Micron announced intentions to build a new chip plant in Boise as it continues talks with a Taiwanese rival and as a bill to end or otherwise curtail Idaho’s personal property tax hits the Legislature.
And in other corporate shenanigans, IF skin product magnate Frank VanderSloot flew 10 lawmakers home last week to a GOP event on the eve of a vote on his noncompete bill in the Senate.
A dozen lawmakers still can’t even get a vote on daycare standards, pre-K bill held for another year on purpose and grocery tax relief passes anti-tax tax committee in today’s Newsrack (pass it on…)
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Micron announced plans to build a new chip plant in the Boise Valley. Larger sized wafers make for more efficient process. Press Tribune. No timeline set. AP in the Argus.KTVB first. Statesman not invited. Micron announced expansion in 2005 and got tax breaks through the Legislature. $282 million property tax exemption in ’07. Dey in the Statesman. Appleton profile at the Press Tribune. Rhythmic pounding. Cotterell on Boise State Radio.
Grocery tax relief bill passes Rev & Tax. Some support from governor, Democrats, House leaders. $50 credit for some poor. $30 for rest. Will increase over the years. Lenore: “If we go ahead with this bill, it would be like throwing a pound of hamburger to a junkyard dog to get him off your tail.” Russell in the Spokesman.
Amending conservation easements to death. Roberts leads effort to kill widely supported conservation credit bill through amendment to five-year easements. Bedke: “The Nature Conservancy is on the moderate end of a bunch of quite rabid folks who want to exchange their management for mine and get me off.” Conservancy in bed with cattlemen, farm bureau, food producers. Ferguson in the LMT [subscrip].
Catch a flight, end abortion. GOP members cut House Health and Welfare abortion coercion debate short so they could catch a flight to a party. McGeachin: “To continue deliberations beyond that point when we had to be somewhere didn’t make sense.” Miller, AP in the Argus.
“They hitched a ride.” Ten Republican lawmakers flown in two corporate jets to Idaho Falls on eve of Melaleuca noncompete bill vote in the Senate. Coincidence? Maybe… but flight should cost thousands and how will it be disclosed. Miller, AP in the Press Tribune.
Daycare standards dies without vote. Chairman Patti Anne Lodge refuses vote on basic, minimal, daycare bill citing fiscal responsibility. Lodge: “My only promise to my constituents was that I would be mindful of their tax dollars.” Corder promises safety: “They can’t pass background checks, and yet we allow them to take care of children, we allow that.” Russell in the Spokesman Review. Fourth year in a row. Sponsors Corder and Sayler agreed to have the bill held in committee. Goins in the CDA Press.
Burkett asks committee to hold early ed bill. Boise Senator wants to vet the bill with business groups before trying to get it through the Legislature. Bill would provide seed money for pilot pre-K programs at district level, but would not require any district to offer it. Would be expanded in 2012. Allen in the Statesman.
It’s not a problem, but let’s make some money anyway. Committee buys the greenhouse gas avoiding industry argument. Bill asks DEQ and governor to report back on emissions and suggest clean energy projects. Rep. Sharon Block: “Gentlemen, there’s a gold rush on the horizon and we in Idaho have the gold.” Ferguson in the LMT [subscrip]. State energy plan calls for it. Hopkins in the Times-News.
Medicare requirement for retirees proposed. Bill would force state retirees to take Medicare once eligible. Also forces Dept. of Administration to consult with lawmakers, courts, the governor and the agencies before proposing health plan changes. Hopkins in the Times-News.
Another mother-daughter team. Sen. Diane Bilyeu, Pocatello Democrat, votes to kill low income housing credit protection after daughter testifies against it. HB 438 dead in Senate committee. Goins in the Shoshone New-Press.
