It's not a dry run at dry ports, but supporters of a bill that would allow voters to decide on creating freight-handling facilities believe now more than ever is the best time for passage of the tool to create jobs.

"All it would do is offer the same opportunity to any area in Idaho on a trade corridor that the Port of Lewiston has (on the water)," said Sen. John Goedde, R-Coeur d'Alene, who is carrying HB557. "This is an economic development tool that has worked extremely well in the state of Washington."

A dry port district would be established by a simple majority public vote, but any taxing authority would take a two-thirds vote. Port commissioners would be elected.

The bill will be considered by the House Revenue and Taxation Committee on Monday. At its print hearing, Rep. Lenore Barrett, R-Challis, voted against its printing due to concerns that creating such districts would be subsidizing businesses.

Goedde said dry ports offer the same benefits to recruiting and maintaining businesses as urban renewal districts do without the often-perceived problems URDs have on how the money is spent.

He said he believes getting the bill passed by both sides of the Legislature will be a challenge, however.

"We have tried before unsuccessfully, so I think we have a tough road ahead of us," Goedde said.

State law only allows counties with a waterway connecting to the ocean to create a port district, making the Port of Lewiston the only port in the state.

Goedde wants Idaho to have the same ability to create dry ports as Washington and Oregon. Washington has 75 port districts and Oregon 22.

Post Falls Mayor Clay Larkin, among the bill's supporters, said Post Falls has property on the west side of the city along railroads that would be an optimal dry port site and there's already interest from a company to locate there if a district can be created.

The Coeur d'Alene Airport may be another option for a port.

Larkin said there's interest from some agencies to have heavy materials transported to and from a local dry port to save on costs.

"From our perspective, it's a much-needed tool to allow us to have more tools in our toolbox for business and industry recruitment," Larkin said. "The state wants more jobs, creating more payroll and sales taxes and growing the economy. We are working full time to make this happen, but our toolbox seems to come up short most of the time."

Larkin said, even if the bill passes, voters would have the final say on the creation of a district in November.

"Then it becomes our task to convince the voters there is a return on their tax investment," he said. "Not an easy task, but I do believe it can be done."

Primacy bill passes Senate

A bill that would form a committee to explore the state assuming primacy over the feds on clean water issues in Idaho unanimously passed the Senate on Wednesday.

Primacy would allow Idaho to issue permits for local agencies that discharge wastewater to the Spokane River instead of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The committee would also recommend a source of revenue to fund primacy. The bill now moves to the House.