The motion from Sen. Grant Burgoyne, D-Boise, to send HB 675, the child tax credit increase bill, to the Senate’s amending order to increase it died on a 6-28 vote, with just the five Senate Democrats who were present and Sen. Dan Foreman, R-Moscow, voting in favor of it. Then, HB 675 passed the Senate on a 33-1 vote, with just Burgoyne voting no.

Burgoyne told the Senate that between HB 675 and the already-passed income tax cut bill, HB 463, the Legislature is granting more than $125 million in tax cuts. “When you’re spending that kind of money, nobody should get a tax increase,” he said, urging support for his motion to amend the bill to increase the child credit further.

Sen. Steve Vick, R-Dalton Gardens, “In my heart I’d like to vote for this, but in my heart I’d like to remove the sales tax on food.”

Sen. Mary Souza, R-Coeur d’Alene, said she’d support this bill, and look forward to considering repealing the state’s sales tax on groceries next year. “It will help these families with children, because we all know how children can eat, and it will also help those at the lower income levels who are struggling,” she said.

HB 675 already has passed the House; it goes next to Gov. Butch Otter.