The Idaho Freedom Foundation is focused on three initiatives during the 2020 legislative session that will make a dramatic difference in Idahoans’ day-to-day lives: Major tax relief, occupational licensing, and education. IFF regularly chronicles annual property tax hikes of 30 to 40 percent, along with stories of struggling families about to be evicted from their homes due to skyrocketing property taxes. To help these Idahoans, IFF drafted several bills and has championed an immediate property tax freeze. If enacted, in 2021, Idahoans would keep more than $113 million in their pockets. Additionally, two other IFF-developed bills before the Legislature would ensure Idaho slows the rate of property tax increases and stops the repeated introduction of the same tax levy.
IFF will also focus on eliminating occupational license barriers that thwart people with conviction histories from getting a potentially life-changing job. IFF’s research found that nearly two-thirds of Idaho’s licensed occupations automatically reject those who have criminal records—without considering rehabilitation, whether the crime relates to the occupation, or a person’s work history. IFF testimony and research helped inform proposed bills in 2020 to end vague “morality” requirements for licenses. Finally, to foster better education options, IFF’s research has inspired bills to redirect higher education spending from university bureaucracy to university academics, and foster accountability in K-12 spending.
