Who supported House Bill 1, and who didn’t?

Kevin Richert | 08/25/2016

When it came down to casting votes 10 years ago today, then-Gov. Jim Risch had plenty of votes to spare.

House Bill 1, Risch’s far-reaching tax overhaul, received two-thirds support in both the House and the Senate. The House roll call was 47-23; the Senate vote was 24-11.

A few prominent votes from the Aug. 25, 2006 special session:

House Bill 1 supporters

Rep. Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, current speaker of the House.
Rep. Bruce Newcomb, R-Burley, former speaker of the House.
Sen. Brad Little, R-Emmett. Little is now Idaho’s lieutenant governor and a gubernatorial candidate.
Sen. Russ Fulcher, R-Meridian, who announced his candidacy for governor Wednesday.
Sen. Brent Hill, R-Rexburg, the Senate’s president pro tem.
Sen. Bart Davis, R-Idaho Falls, Senate majority leader.
Sen. Curt McKenzie, R-Nampa, now a candidate for Idaho Supreme Court.
Rep. Mike Moyle, R-Star, House majority leader.
Rep. Gary Collins, R-Nampa, now the chair of the House Revenue and Taxation Committee.
Sen. Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint, co-chair, Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee.
Rep. Maxine Bell, R-Jerome, JFAC co-chair.
Rep. Bill Sali, R-Kuna, who was elected to Congress in November 2006.
Rep. Mary Lou Shepherd, D-Pritchard. She was the only Democrat to support House Bill 1.

House Bill 1 opponents

Rep. John Rusche, D-Lewiston, the House’s minority leader.
Rep. Wendy Jaquet, D-Ketchum.
Sen. Bert Marley, D-McCammon, now chairman of the Idaho Democratic Party.
Sen. Hal Bunderson, R-Meridian, then the chairman of the Senate Local Government and Taxation Committee.
Sen. Tim Corder, R-Mountain Home, a former legislative aide to state superintendent Sherri Ybarra.
Rep. Steve Smylie, R-Boise, now a West Ada School District trustee.

This series at a glance

Tuesday: Why we took a deeper dive into the tax shift

Wednesday: Tax shift of 2006 adds up to a tax increase

Wednesday: What the 2006 overhaul did to taxes in your district

Thursday: The 2006 tax shift still divides Idaho leaders

Thursday: Who supported House Bill 1, and who didn’t?

Kevin Richert

Senior reporter and blogger Kevin Richert specializes in education politics and education policy. He has more than 30 years of experience in Idaho journalism. He is a frequent guest on "Idaho Reports" on Idaho Public Television and "Idaho Matters" on Boise State Public Radio. Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KevinRichert. He can be reached at [email protected]