Idaho
Idaho legislator introduces “gangster” excise tax for building new wind turbines
BOISE, Idaho — On Monday, Idaho State Representative, Jeff Ehlers (R-Meridian) introduced House Bill 317to the Revenue and Taxation Committee, which would tax the future development of commercial wind turbines in the State of Idaho.
The bill would be “a local tax on windmills,” said Ehlers. He explained, “if the voters do not approve of such a project, an excise tax would be imposed on those wind turbines.” If approved, the bill would require wind turbine developers to pay $25,000 for each vertical foot of build.
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Ehlers said that for the average wind turbine, the total build-out would require $2.5 million to be paid in excise tax. The money raised from this specific tax would go to the state tax commission to pay state refunds, then retained by the tax commission, and any excess would be paid into school district facilities, in that order.
In response to the bill’s introduction, Representative Edward H. “Ted” Hill (R-District 14) asked Ehlers, “How big is that excise tax? Are we going to go gangster on it and really make it hardcore? That’s what we want to hear.”
The question drew laughs from the committee. Ehlers replied, “Not sure if I’ve ever been accused of going gangster.”
“For the benefit of the committee, that qualifies as gangster in the eyes of the Chairman,” commented Revenue and Tax Committee Chairman, David M. Cannon.
The bill comes on the heels of an executive order issued by President Trump that effectively halted the development of the Lava Ridge Wind Project, which would have seen around 400 wind turbines built on Bureau of Land Management property in Lincoln County. The Idaho Conservation League estimated that the project would provide power to approximately 325,000 homes in the Magic Valley.
The Idaho Legislature has since issued a joint memorial voicing continued opposition to the project.
Rep Steve Berch (D – Boise) expressed some skepticism regarding the bill. “I’m going to support the motion to have a hearing on this, but I must say that I’m a little bit concerned about the notion of taxing the free market out of doing things that are legal and I’m concerned about the precedent this might set in others as well,” said Berch.
The bill will now receive an official hearing in committee.
Sunday, December 14, 2025 4:44PM
One person is dead after a U-Haul truck appears to have accidentally exploded in a parking lot in Idaho early Saturday, according to officials.
The explosion caused damage within the blast radius including to a Courtyard Marriott and Old Navy, according to the Lewiston Fire Department and City of Lewiston Police Department.
Initial findings indicate the vehicle was transporting stored materials, including flammable items such as gasoline and propane tanks, according to officials.
“At this time, there is no indication the incident is criminal in nature,” Lewiston Fire Marshal Julian Sorrell said in a statement.
There was no fire after the explosion, officials said.
The investigation into the incident remains ongoing.
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BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — The identity of the man killed in an explosion in Lewiston on Saturday morning has been released.
61-year-old Douglas R. Petersen from Meridian, Idaho, was identified by the Nez Perce County Coroner’s office as the victim of an explosion involving propane that was in the cargo box of a U-Haul truck
BOISE – Two lucky Idaho Lottery players who participated in the 2025 Idaho $1,000,000 Raffle will begin the New Year as Idaho’s newest millionaires!
All 500,000 tickets in the Idaho Lottery’s traditional holiday game, the Idaho $1,000,000 Raffle, have been sold and the game has officially ended. The last ticket was sold Thursday, December 11.
This year’s game was one of the fastest-selling in the 19-year history of the Idaho $1,000,000 Raffle. After last year’s very successful game, the Idaho Lottery continued the game with two top prizes of $1,000,000. They also added a $100,000 prize and a $50,000 prize.
It is the 18th sellout and the 11th time the game has sold out before Christmas.
“We want to remind everyone this game features two, one-million-dollar top prizes. Last year, unfortunately, one of those $1,000,000 prizes was never claimed,” said Andrew Arulanandam, Idaho Lottery Director. “Keep your tickets in a safe place and remember to go online and check them after the drawing.”
The winning numbers will be announced at 5:59 p.m. Mountain Time on Monday, December 29.
“Idaho Raffle tickets are popular holiday gifts. So, this year, two lucky Idahoans could be instant millionaires because of their stocking stuffers!” added Arulanandam.
Players can check their tickets for winning numbers online, at all Idaho Lottery retail locations, on the Idaho Lottery winning numbers hotline at (208) 334-4656, or by using the Idaho Lottery Check-a-Ticket app for their iPhone or Android phone.
Besides the guaranteed top prizes of $1,000,000, there are over 21,500 additional prizes ranging from $15 up to $100,000. This year’s game also featured twenty, $1,000 prizes mid-game for players who purchased one of the 25,000th tickets. There were 15 daily, $1,000 winners during the first 15 days of sales. All players are encouraged to check their tickets for these promotion winners manually by visiting idaholottery.com.
All winning tickets of $1,000 and higher in this game must be claimed at Lottery offices in Boise. Players will have 180 days after the draw announcement on December 29, to claim their prizes.
This year’s Idaho $1,000,000 Raffle generated over $1.7 million for the Idaho Lottery’s beneficiaries, Idaho public schools and buildings.
During this gift giving season, the Idaho Lottery would like to remind everyone to gift Lottery tickets responsibly. You must be 18 years old to buy, sell, or redeem Lottery products in Idaho.
The following is a current list of $1,000 promotional winning tickets that remain unclaimed from this year’s Raffle:
- 035429
- 099040
- 122908
- 149710
- 158289
- 173160
- 192289
- 350000
- 425000
- 450000
- 475000
- 500000
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