Two new transportation bills were introduced in the House Ways & Means Committee this morning. One, from Rep. Jason Monks and House Transportation Chairman Joe Palmer, would make two funding shifts: Remove the Idaho State Police from funding by the state highway distribution account, which largely comes from gas taxes, and shift the $16 million now dedicated to ISP to transportation work, with 40 percent going to local government and 60 percent to the state highway account; and shift a third of the money that’s transferred to Idaho’s Budget Stabilization Fund each year to the state highway account instead.

The second, from Palmer, would raise vehicle registration fees and impose new fees on electric and hybrid vehicles, to raise about $20 million for road work.

“We’re bringing ‘em out in pieces,” said House Majority Leader Mike Moyle, R-Star. He has another proposal up for introduction in the House Revenue & Taxation Committee this morning. “That’s one of the pieces,” he said. “Mine does the fuel tax.” It also would remove the sales tax from groceries, to “provide some tax relief … and start down the road to a flat tax” on income. Moyle said between all the various pieces, the bills would make available more than $100 million a year for road work.

House Minority Leader John Rusche, D-Lewiston, said of the first bill, “As I see this, it’s $16 million or as much as $26 million out of the general fund funding stream.” Monks responded, “That is a way of looking at it.”

Rusche said, “I have to say that the transferring from rainy-day funds to transportation doesn’t bother me as much as the permanent removal of $16 million out of the general fund,” which pays for education, health and welfare, prisons and more. “So I can’t support this bill.” That measure was introduced on a party-line vote.

The Ways & Means Committee voted unanimously to introduce Palmer’s bill. Rusche asked, “So is this part of a package of transportation bills? Because as part of addressing the shortfall, it seems kind of short.” Palmer said, “There are several bills out there. Each one of those will have to stand on its own.”