Campbell wants appraisal standards

Sandpoint Rep. John Campbell is concerned that similar homes indifferent counties are being treated differently when it comes tosetting their taxable values.

"Appraisals are different in every county. It's time to have somestandards on that," said Campbell, a Republican.

He introduced legislation this week to set up a state studycommittee to look into how Idaho sets tax values on residentialproperty, with an eye to state standards and training for countyassessors and their employees and contractors.

If the measure passes the Legislature, it would then compete withother proposals for interim study committees. Generally, thelegislative leadership designates only a few of the proposals thatare put forward. Those that are picked usually result in legislationthat's considered the following year.

Campbell said he wanted his idea in the mix. "Statewide there'sbeen a lot of confrontation on that (issue)," he said. "Propertyowners have been swearing about it for years."

Attorney general says RU-486 is abortion

A new attorney general's opinion confirms that physiciansprescribing the abortion drug regimen known as RU-486 must complywith the same reporting requirements as the few who perform surgicalabortions.

The opinion, dated Wednesday, was written by Deputy AttorneyGeneral Clinton Miner at the request of Republican state Rep. BillSali of Kuna, along with David Ripley, executive director of theanti-abortion group Idaho Chooses Life.

"RU-486, the regimen of the combination of the use of Mifeprexand misoprostol, was only approved for use in `termination ofintrauterine pregnancy' and thus clearly falls within the statutoryrestriction of the statutes you cite," Miner replied to Sali'sinquiry.

Ripley said he fears more chemical abortions will be performed asa result of the drug's availability, and he wants the Department ofHealth and Welfare to carefully track the increase.

"We will be encouraging the department and the Board of Medicineto notify all Idaho physicians that the law requires them to reportas an abortionist, just as if they were performing surgicalabortions in their offices," he said.

House honors deputies killed in shootout

The Idaho House gave final legislative approval on Thursday to aconcurrent resolution recognizing and memorializing the two JeromeCounty sheriff's deputies killed in the line of duty a month ago.

Cpls. James Moulson, 30, and Phillip Anderson, 23, were shot todeath on Jan. 3 while trying to serve a search warrant for illegaldrugs at the Eden home of George Timothy Williams, 47, who also waskilled in the exchange of gunfire.

"We're poorer for the loss, but we're richer for the example ofultimate sacrifice," Republican Rep. Maxine Bell of Jerome said,pointing out Anderson's father, sister and other relatives in theHouse Gallery.

The resolution was adopted on a unanimous voice vote.

Lottery officials say big dividend a scratch

Legislative budget writers got another indication of Idaho'sslowing economy on Thursday when State Lottery officials announcedthey had scaled back their sales and dividend estimates for thecurrent budget year.

Fiscal Officer Steve Woodall told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee that sales of scratch-off instant ticketswere down $1 million during the last six months of 2000 and only asales surge prompted by a huge Powerball jackpot offset thatdecline.

The trend in instant ticket sales and the odds against anotherlarge Powerball jackpot this winter or spring prompted the LotteryCommission to reduce its estimate of ticket sales from $90 millionto $86.8 million, Woodall said. That will drop the dividend forstate building and school construction from $19 million to $18million.

While that would match last year's dividend, which is splitevenly between state and school building projects, the amount is thesmallest since 1994. And Woodall said the $20million dividendestimate for the budget year that begins in July is also overlyoptimistic

"The $18 million projection we're making for this year willprobably continue for the following year before we start trendingup, and we would probably move up $500,000 a year after that,"Woodall said.

The Lottery money is the only direct contribution to publicschool construction made by the state, which is awaiting a DistrictCourt ruling on the claim of 15 school districts that the state hasa responsibility to spend more. That decision, originally expectedin January, is now likely to be issued in March or April.

The Lottery, now in its 12th year, is facing increasingcompetition from Internet gambling sites and tribal casinos, Woodallsaid, and falling prey to the slowing state economy.

The scratch-off, instant-winner tickets account for two-thirds oftotal sales, and Woodall said Ada and Canyon counties are the onlytwo where sales are running markedly ahead of year-ago levels.

"They're down nearly everywhere else," he said. "The high priceof gasoline is having an effect. When people are paying $1.60 agallon for gas, they have less disposable income."