Committee backs repeal of unused weather-modification taxing statute

Senator Tammy Nichols (District 10) told the Senate Resources & Environment Committee that Senate Bill 1167 is a housekeeping measure to repeal an unused portion of Idaho law that authorized weather-modification taxing districts.

"This is, basically a cleanup bill. It's repealing a section, chapter 43 title 22 regarding weather modification districts," Nichols said, noting the statute has not been used since the late 1970s or 1980s and that only Oneida County ever utilized it.

Nichols said she had confirmed the lack of use with the Idaho State Tax Commission and with local county commissioners, who could not identify any recent activity under the code. "If no one's using it, we really don't need it," she told the committee.

A member of the public, Sergei Brown of the Clear Skies Movement, used his time to urge lawmakers to halt cloud‑seeding and other geoengineering activities and asked the committee to pause legislation while his group organized an initiative. Brown said he was building a movement "to stop the cloud seeding" and to investigate "what the chemicals are that are being sprayed." Committee members and the chair noted the testimony was not connected to the bill's narrow purpose.

After brief discussion, a committee member moved to send SB 1167 to the floor with a "do pass" recommendation. The committee voted by voice and the motion carried.

Ending: The committee forwarded SB 1167 to the Senate floor with a recommendation to repeal the specified sections of Title 22; the bill's sponsor characterized the measure as technical cleanup removing an obsolete taxing-authority provision.