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Wednesday, April 2, 2008

SJR 107 Dies on House Floor

Proponents of the "easy payment plan" with your tax dollars got shot down yesterday at the Idaho State Legislature.

THE GUARDIAN loaded up the family truckster with eight people from Canyon County to testify on this bill before the State Affairs Committee. This poorly written piece of legislation got through the Senate with virtually no questions asked by that august body. However, the House people were more cautious with a change to the constitution. The Canyon County House delegation all voted this measure down, same can not be said about our Senators who approved this measuere.

All of us that testified felt like we were more than welcome to speak to the committee. We almost got enough votes kill the bill in committee but in the end it got sent to he house floor for debate and voting. Constitutional amendments require 2/3 vote in both houses and 50% at a general election. The measure died 36-33 on the house floor. Point here is that citizens can make a difference if they get up off the couch and make the effort to be heard. The lobbyists from the Idaho Associations of Cities and Counties were agog over this defeat in the waning hours of the session.

If passed and approved by the voters this measure would have allowed virtually any pet project deemed to be "revenue producing" by cities and counties to be funded via revenue bonds without a vote of the people. Everything that generated a dime of revenue from library fines, swimming pool fees, golf courses, to you name it fills this requirement. Removing voter oversight would have been a huge mistake. If cities and counties want these pet projects they need to get permission from the voters in a bond election,serial levy, or simply budget for the expense and pay cash.

Finally, we were all impressed with the House State Affairs Committee and Chairman Loertscher. Enough can't be said about these people and their willingness to hear what we had to say. I am truly in awe of what went on yesterday. I am sure the lobbyists were stunned at what happened to their poorly written legislation by the good people from Canyon County who took the time to speak on this issue from the perspective of a citizen.

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