, and lethal injection is the secondary method. This bill naturally garnered quite a bit of attention. We are finding it difficult to acquire the components for lethal injections so the firing squad method is now closer to being an option with the Senate vote to pass H37.
The EMS legislation, House Bill 206 (H206) and House Bill 207 (H207) have passed out of the Senate State Affairs Committee with a “Do Pass” recommendation and are now on the Senate floor waiting to be heard and debated. I am pleased that these bills are moving through the system, and I have high hopes they will pass and be sent to the Governor. We will hopefully know early next week.
Thank you again for giving me the privilege and honor to serve the good people of Legislative District 35. I look forward to hearing from you with any questions or concerns you have about State government. You can email me at [email protected] or call me at 208-332-1308.
