Sales tax increase initiative promises help for schools

Like it or hate it, there's a new tax initiative coming your way.

Teachers, parents and Idaho Education Association staffers went door-to-door in every county to gather 70,000 signatures on initiative petitions aimed at getting the sales tax increase on the November ballot, according to an Associated Press article.

The sales tax is currently 5 percent.

To qualify the initiative for the ballot, the group needed to gather signatures from 6 percent of Idaho voters — at least 47,881 people.

Supporters say that their ability to gather the signatures indicates support for a sales tax increase in general and their proposal specifically.

According to Invest in Our Kids' Education, the proposal could raise $190 million per year — increasing school funding by 18 percent to 20 percent.

Idaho pays for its schools through local property taxes, money from the state general fund, and from miscellaneous funding sources such as cigarette and lottery taxes. The $1.035 billion education budget that the Legislature passed this year was the first in Idaho to surpass $1 billion.

Want more information about the proposal?

Go online to Idaho Local Public Schools Investment Act's Web site at www.yesforidahoschools.org.

Caroline Lobsinger is the managing editor of the Bonner County Daily Bee.