2021 Legislative Priorities
1. Carry forth the work of the Intrastate Commercial Air Service Interim Committee to bolster air service within Idaho with a goal of facilitating business connections and providing opportunities for travel and tourism.
2. Extend COVID-19-related liability protections for businesses and nonprofits to protect them from overzealous lawsuits by patrons and others who claim to have contracted at their place of businesses. The current protection is set to sunset on July 1, 2021.
3. Support the move to a permanent funding mechanism in the form of user fees for transportation infrastructure development and maintenance. Transportation is the lifeblood of many manufacturing and other businesses in Idaho, and it’s imperative that the state dedicate the necessary revenue to improve and maintain Idaho’s transportation system.
4. Support education and childcare policies that will strengthen our workforce and build a talent pipeline for Idaho businesses by:
a. Expanding career technical education (CTE) appropriations to increase enrollment in Idaho’s technical education training centers and expand middle and high school CTE curriculum.
b. Support opportunities to expand early-childhood education.
c. Support on-site childcare options at large businesses.
5. Protect the authority of local governments to provide services for their citizens. These policies include:
a. Empower cities and counties throughout Idaho to hold a citizen vote to authorize a local option sales tax policy for local infrastructure projects.
b. Preserve urban renewal funding options.
c. Preserve auditorium district and health district authority.
d. Pursue a multi-pronged approach to property tax reform beyond shifting taxes from residential to commercial entities.
e. Redirect a portion of internet sales tax collections through the sales tax distribution formula to provide additional revenue for cities and counties.
6. Support business-friendly tax policies to help businesses grow and allow them to reinvest in Idahoans through job opportunities. These policies include elimination of the business personal property tax.
7. Preserve Medicaid expansion in Idaho without sideboards to keep low-income Idahoans healthy and in the workforce without raising healthcare costs for all.
8. Reform Idaho’s liquor licensing policy while preserving value of current population-based liquor licenses, or legacy licenses. Liquor licensing is a top issue for the hospitality and tourism industry.
9. Promote polices that protect Idaho’s positive, welcoming national reputation for the purpose of preserving travel, tourism, and economic development as vital sectors of our economy.
1. Carry forth the work of the Intrastate Commercial Air Service Interim Committee to bolster air service within Idaho with a goal of facilitating business connections and providing opportunities for travel and tourism.
2. Extend COVID-19-related liability protections for businesses and nonprofits to protect them from overzealous lawsuits by patrons and others who claim to have contracted at their place of businesses. The current protection is set to sunset on July 1, 2021.
3. Support the move to a permanent funding mechanism in the form of user fees for transportation infrastructure development and maintenance. Transportation is the lifeblood of many manufacturing and other businesses in Idaho, and it’s imperative that the state dedicate the necessary revenue to improve and maintain Idaho’s transportation system.
4. Support education and childcare policies that will strengthen our workforce and build a talent pipeline for Idaho businesses by:
a. Expanding career technical education (CTE) appropriations to increase enrollment in Idaho’s technical education training centers and expand middle and high school CTE curriculum.
b. Support opportunities to expand early-childhood education.
c. Support on-site childcare options at large businesses.
5. Protect the authority of local governments to provide services for their citizens. These policies include:
a. Empower cities and counties throughout Idaho to hold a citizen vote to authorize a local option sales tax policy for local infrastructure projects.
b. Preserve urban renewal funding options.
c. Preserve auditorium district and health district authority.
d. Pursue a multi-pronged approach to property tax reform beyond shifting taxes from residential to commercial entities.
e. Redirect a portion of internet sales tax collections through the sales tax distribution formula to provide additional revenue for cities and counties.
6. Support business-friendly tax policies to help businesses grow and allow them to reinvest in Idahoans through job opportunities. These policies include elimination of the business personal property tax.
7. Preserve Medicaid expansion in Idaho without sideboards to keep low-income Idahoans healthy and in the workforce without raising healthcare costs for all.
8. Reform Idaho’s liquor licensing policy while preserving value of current population-based liquor licenses, or legacy licenses. Liquor licensing is a top issue for the hospitality and tourism industry.
9. Promote polices that protect Idaho’s positive, welcoming national reputation for the purpose of preserving travel, tourism, and economic development as vital sectors of our economy.