During a news conference Friday, Senate Democrats pushed back against the Idaho Legislature’s return to the Statehouse next week. Sens. Michelle Stennett, Grant Burgoyne, and Janie Ward-Engelking raised concerns about the possible legal ramifications that could stem from the Senate, specifically, coming back into session after adjourning in May, not recessing like the House. No mechanism exists for the body …
Continue reading
Just a day after Gov. Brad Little vetoed legislation seeking to trim his emergency powers, he signed Senate Bill 1110 into law, destroying the initiative and referendum rights of the people. The bill seeks to make an already onerous process ostensibly impossible by doubling the district signature requirements needed, rising to 6% of signatures of registered voters in all 35 …
Continue reading
On Friday, the House majority leader introduced a bill in the Revenue and Taxation Committee to completely eliminate the property tax that businesses pay on their equipment over 10 years. Rep. Mike Moyle, R-Star, proposed to replace the revenue lost to local governments with General Fund dollars, but at a fixed level that will not adjust to the future cost …
Continue reading
The Senate State Affairs Committee heard long testimony Monday on Senate Joint Resolution 101, a constitutional amendment which would forbid the state from legalizing any psychoactive drug in the future that wasn’t already legal in 2020, including any medical breakthroughs not permitted and recognized in Idaho statute. Dr. Dan Zuckerman, a veteran cancer oncologist at St. Luke’s Medical Center in …
Continue reading
On Tuesday, Democratic lawmakers demonstrated their continued commitment to restoring fairness to Idaho’s property tax system, and presented multiple proposals to better protect homeowners as home prices rapidly rise. Sen. Grant Burgoyne, Rep. John Gannon, and Rep. Lauren Necochea, each of whom have done extensive work on the subject, discussed the various pieces of upcoming property tax legislation with members …
Continue reading
Republican politicians have had supermajority control of the legislature and every statewide office for decades. Under their governance, Idaho has sunk to 51st place in education investment (and, remarkably, now they want to cut another $99 million from our education budget). For seven years they refused to even allow a vote on Medicaid expansion, leaving many thousands of Idahoans to …
Continue reading
Idaho – On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 makes it illegal to discriminate against employees based on sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The landmark decision means that LGBTQ individuals across the nation are now protected from being fired in the workplace based on their identity. Senator Grant Burgoyne/(D-Boise) …
Continue reading
Boise, Idaho – On Thursday, the Senate Local Government and Taxation Committee voted to send HB409 to the amending order on the Senate floor. This legislation would freeze the portion of a taxing district’s budget that they could receive from property taxes. This bill will limit the operating budgets of districts and will not help the property tax crisis. The …
Continue reading
Idaho State Capitol – The Senate Education committee voted to send Senator Grant Burgoyne’s/(D-Boise) Idaho Promise legislation to the 14th order for possible amendment. Idaho’s approach to increasing the percentage of residents prepared to enter the skilled workforce has a serious gap that new legislation proposed by Sen. Burgoyne intends to fill. Currently, local communities lack effective ways to help …
Continue reading
Boise, Idaho – On Monday, Senator Grant Burgoyne/(D-Boise) announced his plans to run for re-election for the District 16 Senate seat. Sen. Burgoyne has served 3 terms in the Idaho Senate. Prior to that, he served three terms in the Idaho House of Representatives. While in the legislature, Senator Burgoyne has fought for Medicaid Expansion, free college courses and the …
Continue reading