By Mike Butts
Idaho Press-Tribune

CANYON COUNTY — Local lawmakers disagree on what could be an essential component in bringing a community college system to Canyon County. The component in question could lead to higher local property taxes and create educational opportunities for students who can’t afford a four-year university.

While virtually all of the all-Republican county legislators see a need for a comprehensive community college system in the region, some have doubts about lowering the voter requirement for creating such a system. A legislative committee co-chaired by Caldwell Rep. Darrell Bolz has recommended the two-thirds voting “super majority” required to form a community college district be reduced to a 60 percent majority.

“If we do that we’ll have to be careful because then the pressure will be on to reduce that super majority for everything, and that’s a slippery slope,” said Caldwell Sen. John McGee.

The vote on the 18-member interim committee to recommend lowering the super majority was 10-7. Bolz voted for the idea because he said the 60 percent majority rate is fair as long as the election is held on primary or general election dates, when more voters come to the polls. That requirement is part of the committee’s proposal, Bolz said.

“My big problem with not having a super majority was when they do it on election dates when nobody comes to the polls,” Bolz said. “You have very few people deciding a policy on who pays taxes.”

Bolz also said he has heard legislators say “there is no way they are going to let” the super majority be lowered.

If the super majority rate is lowered for a community college district, Nampa Rep. Gary Collins agreed with McGee that other interests will also want the rate lowered for their purposes.

“Once we make that move, why should the school bonding have to be a super majority, why should all the other things (have to have a super majority)?” Collins said.

Boise State University president Bob Kustra, a strong supporter of creating a local community college system, said reducing the super majority rate is critical. He said he hopes it gets the support of the Legislature and the governor.

“I really don’t think it’s wise or necessary to have those extraordinary majorities for passage of referendums that build educational infrastructure in the state,” Kustra said.

Nampa Rep. Robert Schaefer opposes lowering the super majority rate because it could give too much power to non-property owners.

“That would allow the people who don’t own property to levy a tax on the people who do,” he said.

But the debate about community colleges may not result in legislation anyway, Caldwell Rep. Bob Ring said. Ring thinks there’s not enough statewide consensus to move forward on the issue. Northern Idaho and Eastern Idaho already have community colleges in place.

“Northern Idaho and Eastern Idaho are opposed to it, and locals are having difficulty agreeing what they want to do,” Ring said. “I think there’s going to be a lot of discussion and a lot of fighting, and I don’t think anything will get done.

“Everybody wants it, but nobody wants to pay for it.”

Canyon officials carry variety of bills
Canyon County’s Legislative delegation wants to bring several bills to the 59th Idaho Legislative Session, which begins Monday. Here’s a sampling. (All Canyon County legislators are Republicans.)

Nampa Sen. Curt McKenzie
McKenzie sat on an interim energy committee that will recommend ways to manage energy demand such as incentives for purchasing energy efficient appliances. He also wants to change a law to exempt the local Mission Aviation Fellowship from sales and use taxes for buying aircraft.

Nampa Rep. Robert Schaefer
Schaefer wants to make it simpler for state employees to retire by assisting with health insurance benefits to bridge the gap to Medicare. He’s also interested in a “flat line” property tax that would lock in tax rates when homes are purchased.

Caldwell Rep. Bob Ring
Ring wants to ban smoking in bowling allies. He will sponsor a bill similar to the one he carried last year that failed. He also wants to classify the highly addictive prescription tranquilizer Soma so purchases of the drug can be monitored.

Caldwell Rep. Darrell Bolz
Bolz wants to make revisions to the gang crime-fighting legislation passed last year. He will consider options that would allow some juvenile crime to move up to adult status. Bolz also wants to create a state statute for the Idaho Grape Growers and Wine Producers Commission, which is now under an executive order that must be periodically renewed.

Caldwell Sen. John McGee
McGee wants to make revisions in legislation he sponsored last year to help fight gang crime. He will base the changes on talks he had with police and prosecutors. He also wants to see if he can get additional transportation funds in the general fund budget.

Huston Sen. Patti Anne Lodge
Lodge wants to introduce legislation that would register known gang members in much the same way sex offenders are registered. “People have the right to know if gang members are in their neighborhood,” Lodge said. As chairman of the Health and Welfare Committee, she wants to look at making adoption less cumbersome.