7/12/05-SB1167 has died. However, a similar bill – SB1183 – has been signed into law.

3/9/05-Almost two months after pitching the $1.6 billion proposal to Idaho state lawmakers, Gov. Dirk Kempthorne has introduced a bill that would authorize some of the most expensive road projects in the state’s history.
The plan would allow Idaho to fund roadwork with grant-anticipated revenue vehicle bonds, or GARVEE bonds. It will get a public hearing in the Senate State Affairs Committee.
The massive project, dubbed “Connecting Idaho,” designates the same projects Kempthorne outlined during his State of the State Address in January. The plan would link regions of the state now isolated from one another.
His goal is to bring the north and south together with a four-lane highway stretching from the Canadian border in the north to the Treasure Valley in the south.
SB1167 also requires the Idaho Transportation Department to list which projects they’d like to bond for, and how much they’ll cost.
The funding program allows the state to borrow money against the federal transportation dollars that come each year to pay for construction. The sale is based on the assumption that federal funding in future years would pay off the bonds. This allows the state to get money needed for the project up front.
Lawmakers are required too authorize those bonds.
If approved, the largest segment would be a new 56-mile stretch of four-lane highway from Interstate 84 between Nampa and Meridian to Central Idaho. It would provide a new, much-improved route from the Treasure Valley to McCall and North Idaho cities.
For bill status, call (208) 334-3175. In Idaho, call 1-800-626-0471.