04/04/08 Legislative session ends

What kind of a job did the Idaho legislature do during the nearly three month long session that just ended? BOLZ "You know I thought we did a pretty decent job in terms of what we did." That's four term Representative Darrell Bolz of Canyon County. The former extension educator says a couple of ag-related issues he favored were defeated this session. BOLZ "The Barley Commission asked for a request to have their tax on barley raised up to four cents, right now it's at two cents. The other on the Department of Agriculture in their Animal Industries they were trying to raise some money through a fee on medication type situation and that bill did not make it though either." And the same for the Ranch, Farm and Forest Protection Act. BOLZ "I really thought it was a step in the right direction. I would certainly hope that they would come back to the table and come back with a proposal that would kind of meet the needs of where we want to go with it." The legislature did its part to pass a bill that could allow field burning to resume later this year. Bolz called the Grocery Tax Credit bill a step in the right direction and cited a bill giving businesses a break on property taxes on equipment. The lawmakers tried but failed to provide funding for Idaho's roads and highways. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott