And we’re off! The 2016 Idaho Legislature kicked off Monday and Governor Butch Otter gave the annual State of the State Address. Public schools and higher education dominated Otter’s speech, however, water is on agenda. The governor announced a round of public meetings on a “statewide sustainability policy” for Idaho’s water. Full text is available here.
Here’s a little more about our priorities at the legislature this year:
We’re focusing on food! Cottage food is on the table again this year as part of the Idaho Food Code. The food code will need approval by the legislature, so look out for ways you can show your support for independent food producers in Idaho. We have worked over the past two years with the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare to create fair and consistent rules that allow cottage foods to be made and sold all across the state. The updated food code is expected to hit the legislature early this year. The proposed update to the food code is available here.
Oil and gas legislation is expected. Last year the legislature approved integration, which forces property owners to lease their mineral rights. The oil and gas industry is expected to introduce new legislation again in 2016. We anticipate new bills making these application processes easier for oil and gas developers and clarifying 2015 legislation that took away the public’s right to a fair hearing with the Idaho Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. We will continue to monitor the legislature and ask for your support to stop any attempts to take away your voice and your personal property rights.
What else are we tracking? A proposal to repeal the tax on groceries and the grocery tax credit is one of the major proposals to emerge from the legislature’s tax working group this year. The bill would eliminate state sales taxes on certain foods for human consumption. Eliminating the grocery tax has the potential to help low-income families, small food producers, and businesses in western Idaho that have to compete with Oregon where there are no sales taxes. A list of eligible foods can be found on the USDA’s website.
Want to support our work? Your support is crucial to supporting independent food producers and Idaho’s clean air, water, and land. There are several ways you can help; by keeping an eye out for action alerts during the 2016 legislature, by joining our campaign as a member, and by donating to support our legislative campaign.
