BOISE - Rep. Kathleen Sims is working on a legislative measure she hopes will generate recommendations for remodeling urban renewal law and practices throughout Idaho.

The Coeur d'Alene Republican is drafting a resolution that would establish an interim study committee of the Idaho Legislature to study urban renewal statewide.

"The most basic reason why I want to do this is I've been working on urban renewal for about five years and nothing ever happens," Sims said, then referred to the statewide outlook. "They are spending $55 million a year of taxpayers' money without a vote of people. And they're going deeply in debt."

Sims referred to an urban renewal project in Nampa, then to the McEuen Park project in Coeur d'Alene.

She said that in her own community, tens of millions of dollars are being spent "to turn a park into a park."

"It has gotten totally out of hand. They're picking winners and losers," Sims said.

"My main issue is taxation without representation," she added. "The voters are never asked whether they want to spend it, or whether they want to go in debt."

Sims said Idaho House speaker Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, would ultimately decide whether the measure will move forward.

The potential interim committee would "undertake and complete a study of urban renewal plans and issues," the House Concurrent Resolution's draft language reads, in part.

"This'll be a concurrent resolution to put together an interim committee to see how it's being handled all over the state, and what can be done to change it and make it more compatible to the people," Sims said.