Representative Steve Miller
2025 Legislative Update
For Week5 Ending February 7, 2025
Current
This is what it looked like Friday morning at the Capital. A fresh coat of snow ending week 5 of the session.
H40 is a tax reduction bill. It removes capital gains tax from precious metals ($1 million). It reduces personal and corporate tax from 5.695% to 5.3% ($240 million). It exempts certain military benefits from income taxation ($12 million). That is a total tax savings estimated to be $252 million. It passed the House 63-7-0 on a partisan vote.
There was an attempt several years ago to exempt tax on retired military personnel. Many states do so, and it attracts people with valuable skill sets and experience to their states. Idaho will now join (If the Senate and the Governor agree!) in attracting retired military personnel to our state.
H93 Ed Choice passed the House 42-28-0 in a butt numbing 2 ½ hour floor session. H93 is a parental choice tax credit of up to $5,000 per child (age 5-18) and up to $7,500 per child (age 5-21) with disabilities requiring ancillary personnel as defined in IC 33-2001. An eligible student must be a full-time resident of Idaho not enrolled in any Idaho public school district, charter school or any other Idaho public school organized pursuant to Idaho Code. Families under 300% poverty level get first priority. Qualifying expenses include K-12 tuition and fees, taking nationally standardized tests, college admissions advanced placement exams, prep course for national assessments, textbooks, curricula and specific transportation costs. There is also a section that allows parents who cannot afford to wait to be reimbursed to qualify for an advance tax credit payment. The Idaho Tax Commission is administering the program there for any misuse of funds is tax fraud with penalty up to and including felony.
Bills may be viewed at Bill List.
Upcoming Millertime
Senator Zuiderveld, Representative Hostetler and I are working to schedule a series of Townhall meetings for Saturday February 22. The 45 minute meetings would begin in Gooding at 9:00am and proceed to Hagerman, Buhl, Filer, Kimberly and conclude in Hansen about 4:00. The date and schedule will be confirmed and forwarded to you at that time.
The Week
Legal Tender I brought RS 32255 to State Affairs Friday. It was introduced and will receive a bill number. The bill defines specie, silver or gold that is stamped with weight and purity, legal tender in Idaho. It recognizes Idaho production of specie as legal tender in Idaho. This bill allows “willing seller and willing buyer” to contract and use specie as legal tender. No person or entity can compel another person or entity to tender to accept specie unless agreed upon by the parties. I expect the bill to come to committee next week.
The bullion bar in the photo is not stamped and would not be specie. If it was, it would be worth about $60,000!!
Mining Association meetings have been packed with attendees. The interest in Idaho’s mining resources is sky rocketing. We have rare earth elements, antimony, cobalt, molybdenum, niobium, tantalum, zinc, just name a few. And we are one of the most business-friendly states that have these resources. Idaho has enough thorium to supply the power needs of the United States for the next 100 years! We need to not only encourage mining of these minerals but processing them in Idaho to provide construction opportunities and high paying jobs for Idahoans. Be sure and encourage our Congressmen and Senators to push for simplified federal regulations that allow for reasonable permitting times. Remember, shorter permitting times doesn’t mean sloppy work, it means efficient processing of information and laws. Perpetua Resources has been working for over 15 years for federal approval and finally received it. That is ridiculous!! Idaho can process permits in months.
Perpetua will spend over $1.3 billion developing the Stibnite mine and plans to extract over 4 million ounces (over $11 billion current prices) of gold over the 12-year life of the mine.
House Session & Votes
H50, H52, and H56 are designed to simplify public works project bidding requirements.
The minimum requirements for in house projects move from $300k to $500k. The minimum bid for building repairs is raised from $100k to $200k. The sealed bid requirement is raised from $25,000 to $50,000. These increases are mostly inflation related.
H 79 Community College Tuition Representative Clow brought H79 which increased the tuition cap set in 2008 of $2,500 to $3,250. The bill allows for 10% increases by Rep Clow thinks they will do 5% at a time. The bill passed 52-17-1.I believe Community Colleges are the most effective dollars we spend in education. They are the best next step education for a majority of high school graduates and provide skilled trade training for high demand workforce jobs.Go Golden Eagles!!
A full list of bills may be found at: Bill List
The House Session may be viewed live at: House Session
Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee (JFAC)
Change in Employee Compensation (CEC)
The committee met on Thursday and finally passed a CEC motion. CEC sets statewide employee compensation. There was a $1.05 cost of living increase with up to $1.55 merit-based increase. State police, technical and engineering got slightly higher increases. This allows JFAC to begin setting budgets!!
The Office of Energy and Mineral Resources is receiving $24.8 million federal funding for low-income energy saving projects and appliances.
Budget hearing and setting schedules may be viewed at: Budget Schedules
JFAC agendas may be viewed at: JFAC Agendas
The JFAC meetings may be viewed live at: View JFAC
To look further into Idaho’s fiscal transparency, Idahoans can now quickly click to view historic and current statewide budget appropriations and agency expenditures for the fiscal year at Budget Information and Fiscal Dashboards.
Agricultural Affairs Committee
Idaho Department of Agriculture Director Tewalt gave a comprehensive review of the quagga muscle situation on the Snake River near Twin Falls. She reviewed the treatments during the last 2 summers and the extensive testing that occurred not only on the 8.6 mile reach near Twin but across the state. Check stations have expanded hours and months of operation. We are fortunate that a larger adult population has not developed but we must remain vigilant in testing, inspection, treatment and check station operations. The Ag committeepresentation for February 4 may be viewed at Presentation. Start at 49 minutes for the Quagga presentation.
The committee heard H24 and RS 32147 regarding alternative animal proteins. These include insects and cultured meat. The primary argument against the bill was that it would cause companies to change labeling now and then perhaps later when/if the feds decide to require relabeling. My thought is that if we’re eating it now, we should know about it!!Only companies using these products would be required to change labels. Companies not using these products would not have to change labels. I voted for it but the motion failed.
There was an extensive presentation on hemp production and processing. Hemitecture of Jerome is the only processor in Idaho and growing rapidly. There were 1,800 acres of hemp grown in Idaho last year. It requires strict application and product testing to utilize hemp. Hemitecture produces fiber insulation. They processed over 932,000 pounds of which 42% came from Idaho. Apparently, hemp works well in a potato rotation.
Ag Committee meetings may be viewed live on even numbered days at 1:30pm at: View Ag
Resources and Conservation Committee
The committee passed H57 for non motorized trail maintenance. The bill would increase parks and trail Passport from $10 to $20 on a voluntary basis. $4 of that increase would go specifically to non-motorized trail maintenance.
Water Resources & Water Board
5 RSs
Resources meetings may be viewed live on odd numbered days at 1:30pm at: View Resources
You may view the full list of bills at and the bill status at: Bill List
It is an honor to serve as your Representative in the Idaho House of Representatives. Please forward this update to anyone you feel would be interested in receiving it. If you send me an email, list your town or city in the subject line. Thanks.
Representative Steven Miller
District 24B
Camas, Gooding, and Rural Twin Falls Counties
Idaho State Capitol
P.O. Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0038
208-332-1061
SMiller@house.idaho.gov
Common Sense Solutions 