Idaho lawmakers pitch collector coin sales, license plate scheme to fix roads

On Feb. 12, Idaho House of Representatives members introduced a bill that would raise funds for asphalt repairs by selling specially minted gold coins and a scheme that would turn Idaho into a national license plate center for long-haul trailers.

State Rep. Russ Matthews suggested the coin bill, which would mint commemorative coins in lots of 10,000 that could be sold to collectors. He said the purchases would be voluntary and tax deductible.

Matthews told the Idaho Statesmen that lawmakers need to “think outside the box” to fix Idaho’s roads and bridges.

State Rep. Marv Hagedorn suggested allowing companies to buy an Idaho license plate valid anywhere in the U.S. for the trailers that deliver their goods. The scheme would not require the companies to transfer the title of the trailers or pay Idaho’s 6% sales tax on the goods. He said Idaho could reap as much as $627 billion from about 5.6 million U.S. trailers.

“We’ve got the opportunity to run the state like a business,” he told the Idaho Statesmen. “A lot of states are reluctant to get into business.”

The proposals came two days after Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter introduced bills that would raise a total of $174 million annually after five years of gradual increases. The measures would bump the gas tax from 25 cents to 35 cents, increase car and truck registration fees and create a tax on rental cars.