Transportation issues highlight Idaho legislative session
By Larry Meyer
Argus Observer
Sunday, March 9, 2008 4:58 AM PDT
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| Traffic travels on U.S. Highway 95 outside of Fruitland headed toward Interstate 84 in Idaho in this Argus Observer file photo. Transportation projects and how to pay for them are a sticking point for Idaho legislators this session. |
BOISE - As the Idaho Legislature appears to be on the downhill side of its 2008 session, transportation projects and how to pay for them is one of the main issues that continues to face lawmakers after the governor’s proposal to raise personal vehicle registration fees to a flat $150 per year was withdrawn because of heavy opposition from legislators and the public.
“It was poorly thought out,” State Sen. Monty Pearce, New Plymouth, said Friday morning, commenting on Otter’s proposal.
It would have treated people who use the highways heavily and those who use them very little the same, Pearce said. With increases in prices of food, fuel and other items, there needs to be more sensitivity in how money is raised, Pearce said.
“(I) think a gas tax would be more fair,” he said.
Pearce suggested the state perform an audit of the Idaho Transportation Department, citing the state of Washington did the same, which resulted to changes made that saved the state millions of dollars.
An audit would find out how the money is being spent, he said, and needs to be done before more spending is approved.
Pearce said he is finding more allies for his position.
“We’re not getting any asphalt down,” he said.
That money in Otter’s former proposal is different from the money for Connect Idaho — also called the Garvey — program, for which the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee Friday approved money for a bond installment for specific highway projects. Pearce was among those lawmakers who opposed the original proposal of borrowing the money.
Pearce said he also intended to testify in support of a bill he had introduced to tighten up Idaho initiative law.
Whereas lawmakers have to provide a statement on the financial impact on bills they introduce, that is not required on ballot measures filed by the general public, Pearce said. His measure would change that and require some financial estimation on ballot initiatives.
“It’s pretty simple,” he said of the legislation. “It will give voters more information.”
Prior to going into committee to testify about that bill Friday, Pearce said he also planned on introducing a bill on immigration, but did not give further details, since the bill was being printed Friday.
Text of the bill will be available at the first of this week, he said. While the federal government has assumed most of the responsibility dealing with immigration legislation, the states have been left a small window in which they can act, Pearce said.
With the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee having set budgets, Pearce said it may be only about a couple of weeks before the session concludes.
