Idaho’s state Tax Commission would be required to hold additional hearings on the controversial secret tax deals a whistleblower exposed last spring and submit annual reports on them to the governor and state Legislature, under legislation a Senate committee unveiled this afternoon. “We’re still awaiting an annual report this year,” noted Sen. Kate Kelly, D-Boise, who worked on the bill with Senate Tax Chairman Brent Hill, R-Rexburg.

A longtime state tax auditor, Stan Howland, issued the whistleblower report to the governor and lawmakers in May, charging that millions in taxes owed by large, multi-state corporations were being illegally excused by a single tax commissioner, and confidentiality laws prevented anyone from finding out about it. Investigations ordered by the Idaho Attorney General and the governor concluded no laws had been broken, but the governor’s analysis, by a longtime CPA, called for reforms. You can read my full story here at spokesman.com.

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