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Key Chamber Priority Bills 2016 Legislative Summary The 2016 Idaho Legislative Session saw continued focus and positive advances on PTE to Career Technical Education...... SB1210 behalf of education initiatives, more potential legislation with the potential to weak- en urban renewal as an economic development tool, and while much discussion was Post Secondary 60% Goal …...... SCR134 had regarding healthcare, once again another legislative session has closed without STEM Tax Credit...... HB0357 having provided a solution for Idaho’s healthcare “gap” population.

STEM Organization...... SB1249 Members of the Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce Advocacy Council and STEM Education Fund……...... SB1279 Advocacy Committee met weekly with our regional Legislators by video conference call throughout the session to discuss important issues and to stay abreast of the dai- STEM Computer Science...... HB0379 ly changing landscape at the Boise Statehouse. We very much appreciate the com- Community College Start Up Fund...... HB0459 mitment our regional Legislators make in supporting those weekly calls.

Educational Support Program...... HB0526 Over the course of the session we specifically tracked 35 bills that had the potential to positively or negatively impact our business community and weekly Legislative 3rd Grade Reading Plan…...... HB0451 Updates were produced to keep members informed. Those weekly updates as well Education Industry Partner Fund...... SB1332 as our Legislative Priorities publication and issue white papers can be found by vis- iting www.idahofallschamber.com/2016-legislative-updates/. Water Settlement Agreement…, SCR136, SCR137, REAL ID Compliance……...... ………...HB0513 The Chamber has advocated for two year through discussions and letters in support of the State bringing Idaho driver’s licenses into compliance with the federal REAL ID Urban Renewal Plans..…...... …….HB0606 Act to ensure that Idahoan’s are not impeded from visiting federal governmental buildings or in the future by air travel restrictions. HB0513 made that step.

Every bill from the 2016 Idaho State Legislative Workforce development is an issue that effects every business owner large and small. Session can be viewed by visiting the Idaho Professional Technical Education (PTE) programs play an important role in keeping the talent pipeline filled with skilled employees. Idaho Falls area employers in the Legislature’s Bill Center. areas of healthcare, welding and manufacturing benefit from the PTE (now called Career Technical Education or CTE) programs at EITC. The Chamber, along with the Idaho Chamber Alliance, advocated strongly in support for the 10.4% increase in PTE 2016 Legislative Scores funding this year, which included $3.79M to reduce student waitlists and allow an additional 400 students into PTE programs across the state! Additionally we support- District Legislator % ed the JFAC provision of $5M in a start up fund for a potential Eastern Idaho Commu- nity College. 30 Sen. Dean Mortimer 92% 30 Rep. Jeff Thompson 92% STEM education and literacy received significant support this year through increased funding, tax credits and new programs. For employers like INL and their subcontrac- 30 Rep. 92% tors that depend heavily on a STEM educated workforce, this is a big win.

32 Sen. Marc Harris 85% Our Chamber, along with the Chamber Alliance, and other organizations including the 32 Rep 92% Association of Idaho Cities rallied in protection of Urban Renewal. HB0606 went through several amendments and ended up as a double edged sword for urban re- 32 Rep. Thomas Loertscher 85% newal. On the positive it did provide a grandfather for existing urban renewal dis- tricts protecting their base property value from a plan modification reset. Unfortu- 33 Sen. Bart Davis 92% nately, it took away the ability for urban renewal districts to modify their plans to 33 Rep. 92% take advantage of unforeseen opportunities without a loss to their base value and further limited its uses when it comes to public buildings. 33 Rep. Linden Bateman 92% 34 Sen. Brent Hill 85% Water Settlement Agreement SCR’s were also a big step forward in the often em- battled water user/aquifer recharge debate. 34 Rep. Ron Nate 50% 34 Rep. Dell Raybould 92% Looking Ahead to 2017 What will 2017 bring to the ? It is our hope that we will see renewed 425 N. Capital focus on health care programs to address the gap, as well as continued conversations Idaho Falls, ID 83402 on transportation infrastructure, education and continued look at options for tax in- 208-523-1010 crement financing to keep Idaho competitive with neighboring states when it comes idahofallschamber.com to economic development. 2016 Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce Legislative Scorecard — Pg. 2

The grades in this report are meant to show how the Chamber’s priorities were impacted during the 2015 Idaho Legislative Session. They do not necessarily reflect the interests or actions of regional legislators. Instead, they are meant to reflect how actions and legislation during the 2016 session impacted these priories. To learn more about the Chamber’s legislative priori- ties and other advocacy efforts visit www.idahofallschamber.com/legislative-priorities/. 2016 Chamber Priorities Report Card GRADE Implement Medicaid expansion or an Idaho alternative to provide necessary health insurance coverage for approx- imately 77,000 Idahoans who are currently ineligible for both coverage under Medicaid and incentives to purchase C coverage through the Idaho Health Insurance Exchange. Implement and align pre-kindergarten through post-secondary education, with an emphasis on STEM, and expand capacity of Idaho’s professional/career technical education programs, leading to high demand, high wage jobs. A Lower the supermajority to 60% from the current 66 2/3% to assist tax supported governmental entities, including school districts, to pass the bonds necessary for investment in schools and infrastructure. D Preserve urban renewal and tax increment financing, and make other forms of development financing more acces- sible to increase economic development within the state of Idaho. *HB0606 provided both positive and negative consequences when it comes to urban renewal. Which means an A for grandfathering existing urban renewal dis- F * tricts but an F for the negative impact to the tool overall. Support the Idaho National Laboratory’s research and development mission. Engage the legislature in support of the Governor’s recommendation for an INL/BSU collaboration in cybersecurity. Work to ensure state, regional and C local support for the Department of Energy’s new GAIN initiative. Support legislation which reduces barriers and encourages additional and more substantive electrical generation and transmission capacity across the state. D Take steps to protect the domestic water rights of Idaho cities from curtailment, thus allowing cities and urban economies to continue to grow. B Align Idaho’s driver’s license and other picture identification instruments so they are accepted and compliant with federally required identification programs. A Grading Scale Average A Positive New Legislation; B Positive Impact; C Status Quo; D Failure to Address; F Negative Impact D

2016 Priority Sen. Rep. Rep. Sen. Rep. Rep. Sen. Rep. Rep. Sen. Rep. Rep. SCORECARD KEY Bills Mortimer Thompson Horman Harris Gibbs Loertscher Davis Trujillo Bateman Hill Nate Raybould

HB-513 + + + + + + + + + + — + + Vote in favor of HB-606 — — — — — — — — — — — — the Chamber issue SCR-136, 137 + + + + + + + + + + + + position. SCR-134 + + + + + + + + + + — + - Vote against the HB-357 + + + + + + + + + + + + Chamber issue HB-379 + + + + + + + + + + — + position. HB-458 + + + + + + + + + + + + A Absent for vote HB-459 + + + — + — + + + — + + SB-1279 + + + + + + + + + + — +

HB-526 + + + + + + + + + + — +

HB-451 + + + + + + + + + + + +

SB-1210 + + + + + + + + + + — +

2016 Legislative Scorecard Legislative 2016 SB-1249 + + + + + + + + + + + +

SB-1332 + + + + + + + + + + + +

% 92% 92% 92% 85% 92% 85% 92% 92% 92% 85% 50% 92% Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce, Inc. 425 N. Capital, Idaho Falls, ID 83402 208-523-1010 www.idahofallschamber.com