Business
Local Issues Cropping Up In Legislature
February 3, 2011 
The GUARDIAN is familiar with much of what’s on the plate of lawmakers this session. We brought the issue of a state-owned storage business to the attention of readers last fall.
Sen. Russ Fulcher of Meridian went after the deputy director of the State Lands Department in a Senate State Affairs committee hearing Wednesday over competing with the private sector in the area of commercial leases like the Affordable Storage Facility operated by the state in direct competition with private owners. Lands will not be pushing for any legislation this session.
The hot button gun crowd will be happy to weigh in on a “looming proposal” to allow Idahoans pack concealed weapons with NO PERMIT. Alaska, Arizona, and Vermont have similar laws. Coppers are waiting to see what happens before commenting according to a piece by Sean Ellis in the Idaho State Journal.
Meanwhile a bunch of mostly Canyon County conservatives fed up with urban renewal abuses has been successful in getting a fist full of bills printed that are aimed at allowing the public to vote on creation of urban renewal districts as well as selling the bonds to finance the districts. Currently urban renewal is without oversight of any sort from government at any level. No elected body has authority once a district is formed.
Finally, the practice of creating “Auditorium Districts” that spend money on tourist promotion rather than auditoriums or convention centers is under scrutiny. The courts have said the twain shall not meet. Tourism promotion and bricks and mortar structures don’t get to mix and match their money. Pocatello’s auditorium district has hired a lawyer who wants the legislature to define just what they want from the locals.
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Comments & Discussion
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Feb 3, 2011, 11:56 am
Kids in a candy store with no adult supervision is how urban renewal has been operating in Canyon County. Mayors Tom Dale and Garret Nancolas have not been listenting to taxpayers.
It is just a great day when voters can bring their grievances to our citizen legislators and get heard by law makers. We hope the Legislature will put voter oversight in UR laws. It will put TAXATION WITH REPRESENTATION into these heretofore very bad set of laws.
Feb 4, 2011, 3:42 am
Some officials say they see nothing wrong with state running a storage business, competing with privately owned businesses, but with the advantage of not having to pay property taxes. But I bet any of those officials who who a business would sing a different tune if the state competed unfairly with *their* businesses.
(And let’s get the state out of the liquor-store business, too, while we’re at it.)
Re the guns: I think Arizona and others made a mistake in dropping the concealed-weapons license requirement. Although I own several guns, and might carry sometimes, I think Idaho did right a few years ago when it changed the law (which previously basically said any friend of any sheriff could carry concealed, but others maybe not) so that they refuse a concealed carry license only to people who have been convicted of a felony — or maybe it’s certain felonies, such as domestic violence, assault and battery; I can’t think of the details right now — or have been judged insane. Seems to make sense to try to keep those people from carrying concealed (or at all, perhaps), while allowing anyone else the option.
Also wonder why cwl’s from one state are not acceptable in all states (as driver’s licenses are) instead of a very confusing hodgepodge. A licensed Idahoan can carry in Utah, but not Nevada, for example.)
As for urban renewal agencies — they should all have been shut down long, long ago. What a mess they made of Boise before it got straightened out a bit, and they still operate basically uncontrolled.
Feb 5, 2011, 9:47 am
I like the idea of being able to carry without a permit. Convicted felons are prohibited from carrying guns at all, so there shouldn’t be an issue with allowing felons to carry if the permit requirement were dropped. As it is right now, convicted felons cannot own firearms, and naturally they do not qualify for a permit either. If the permit requirement were dropped, convicted felons still could not own firearms. So if they do own firearms, they are already breaking the law. Is a permit requirement going to keep them from carrying?
Feb 5, 2011, 6:28 pm
Gordon, when the concealed carry law was passed, Chuck Palmer was sheriff and very opposed to it. Years ago, when I was issued my first CCW permit, there were exactly 4 other CCW permits in Ada county. Sheriff Palmer told me that face to face.