For the week of January 8 - 14, 2003

District 25 lawmakers perceive a tough Legislature session

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By GREG STAHL
Express Staff Writer

With a significant budget deficit looming, Idaho’s lawmakers gathered in Boise this week to kick off the winter legislative session.

District 25 Democrats, Sen. Clint Stennett and Rep. Wendy Jaquet, both of Ketchum, said they are rolling up their sleeves in preparation for the difficult budget talks ahead.

"This definitely is going to be a budget-driven legislative session," Stennett said. "We need to, if we’re going to have a vision for the future, we need to create opportunities."

Jaquet said one of the most important things she is taking to this year’s session is protecting education from more budget cuts.

"The governor has said no more cuts to education or health and welfare. That’s 80 percent of the budget. So, is he talking about a tax increase, and, if so, what kind of tax increase?" she asked. "That will certainly become more clear in his budget speech" today.

Idaho’s projected budget shortfall is about $160 million, but Jaquet said revenues are coming in better than anticipated, and the shortfall could be as low as $73 million.

Both Blaine County legislators have ideas about how the state can save money.

Stennett said he believes the state should look at sales tax exemptions and broaden taxes to include services while lowering the overall sales tax rate.

"Another thing I think is a viable alternative, and I’m not sure if it’s going to get any traction, is rolling back the tax relief plan that was given two years ago," Stennett said.

Jaquet said cigarette taxes haven’t been raised since 1994. Raising the cigarette tax by 28 percent could raise $15.6 million, she said. Raising the sales tax 1 percent and eliminating the state grocery tax would raise $30 million. Raising the sales tax 1 percent across the board, leaving groceries alone, would raise $150 million, she said.

Both lawmakers’ legislative agendas are full of bills from their home district, which includes Blaine, Camas, Lincoln and Gooding counties. On many of the ideas, Stennett will carry a bill in the Senate while Jaquet carries it in the House.

Following redistricting last year, 34 new legislators have arrived at the state Capitol for the first time, including the largest group of new Democrats ever.

"There’re so many new people. A third of the senate is freshman," Stennett said. "There are a lot of people finding their way, I think."

As for the Democrats’ gains in November’s elections, Stennett said he believes it gives his party a new edge.

"There’s a different level of respect here for us, I think. We elected more democrats to the Legislature than any state in the country, and that got their attention," he said.

With the Democrats’ November gains there will be two Democrats on each Senate committee. That is, at least, enough for Democrats to have their motions seconded, which Stennet said sometimes did not occur in the Republican-dominated past.

As a small sampling, Jaquet said she plans to introduce bills to ensure testing and registration for children that are home schooled, to clarify how consenting minors are charged in regard to statutory rape, to allow beer and wine licenses to be issued to a theater giving live performances and to prevent medical insurance companies from discriminating based on physical activities, like skiing.

Stennett said he plans to introduce several bills regulating confined animal feeding operations, including dairies and hog farms. Both legislators will carry an amendment to the state’s transfer of development rights legislation that would allow development rights to be transferred in perpetuity and avoid some taxing snags.

Stennett also said he would introduce legislation to promote recycling of old cellular phones, computers and televisions and to tighten up the state’s Invasive Species Act.

 

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