The Regular Session of the Idaho Legislature is in its 5th week. As many of you have read or seen on the news this year's legislative session is bogged down with budget scrutiny. What does this mean for the IADA and other trade groups that actively lobby at the capital?  It means that anything that doesn't have a positive fiscal impact to the state budget is not going further than the committee room.  As I mentioned in our last newsletter the IADA has plans to run several pieces of legislation this year dealing with service contract advertising, financial minimums for insurance companies backing service contracts and a new dealer laden plate for transporting vehicles using your new inventory.  Those pieces of legislation are still on track for full hearings but much more than that has little opportunity for the legislature's attention. 
 
This session is not already without big victories. The IADA is conjunction with the Idaho Retailers Association and the ISIADA successfully lobbied the state tax commission to shelve their idea to change the way retailers apply for prorated shares of the sales tax paid on delinquent of failed retail loans. This is a big win for the auto industry and the IADA has committed to working with the Sales Tax Commission to find a solution to this area that seems to be a burden for both the dealers and the tax commission administrators. 
 
In addition to our legislation there has been many other bills filed during the first month of Session regarding texting while driving, workers compensation, automobile insurance, emission inspections, and sales tax exemptions. IADA will be monitoring these bills as they move through the process. For additional questions on any legislation, please contact Trent Wright.