On Wednesday, Idaho Freedom Foundation President Wayne Hoffman issued a statement following adjournment of the 2017 legislative session.

Said Hoffman:

“This legislative session was far from perfect, but Idahoans should feel proud of a few proposals that won broad, bipartisan support. Republicans and Democrats voted overwhelmingly to end Idaho’s tax on groceries, which will give families more buying power at the grocery checkout, create jobs in the state’s border communities and cut down on bureaucratic waste. It’s a winning proposal that enjoys support from a wide swath of the population.

“Lawmakers struck another win as Republicans and Democrats came together to reform police asset forfeiture procedures, which ensures law enforcement has the right tools to do the job, but also protects innocent Idahoans from improper taking of their property.

“We laud lawmakers for passing House Bill 207, which will protect Idahoans from ambush property tax increases and give local officials more tools they can use to budget wisely.”

Hoffman urged lawmakers in 2018 to take up some items that didn’t receive adequate attention this year:

“Legislators should finish their efforts on House Bill 270, which would have stopped government from using its vast resources to meddle in elections. Further, Legislators could prove themselves heroes for Idahoans by legalizing CBD oil, protecting teachers from card check and limiting lobbyists’ influence in the political process.”

IFF, Idaho’s leading conservative public policy think thank, serves as a resource for state legislators and policymakers. Founded in 2009, IFF operates a robust policy shop that evaluates how legislation affects individual liberties and market freedom. Find that work at IdahoFreedomIndex.com.