Betsy Russell reports: The House Revenue & Taxation Committee has voted overwhelmingly in favor of HB 88, the governor’s bill to revise and expand the Hire One More Employee (HOME) tax credit. Only Rep. Lenore Barrett, R-Challis, opposed the move, which sends the bill to the full House for debate. There was extensive testimony in favor of the bill, and just one person speaking against it, Parrish Miller of the Idaho Freedom Foundation, who read a statement from the group’s head, Wayne Hoffman, objecting that the bill creates “winners and losers.”
Among other changes, the tax credit bill adds an additional $1,000 credit if the new employee is a veteran; removes a requirement for employer-provided health insurance for the new job to qualify for the credit; changes the amounts and wage levels; and removes ties to the employer’s rating with the state Department of Labor for use of the unemployment insurance program.
Rev & Tax members had lots of questions; the Otter Administration responded by bringing in extensive financial information about the credit, including detailed charts. “We had some good, positive testimony,” said Rep. Gary Collins, R-Nampa, Rev & Tax chairman.
