Idaho Governor Calls Special Legislative Session to Tackle Inflation
BOISE, Idaho (KLIX)-Idaho legislators have been called back to Boise for a special session in September to tackle inflation. During a press conference in Boise, Tuesday morning Gov. Brad Little called a special session of the Idaho Legislature to divvy out the state's $2 billion projected budget surplus with the hope of pushing back on record high inflation. “We’re calling an extraordinary session to address the crushing impacts of historic inflation on Idaho families and schools. The cost of basic fundamentals to live everyday life has skyrocketed, and schools are faced with the burden of rising operating costs,” Governor Little said. The Legislature will look at a single-subject bill that will call for: one-time income tax rebates totaling $500 million to people who filed 2020 income taxes; lower the state income tax to 5.8 percent from 6 percent and eliminate the first $2,500 of income eligible for taxation for singles and $5,000 for couples; pump $410 million into Idaho schools by way of a sales tax transfer to help with rising operating costs. The bill has more than 50 bipartisan cosponsors.