Williams adds, he is not sure why in the 2018 tax law changes triggers were included that lower taxes when the state’s income level is above a certain amount. He is in favor of removing those. This bill and three or four other bills going to the House also include elimination of triggers. Carroll Broadcasting will bring you more from the final Legislative Forum of the year in upcoming newscasts.
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Local legislators voiced their opinions on two bills created from what they call knee-jerk reactions at Saturday's Carroll Chamber of Commerce Legislative Forum
Best says if there is any kind of compromise that can be made that would help private schools, he would support that, but not the voucher portion. The legislators also discussed the current proposals for a 2.5 percent school aid increase from the governor that is at 2.2 percent in the Senate. Both agree this is complicated, particularly by the fact it is based on this year’s enrollment. However, because of COVID-related issues, there may be recorded decreases in enrollment and an increase in state aid, could actually result in a decrease of funding next year. The bill proposes a one-time increase of $65 per pupil for those following in-person instruction laws, meaning all area schools qualify for this funding. It also includes an allocation of nearly $10 million to address per pupil transportation inequities as rural districts experience much higher transportation costs for a lower number of students. A link to the video of Saturday’s forum is included below.
When it comes to healthcare, temporary tele-health funding has been allocated and constituents were asking if it would be made permanent. Both legislators believe that growth in this method of healthcare interaction is going to be more broadly utilized in the future and will become a staple of care. Both Williams and Best agree that funding for mental health and behavioral health needs to remain a high priority, and both were surprised that one proposed funding stream, a portion of a one-cent sales tax, was pulled for consideration this session by Gov. Reynolds. Williams points to the pandemic as a trigger for increased care needs.