LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE

PUBLIC POLICY BOOKMARK

2010| 2009| 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003

 

2008 BOOKMARK

The goal of the Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce is to advance the commercial, financial, industrial, civic and social interests of our community.  The Chamber recognizes the importance of each of these aspects in creating a balance and quality of life for those in Eastern Idaho.  The entire state of Idaho depends on the strength of each region to contribute to a vigorous economy, quality educational opportunities, and the health and well-being of all Idahoans.  For these reasons, the Chamber supports the following issues and actions:

 

Science, Technology and Energy

  • Promote Department of Energy funding for the Idaho National Laboratory’s cleanup obligation and research and development missions.
  • Fund Idaho Universities, leveraging federal dollars, for the Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES).
  • Support the new State Office of Energy Resources and encourage that office to coordinate comprehensive solutions to Idaho’s energy issues.
  • Refine Idaho’s Energy Plan to include specific vision and action items, including nuclear power, to plan for future needs.
  • Encourage regional transmission line extensions that include future connections to help meet Idaho’s growing energy transmission needs and maximize options for power delivery to both public and investor owned utilities in the state.
  • Provide support for research and development on advanced nuclear energy systems and fuel cycles.

Education

  • Support funding of early childhood education
  • Maintain local control of election dates
  • Higher Education
    • Fully fund the Division of Professional-Technical Education
    • Support legislation that makes Higher Education more affordable and more accessible
    • Support Board of Education’s budget for the Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES)
    • Fund faculty and facilities to address the health care provider shortage
    • Support Tom Luna’s proposal to fund concurrent enrollment in the amount of $3.5 million
  • Support the governor’s proposal to create a $25 million trust fund for scholarships to provide increased opportunities for Idaho’s students to attend college.

 

Arts and Cultural Tourism

Fully fund the Idaho Commission on the Arts and the Idaho Department of Commerce Cultural Tourism local granting programs that develop local economies and increase cultural tourism.

 

Health & Human Services

  • Create an environment that promotes ideas to attract nurse educators to Idaho’s nursing programs.
  • Support the governor’s efforts to reduce the prison population by creating both a drug and alcohol treatment and mental health treatment facility.
  • Support the governor’s initiative to combat the use of methamphetamines.
  • Approve $500,000 for the budget of the Idaho Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to provide vocational services to individuals with disabilities throughout the State of Idaho.

Agriculture

  • Water issues have a severe economic impact to the Upper Snake River areas. Support good water management practices for flood control, managed recharge and natural recharge to help restore our Snake River Plain aquifer. Furthermore, shortage of the aquifer is primarily due to a normal drought cycle.
  • Support the governor’s proposal to provide $20 million for the study and modeling of Idaho’s aquifers and support local control of proposed funds to include the initiation of a recharge program for the Snake River Plain Aquifer.

Transportation/Infrastructure

  • Dedicate legislation to fund a multi-modal, regionally integrated transportation system by:
    • Dedicating a sustainable state revenue source
    • Authorizing communities to vote on local option taxes
    • Eliminating earmarking of special projects
    • Amending the fuel tax to use a percentage of gas purchases
  • Support the existing Urban Renewal Law as the only economic development tool that local communities have.

 

Economic Development

Appropriate incentives for business growth must be adopted.  Idaho’s focus should be first and foremost on retaining and growing existing business.  Incentives should be configured in such a way as to ensure that resources, where appropriate, return and are reinvested over time.

 

Business Personal Property Tax

Support the elimination of the personal property tax providing its elimination will not shift the tax burden to other taxpayers.