The Courier
News
News from the Heart of Idaho Camas • Lincoln • Gooding
January 16, 2019
Vol 43 ~ Num 3
Idaho’s Senator Risch Joins Lincoln Days Tour Annual Fun Run ~ January 19th
U.S. Senator Jim Risch joined our State Elected officers on their annual tour of Idaho to meet with the voters of our area. With unemployment at its lowest since the 1960s (just under 4% nation wide and under 3% in Idaho), Senator Risch said this is a great time for America. The Senator gave the credit for the growing economy and the related increase in jobs to two things: first, the tax reform bill passed just over a year ago (HR 1—the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act); and the repealing of massive amounts of government regulations that have been stifling business growth over the last ten years. Regarding the government shutdown, he said it is a fight between the President and the House Democrats. The Democrats are in the weaker position because nearly all of their leaders have voted or made statements in favor of building a barrier (the wall) within the last decade. Their opposition to a Mexico/U.S. border fence is clearly hypocritical. For most people, the main concerns during the shutdown are tax returns and food stamps. The IRS has stated that they will start this year’s tax filing season on time - January 28th. The only problem might be with complex filings that take extra time, even without the shutdown. The food stamp program was already approved in December when congress passed the Farm Bill. However, the appropriations bill (over which the shutdown is taking place) provides the funds for SNAP benefits (food stamps). To address this problem, the President has ordered the USDA to distribute February benefits by January 20th - about two weeks early. This will help low income families through the next month, but March could be a problem if the shutdown continues. The only hiccup with this plan might be Democrats who are claiming that the President can’t do this, even though it is a mandatory entitlement. Senator Risch said he would have liked to have seen this situation handled differently, but the President has no real reason to back down on this issue.
Northside Snowriders & Camas Chamber of Commerce
Sign Up from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Wells Summit Parking Lot
Chili / Hot Cocoa at Warming Hut 3:00 p.m. - Prizes / Awards Back at Parking Lot All snowmobiles must have current registration.
Counties Swear In New Officers
On Monday, the winners of November’s county races were formerly sworn in to their respective offices. In Gooding County, Commissioner Mark Bolduc administered the Oath of Office for the two new commissioners (Susan Bolton and Ron Buhler) as well as the new coroner, Ron Geer, and the reelected Clerk (Denise Gill), Treasurer (Christina “Tine” Wines), and Assessor (Justin L. Baldwin). In Lincoln County, Richard Ellis was sworn in as the new commissioner, along with reelected Roy Hubert. Lincoln County’s new coroner, Mike Piper, took the Oath of Office along with Brenda Farnworth (clerk), Ann Youts (treasurer) and Linda Jones (assessor). In Camas County, Galen Colter and Travis Kramer took the oath for County Commissioner, along with Korri Blodgett (clerk), Gayle Bachtell (treasurer), Lynn McGuire (assessor) and Wesley Walker (coroner).
Legislative Update from Senator Michelle Stennett
January 11, 2019 Greetings from the first week of the 2019 Legislative Session! This week Governor Little gave his inaugural State of the State address which talked about important issues such as the economy, education, Medicaid Expansion, and corrections. These priorities are either constitutionally or statutorily obligated to budget. Governor Little’s proposed policy agenda has been our priority for some time, and we look forward to collaborating to create positive changes for Idahoans. Economy In 2018, the Legislature conformed to the new Federal Tax Code and then passed a tax cut that would change how Idahoans claim deductions. On April 15th you may possibly have a tax bill rather than a refund. The Idaho State Tax Commission failed to effectively notify Idahoans to update their W-4s which tells employers how much... continued on page 2...
Gooding County Officers Sworn In.