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Rep. Raymond seeks repeal of outdated law that lets large counties marginalize local fair boards
Summary
Representative Gerald Raymond introduced RS 32,090 to repeal a statute that allows counties above a population threshold to designate county fair boards as advisory only; the committee introduced the RS by voice vote and lawmakers asked for clarification about local impacts.
Representative Gerald Raymond told the House Agriculture Affairs Committee he is seeking repeal of a law originally adopted after challenges in Ada County in 1989 that allowed counties above a population threshold to make their county fair boards advisory rather than in charge of fairs.
"Back in 1989 there were some challenges in Ada County as it relates to their very complex fair and their fair board," Representative Gerald Raymond said, and the statute then allowed a county commission by resolution to "name the County Fair Board as advisory only and the County Commissioners would essentially be responsible for the County Fair." Raymond said the statute had been amended in the 1990s to raise the population threshold from 100,000 to 200,000 and that others had proposed increasing the threshold again; he argued repealing the law would be the better option. "I think repealing the law is the best," Raymond said; he added the draft would grandfather in the two counties already operating under advisory status and remove the option for other counties to change to advisory-only status going forward.
Committee members asked how the change would affect relationships among county commissioners, school or fair boards and who would bear costs if a fair were no longer administered as a county function. Representative Nelson urged the sponsor at a later hearing to explain "how this affects a county scribe, or school, county fair board and their county commissioners" and to "practically lay out how does it keep everybody at the table and working together." Representative McCann asked whether county commissioners had been consulted and whether fiscal impacts and responsibility for costs had been considered.
Raymond answered that if a county is under the 200,000 population threshold, "nothing changes. We continue to operate as we are operating today. We're simply removing the option from counties of moving to an advisory board only." He told the committee the intent of the draft is to remove the threat that a board could be converted to advisory-only status.
The committee moved to introduce RS 32,090; Representative Deigert made the motion and Representative McCann spoke in support of introducing the RS. The motion to introduce passed by voice vote and the RS will be scheduled for a public hearing where the sponsor and stakeholders can provide details and possible amendments.
Why it matters: county fair boards are volunteer boards appointed by county commissioners, Raymond said, and the proposal aims to protect the local, volunteer governance structure of county fairs by removing the statutory option that allowed county commissions in larger counties to relegate boards to an advisory role. The committee did not vote on the merits; introduction allows public testimony and committee review of fiscal and operational impacts.
