Opinion by Girl Scouts of Silver Sage Council
It might be difficult for a girl studying political history in middle or high school to understand this, let alone a Girl Scout Daisy, but the governmental process allows for one person (a committee chairman) in the Idaho State Legislature to essentially vote for an entire committee by not allowing a bill to even have a hearing.
The committee hearing is part of a democratic process that allows a group proposing changes to state law to present their case, the committee members to discuss it, and these lawmakers, representing their constituents, to vote yes or no to send a bill out of committee to the full House of Representative or Senate for consideration.
In the case of the Girl Scout Cookie Program sales tax exemption, after passing unanimously through the House Revenue and Tax Committee to the full House of Representatives, where HB 250 passed without discussion by a 59-11 vote on March 19, 2013, the bill is being held by the Senate Local Government and Taxation Committee Chair, Senator Jeff Siddoway. Without a hearing, the bill will die.
With just one week left in this Legislative Session, Chairman Siddoway has yet to allow testimony on the bill to exclude the Girl Scouts from paying sales tax on the Girl Scout Cookie Program. Idaho is one of only two states to tax this financial literacy curriculum that teaches goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills and business ethics.
The Girl Scouts want a hearing. We deserve the right to present our case. The committee members need the opportunity to vote on the matter. It’s unfair for one person to disrupt the democratic process by holding the bill in a desk drawer. It is bad policy and a bad example to Girl Scouts, who represent our future leaders, not to hold the hearing.
Please tell your legislators that all we want is a hearing. We encourage our supporters to email Senator Siddoway, Senator Hill, Senator Davis, Senator Fulcher and Senator Winder, all of Senate Leadership. EMAIL NOW at these email addresses: jsiddoway@senate.idaho.gov, bhill@senate.idaho.gov, bdavis@senate.idaho.gov, cwinder@senate.idaho.gov, rfulcher@senate.idaho.gov. Urge them to allow the democratic process to take place by a vote.
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