"Idaho Rethuglican Governot Butch 'Viagrariffic!' Otter is engaged in a very flaccid steel-cage death match with the Idaho Rethuglican House members who, so far, have refused to give the Governot the millions of dollars he's demanding for state transportation funding," wrote 43rd State Blues Blogger Serephin on April 27. "To quote the Highlander flick, 'There Can Be Only One!' Either Butch wins and proves (at least to himself) that he's a badass mofo, or House Majority Leader Mike "Ass-Boil" Moyle and his fellow House Rethuglican stooges triumph and get to beat their flabby chests whilst ululating like a Moroccan desert tribe on acid. Long story short: somebody's losing their testicles."
A view from a neighboring state also highlights just how crazy the situation had become:
"In the Oregon Capitol these days it's easy to think that whether to raise taxes or not is one of those defining Democratic vs. Republican issues, wrote Jeff Mapes in The Oregonian on May 6. "Gov. Butch Otter meets with reporters after vetoing 10 bills on April 20 in an effort to pressure the Legislature to approve gas-tax increases. But in Idaho, the big tax fight has nothing to do with Democrats, who are all but irrelevant in the Legislature. After all, Democrats hold just seven of 35 Senate seats and 18 of 70 House seats. Instead, all the drama revolves around a fight between Republican Gov. Butch Otter and the Idaho House, which has voted six times to reject the governor's proposal (which the Senate has supported) to raise gas taxes."
At long last, on May 8, Betsy Z. Russell from Eye on Boise wrote: "Frustrated lawmakers ended Idaho’s second-longest legislative session Friday with lukewarm support for a transportation compromise that pushes the big decisions off to next year."
"I think we could’ve gotten all this done much quicker," said Sen. Mike Jorgenson, R-Hayden Lake. "I don’t like the gamesmanship. ... All the finger-pointing is counterproductive."
Russell said that the hard-fought transportation funding deal came amid a faltering economy that prompted lawmakers to cut public school funding for the first time ever. Despite GOP Gov. Butch Otter making transportation funding - and a gas tax increase - a top priority, holding meetings around the state for the past year and pushing hard for lawmakers to sign on, they wouldn’t.
"The difficulty, of course, was the economy," said Rep. Frank Henderson, R-Post Falls. "The economy is our enemy, and I think the body did quite well in working through it. I am concerned about next year’s budget."
Otter played it positive Friday afternoon. "This was never about any particular way of generating the revenue we need to fulfill this proper role of government," he said of the transportation dispute. "This was about acknowledging the challenge and making a commitment now to meeting it. That’s been achieved."
Lawmakers agreed to repeal a tax exemption for ethanol, saving about $16.4 million for road work; and raise an array of administrative fees at the state Department of Motor Vehicles, which raises $13.1 million. They also endorsed two smaller bills on truck fees that could raise up to $3.5 million, Russell said, adding "but the rest of the $54 million compromise came from an agreement to shift funding for the Idaho State Police and the state Department of Parks and Recreation off the gas tax as of July 1, 2010. A task force of lawmakers will work over the summer to find new funding sources; if they don’t, those departments would tap into the state’s general fund - also the funding source for schools, colleges and universities, prisons, health programs and more."
"The Legislature is charged and has clearly expressed an intent that we will find replacement money," said Sen. Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint, who urged the Senate to support the plan on Friday, the 117th and final day of the session.
"Lawmakers need to set aside contentiousness even when they have differing opinions," wrote the Idaho Press Tribune Editorial Board. "Let's face it, it wasn't pretty. ... The deal came after 117 days of a session that cost taxpayers more than $3.5 million — the second-longest in history. ... This session wasn't ugly because of any particular piece of legislation that passed or failed, but the contentiousness between the House, Senate and the governor. The dig-in-our-heels attitude of the House on road funding, rejecting compromise after compromise from the governor without a hint of budging until the very end — and then the decision to adjourn without consent of the Senate — ultimately seemed mean-spirited. Consider the note representatives left: 'See ya' later. Gone Home. Best wishes, Sincerely, The House.'"
Further Reading:
Idaho GOP Testicle Festival -- whose get served up?
Idaho Legislature finally adjourns session
2009 legislature wasn’t pretty
In Idaho, tax fight is Republican vs. Republican and Related Articles
See:
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