2021 LEGISLATORS
2021 LEGISLATIVE SPONSORS
DISTRICT 2 Representative Vito Barbieri (R)
Senator Steve Vick (R)
House Seat A 6th term
SJVick@senate.idaho.gov 2140 E. Hanley Ave. Dalton Gardens, ID 83815 Home 208.332.1345 Statehouse 208.332.1345 6th term
STATE LEGISLATIVE
VBar@house.idaho.gov 564 E. Prairie Ave. Dalton Gardens, ID 83815 Home 208.620.0873 Statehouse 208.332.1177
AGENDA POSITION STATEMENTS
Representative Doug Okuniewicz (R)
House Seat B 1st term
2021
DougO@house.idaho.gov 2519 W. Berkley Ln. Hayden, ID 83835 Home 208.918.1495 Statehouse 208.332.1070
DISTRICT 3 Representative Ron Mendive (R)
Senator Peter Riggs (R)
House Seat A 5th term
Riggs@senate.idaho.gov P.O. Box 68 Post Falls, ID 83877 Home 208.775.7383 Statehouse 208.332.1338 1st term
RMendive@house.idaho.gov 3732 S. Dusty Ln. Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814 Home 208.667.9330 Statehouse 208.332.1040
Representative Tony Wisniewski (R)
House Seat B 2nd term
IN COLLABORATION WITH
TWisniewski@house.idaho.gov P.O. Box 2483 Post Falls, ID 83854 Home 208.889.3437 Statehouse 208.332.1060
DISTRICT 4 Representative Jim Addis (R)
House Seat A 2nd term
Senator Mary Souza (R)
Representative Paul Amador (R)
MSouza@senate.idaho.gov P.O. Box 2223 Coeur d'Alene, ID 83816 Home 208.818.2356 Statehouse 208.332.1322
4th term
JAddis@house.idaho.gov P.O. Box 645 Coeur d'Alene, ID 83816 Home 208.676.0187 Statehouse 208.332.1065
House Seat B 3rd term
PAmador@house.idaho.gov 333 W. Vista Dr. Coeur d'Alene, ID 83815 Home 208.497.2470 Statehouse 208.332.1048
Coeur d’Alene Regional Chamber 105 N. 1st Street • Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814 208.664.3194 • www.cdachamber.com
Post Falls Chamber of Commerce 201 E. 4th Ave. • Post Falls, ID 83854 208.773.5016 • www.postfallschamber.com
Rathdrum Chamber of Commerce 8052 Main Street, Ste. 201 • Rathdrum, ID 83858 208.687.2866 • www.rathdrumchamber.com
Hayden Chamber of Commerce 8254 N. Government Way • Hayden, ID 83835 208.762.1185 • www.haydenchamber.org
2021 CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE POSITION STATEMENTS COEUR D’ALENE REGIONAL • POST FALLS • RATHDRUM • HAYDEN Tax Issues The Chambers continue to support a reduction in the tax burden on businesses in Idaho when fiscally responsible. Gradually lowering income tax rates and simplifying and reducing business personal property taxes will assist in the retention and expansion of existing businesses, as well as in recruitment of new businesses. Coeur d'Alene
PUBLIC POLICY PRIORITIES Role and Mission of the Chambers of Commerce The primary mission of the Coeur d'Alene, Post Falls, Hayden and Rathdrum Chambers is to advocate for an environment that ensures the health and prosperity of our communities through strong and healthy businesses. Part of that advocacy occurs through the guidance of our government leaders. Together, we advocate for tax policies and a regulatory environment that support opportunities for growth, job creation, and profitability which strengthens the economic vitality of our communities and our region.
Residential property taxes have skyrocketed and the property tax burden on residential properties has dramatically expanded, with roughly 70% of property tax collections now being paid by residential properties. Among the solutions the legislature should consider are the following:
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We strongly advocate for the elimination of policies that unnecessarily restrict the free flow of commerce and industry which is vital to the creation and retention of jobs, ensuring continuing economic prosperity.
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Our Chambers support policies that responsibly protect our environment and quality of life while supporting a business climate that nourishes economic growth. Sustainable management of our natural resources benefits both industry and the health of our public lands.
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Rathdrum
Hayden
Post Falls
Replace the current cap on the homeowner’s exemption with a formula that takes inflation into consideration. Require those leasing public property to pay a lessee’s tax equal to property tax. Replace local property tax school “maintenance and operations” override levies with increased funding from state revenues. Distribute internet sales taxes now held in a “Tax Relief Fund” to local governments and the State General Fund. Reform Idaho’s impact fee law to make it truly fund the cost of growth. This would include considering the cost of new schools, increased governmental operations including fire and police, and regional transportation improvements.
Our Chambers continue to support legislation granting local units of government authority to adopt local option taxes that are voter-approved for specifically defined local public improvement projects, with cost estimates, timelines and sunset clauses. The ability to address local needs with locally approved tax revenues is critical to the continued growth and economic viability of our growing communities. The Chambers continue to support the use of the state’s Urban Renewal Law as an effective and flexible economic development tool that has proven essential in the expansion and improvement of public infrastructure, economic diversification and the expansion of employment.
Education and Workforce Development To achieve a meaningful career, our Chambers support the recommendations of the Governor’s Taskforce on Higher Education that address the need to reduce costs and improve all educational pathways, from industry-based certifications to advanced degrees. The Chambers continue to strongly support coordinated and focused efforts to better prepare our citizens for the state’s growing business workforce needs. These programs need to be oriented toward not only providing traditional students with career and technical education to prepare them for the workforce, but also providing results-oriented pathways for more mature members of our workforce to upgrade their skills and stay current on the changing needs of employers.
In addition to the four-year plus degrees provided by our universities, the Chambers fully support the continued funding and expansion of workforce development programs and continued increased emphasis on career and technical education, and skills certification within our schools and community colleges. We also support expansion of apprenticeship programs. The Chambers support continued efforts regarding Reading Readiness initiatives and encourage pre-K funding exploration. We continue to support school choice, STEAM education (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics), mentorship initiatives, career advisory programs, and experiential learning opportunities.
Healthcare Our Chambers recognize the considerable challenges that our state and local healthcare providers have faced this past year in dealing with the impact of the worldwide pandemic. Their delivery of healthcare services to our citizens has been nothing short of heroic. They deserve our recognition and strong support. We also commend the governor and the board of directors of our regional health districts for their guidance to our businesses, our schools, and our citizens during this long and difficult effort to overcome this challenge. As the state continues to seek acceptable and cost-effective solutions to reducing healthcare costs, reducing the cost of insurance coverage and expanding access to care for a greater
number of citizens, we urge our legislators to consider the use of Idaho’s tobacco tax monies as a source of healthcare revenue. A tobacco tax should be considered as a user fee, compensating for the social and medical costs associated with the use of tobacco and vaping products. Idaho’s current tobacco tax is $1.24 below the national average. We currently do not tax vaping products. The Idaho Chapter of the American Cancer Association is proposing a significant ($1.50 per pack) increase, plus a similar tax on vaping products. Such an increase is estimated to generate an additional $60 million annually. We believe that Idaho should be at or near the national average of taxes currently charged on tobacco products, and that there is a clear nexus between medical costs directly attributable to diseases and conditions arising from the use of such products.
Transportation We firmly believe that the state must explore and implement funding solutions that adequately address the pressing backlog of maintenance issues facing our state’s transportation infrastructure. At the same time, we believe we must begin to fund new projects that prepare our communities for the continued growth that we are experiencing. In doing so we understand increased user fees as well as other new revenues must be addressed. We simply must invest more now or limit our ability to grow and negatively impact our state’s future prosperity. available online at cdachamber.com