Idaho 20/20: Improving lawmaking by using just the facts

Some Idaho legislators have been toying with the idea of changing or reforming the urban renewal laws in Idaho. This worries business leaders in the state, because they consider urban renewal laws one of the few tools Idaho has to bring in new business.

Five business leaders have banded together and founded a policy group. They agreed to chip in and pay for some honest credible research, so lawmakers could work with facts. They call themselves Idaho 20/20.

In 2003, the Snake River Landing outside Idaho Falls was nothing more than a gravel pit. Allen and Connie Ball had a vision and they wanted to give something back to the community. Thirteen years later, the Snake River Landing is a thriving business complex and gathering place for people. There are 35 new businesses as a matter of fact, 350 new jobs created, and 900 employees.

“This is where I worked before,” says Cortney Liddiard, holding up a picture of a rundown old building. “This is where I work today,” he says as he holds up a picture of a modern state of the art business complex. “Without urban renewal, this wouldn’t be possible.”

Last September, Tommy Alquist of Gardner Company real estate, Simplot CEO Bill Whittacre, Melaleuca CEO Frank Vandersloot, Oppenheimer Company CEO, Skip Oppenheimer, and Ball Venture LLC CEO Cortney Liddiard created Idaho 20/20. They chipped in $150,000 to have professional research done on what Idaho needs to grow and compete with surrounding states.

“We wanted to go to an independent firm that is well-known for great research that’s conservative based to provide the facts for the issues we were concerned about,” says Liddiard.

Facts is the key word here. They turned to Hoover Institute of Stanford University.

“We wanted to take all the ‘he said, she said’ out of the wants and desires and focus on the issues. What does the data tell us,” explains Liddiard.

The data, which is available to the public, shows Idaho cares about education first, the economy second, and infrastructure third. The government needs to help with new and necessary roads, water, sewer to promote growth. It’s called urban renewal.

“The tool works. If we’re not going to improve it, don’t make it ineffective. Leave it alone,” says Liddiard.

Idaho 20/20 says it is not a lobbying group. It just wants lawmakers to have hard facts based on data.