LEGISLATIVE NEWS Week five by Wendy Jaquet

This has been the week of deadlines.  All bills to be brought before committees, at least afternoon committees, need to be on a calendar this week.  They cut us a little slack on the morning committees and there is always the Ways and Means Committee, what I call the "Speaker's print bills committee" for those last ditch efforts.  Once a bill is introduced to committee the Chairman will schedule it for a hearing in front of the entire committee.  If the committee likes the bill, they will send it to the floor for a vote and then it starts all over in committee on the Senate side.  Finally, it ends up in the Governor's office where he can sign it or veto it. 

 

Here's a brief update on bills you may have been following:

 

Sales tax on groceries: The Chairman wouldn't let me amend my bill to lower the sales tax on groceries just 2%.  Instead he took a vote on the Governor's bill to target low income people by expanding the grocery tax credit.  That failed.  The second vote was to expand the grocery tax credit - you will get about 53% of what you are paying in sales taxes on groceries as an income tax credit.  This bill passed, but has to get through the Senate and maybe the Governor will send it back?  I voted for this bill.

 

Community Colleges: The Governor wanted to lower the super majority vote, 66 2/3 % to 60% on a general election date every two years.  Otherwise, to get a community college enacted the district will need a 66 2/3 vote.  The bill failed in the Revenue and Taxation Committee.  I voted for this bill.

 

The Democrats' minimum wage bill which is indexed to the cost of living could not get the votes in committee to be introduced for hearing; a new bill to require property sales price disclosure was introduced for a hearing in the Senate; the Energy Plan will be introduced this week and probably scheduled for a hearing next week; the climate change resolution was introduced this week; the incentives for school consolidation, Senate Bill 1067, will go to the Senate floor this week.  Legislation for the Pesky Learning Center will be considered in the committee next week.

 

The Governor is hoping to raise sufficient funds in the private sector to fund the Montana "not even once" anti meth campaign which is targeted at youth.  After a year, the Montana Attorney General's office says that 93 percent of Montana's students say meth use comes at "great risk"; workplace drug testing showed a 73 percent decrease in the number of people testing positive for meth in 2006 and meth related crime decreased by 53 percent from 2005 to 2006.  Drug Czarina Debbie Field soon to be called Director of the Office of Drug Policy is working to implement this.  We need to have our baseline data lined up so we too can measure our success.  If you would like to contribute, please contact me.

 

This week Senator Stennett and I along with the Pro Tem and Speaker spoke to the Idaho Association of Counties and I talked to the Credit Union conference attendees.  Members of Delta Kappa Gamma came to meet with Representative Pence and me.  They presented their "Born to Read" program  to the House and Senate Education Committees.

 

Caucus Chair John Rusche will lead a delegation of legislators to Southeast Idaho this weekend. 

 

Hope you can join them:
Fri. 2/9 - Pocatello, ISU Student Union Building, Canoe Rm 7:00 pm
Sat. 2/10 - Blackfoot, Martha's Café, 851 S Broadway St, 10:00 am
Sat. 2/10 - Idaho Falls, Papa Tom's Pizza, 1830 S Woodruff, 1:00 pm
Sat. 2/10 - Rupert, Doc's Pizza, 514 6th St, 6:00 pm

 

Great to hear from so many of you. I can be reached by calling (208) 332-1000 or toll free 1-800-626-0471, via email at wjaquet@house.idaho.gov or by mail to P.O. Box 83720, Boise, ID 83720

 

Rep. Wendy Jaquet
House of Representatives
House Democratic Leader
Work: (208) 332-1133
Home: (208) 726-3100
Work Fax: (208) 334-5397
Home Fax: (208) 726-0674