2024 Legislative Priorities
1. Support education and pro-business policies that will strengthen our workforce and build a talent pipeline for Idaho businesses.
2. Continue to reform Idaho’s liquor licensing policy, recognizing that liquor licensing is a top issue for the hospitality and tourism industry and is a key component of economic development for many communities across Idaho. The ICA favors the creation of a limited restaurant license to enhance communities while allowing new licenses to enter the market in a controlled fashion.
3. Support investments in healthcare infrastructure in Idaho to ensure that we can meet the needs of our growing and aging population. This includes investments in workforce, protecting against measures that raise the cost of care, and sensible healthcare policies to deliver needed services throughout the state.
4. Support business-friendly tax and regulatory policies to help businesses grow and allow them to reinvest in Idahoans through job opportunities. This includes the elimination of the business personal property tax.
5. Protect the authority of local governments to provide services for their citizens. These policies include:
6. Invest in Idaho’s aging infrastructure to further strengthen our economy and invest in the future of our State, including:
7. Promote policies that protect Idaho’s positive, welcoming national reputation for the purpose of preserving travel, tourism, and economic development as vital sectors of our economy as well as attracting and retaining talented workers for our businesses.
1. Support education and pro-business policies that will strengthen our workforce and build a talent pipeline for Idaho businesses.
- Utilize the Idaho Launch program to direct data-driven resources to careers needed most by businesses to recruit the qualified workers necessary for their operations.
- Advocate for incentives for businesses who choose to provide their own childcare or workforce housing. The lack of quality, affordable childcare is a primary barrier in preventing Idahoans in caretaking positions from returning to or entering the workforce.
- Expand career technical education (CTE) appropriations to increase enrollment in Idaho’s technical education training centers and expand middle and high school CTE curriculum.
- Expand early-childhood education.
- Advocate for continuous improvement for teachers.
2. Continue to reform Idaho’s liquor licensing policy, recognizing that liquor licensing is a top issue for the hospitality and tourism industry and is a key component of economic development for many communities across Idaho. The ICA favors the creation of a limited restaurant license to enhance communities while allowing new licenses to enter the market in a controlled fashion.
3. Support investments in healthcare infrastructure in Idaho to ensure that we can meet the needs of our growing and aging population. This includes investments in workforce, protecting against measures that raise the cost of care, and sensible healthcare policies to deliver needed services throughout the state.
4. Support business-friendly tax and regulatory policies to help businesses grow and allow them to reinvest in Idahoans through job opportunities. This includes the elimination of the business personal property tax.
5. Protect the authority of local governments to provide services for their citizens. These policies include:
- Preserve urban renewal funding options as well as auditorium district authority.
- Support further approaches to property tax reform beyond shifting taxes from residential to commercial entities.
- Support local library districts’ role as being a key educational resource in our communities.
- Empower localities with a local option sales tax policy so that citizens can authorize infrastructure projects by vote.
6. Invest in Idaho’s aging infrastructure to further strengthen our economy and invest in the future of our State, including:
- Invest in transportation maintenance and expansion projects, broadband, and water.
- Support the Governor’s proposed 10-year investment in school facilities.
- Carry forth the work of the Intrastate Commercial Air Service Interim Legislative Committee to bolster air service within Idaho for both business and tourism purposes.
- Support rail service in Idaho.
7. Promote policies that protect Idaho’s positive, welcoming national reputation for the purpose of preserving travel, tourism, and economic development as vital sectors of our economy as well as attracting and retaining talented workers for our businesses.