A Raise in Taxes Could Help Idaho Education

An Idaho lawmaker has proposed a way to pay for education: raise taxes. According to KTVB, Sen. Jim Rice of Caldwell has proposed a hike in sales taxes in Idaho by one percent (to 7%), but, it's all up to the voters.

Rice knows that raising taxes for anything is a big deal, so, he's prepared to make the entire process to be "completely transparent." Rice says that funding education through sales tax is more stable.

Now, you might be thinking, "there's already so many levies on the ballot for education." Well, if this bill to raise taxes goes through, lawmakers would "get rid of supplemental levies that show up on your ballot from time to time."

We're still a way away from seeing the changes in the state sales tax but in the meantime, Rice plans "on sharing working drafts of the bill so everyone can see it."

If this bill passes, according to KTVB, the state would raise nearly $280 million in its first year. While the majority of the money would go towards education, a big chunk of that -about $30 million- would go toward grocery tax relief so that Idahoans "aren’t hit with extra taxes on groceries as a result of the change."