Capitol Letters: Proposals for property tax relief

Ryan Suppe
·3 min read

By Ryan Suppe, State Politics Reporter

Idaho Republicans have promised homeowners they’d cut property taxes — but they have competing ideas for how to do it.

GOP lawmakers introduced three bills aimed at property tax relief. One would subsidize residential property taxes using sales tax revenue; another would index the homeowner’s exemption, which means the exemption would increase as the value of the home does.

The third bill, which is backed by House GOP leadership, would give money to school districts for facility construction. That’s meant to ease the necessity for districts to seek bonds, which affect property taxes. The bill would also raise the exemption slightly.

Here’s the full explanation of what they’re proposing.

A decision on Medicaid

Lawmakers tasked with recommending whether to continue with the state’s Medicaid expansion say they support funding the voter-approved benefits.

But the Republican legislators expressed concern about rising costs and directed Medicaid administrators to find ways to cut spending.

Idaho voters in 2018 approved Medicaid expansion, extending the subsidized health benefits to Idahoans with household incomes at 138% the federal poverty level. Lawmakers set a Jan. 31, 2023, deadline by which the House and Senate Health and Welfare committees would reconsider whether to continue funding expanded benefits.

In the meantime, Medicaid expansion costs have more than doubled, from about $400 million to $1 billion, though most of the costs will be covered by the federal government.

Total estimated costs for the state will be $88.3 million. The Department of Health and Welfare, which oversees the program, anticipates another 3% increase in costs next fiscal year.

Read my full story here.

Mail-order abortion pills

Idaho’s congressional delegation has called on the federal Food and Drug Administration to reverse a recent move expanding access to drugs that terminate early pregnancies.

The FDA last month finalized a rule change that eliminates in-person dispensing requirements for mifepristone, an abortion-inducing drug, allowing pharmacies to distribute the pills by mail. The modified rule also allows retail pharmacies, such as Walgreens and CVS, to obtain certification to prescribe the drug.

“The FDA’s action promotes dangerous do-it-yourself abortions by mail and telemedicine without ever seeing a doctor in person, and turns brick-and-mortar pharmacies and post offices into abortion centers,” said a letter signed by 77 federal GOP lawmakers.

All four of Idaho’s congressional delegates signed the letter, which was addressed to FDA Commissioner Robert Califf.

Read my full story here.

What to expect today

  • 8 a.m. Joint Finance-Appropriations. Budget discussions will include the Commission for Libraries.

  • 9 a.m. House Health and Welfare. Lawmakers will hear a presentation on a report about “Medicaid cost containment,” both in the House committee at 9 a.m. and in the Senate Health and Welfare Committee at 3 p.m.

  • 9 a.m. House Revenue and Taxation. Alex Adams, head of Gov. Brad Little’s Division of Financial Management, will present Little’s budget recommendations.

  • 1:30 p.m. Senate Judiciary and Rules. The committee will discuss Senate Bill 1029, which would bar courts from taking a child away from a parent based on a child’s immunization status.

  • 3 p.m. Senate Health and Welfare. Lawmakers will hear a presentation on a report about “Medicaid cost containment.”

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