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City legislative liaison briefs Boise Airport Commission on state and federal funding risks, bills affecting airport operations
Summary
Kathy Grismeyer, the city's legislative liaison, told the commission the airport is tracking state aeronautics funding flows, a bill that would limit non-law-enforcement use of license-plate readers, a proviso affecting hangar use and uncertainty in federal grant programs after White House reviews.
Kathy Grismeyer, the City of Boise’s Director of Policy and Government Affairs, briefed the Boise Airport Commission on state and federal legislative developments she said could affect airport funding and operations.
Grismeyer described ongoing discussions with the Idaho Transportation Department’s aeronautics division about how the division collects and redistributes revenues. "Our understanding is that ITD's aeronautics division collects about $5,000,000 in revenue from dedicated funds and fuel tax," she said, and that airports are trying to obtain a clear formula for how those funds become grants. She added that airports have questions about the amount they receive back in airport grants and are pursuing better transparency.
Grismeyer said airport stakeholders organized meetings with key state legislators, including transportation committee members and the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, and hosted a luncheon attended by more than 40 people to discuss capital needs and economic impacts.
On pending legislation, Grismeyer said lawmakers introduced a bill late in the session, "Senate Bill 1180," that would have restricted nonlaw-enforcement use of automatic license-plate readers (ALPRs). She said the airport uses ALPR technology for parking enforcement and that the city testified on the airport’s behalf. "The bill passed out of the senate but died in the House Transportation Committee on a tied vote," she told commissioners.
She also flagged language tied to "Senate Bill 1205" that would condition access to some ITD infrastructure grants on the use of airport hangars: if a hangar is used for non-aviation purposes, the airport could be precluded from accessing certain airport funds. Grismeyer said she does not believe that provision affects Boise Airport, but she raised it to alert the commission.
At the federal level, Grismeyer said two White House executive orders have prompted a 90-day review by several federal agencies of selected grant programs, creating uncertainty about some Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) grants that the airport has received. She identified the orders as Executive Order 14,154 (on energy) and Executive Order 14,151 (on agency diversity, equity and inclusion spending and conferences). Agencies are expected to issue results of those reviews soon, she said, and the city has sent letters to its federal delegation outlining airport priorities and potential risks.
Grismeyer also described congressional budget discussions that could affect municipal financing tools. She said House proposals to raise revenue by targeting the alternative minimum tax and private-activity bonds could affect financing for airport infrastructure. She noted City of Boise meetings with federal lawmakers, including a meeting with Sen. Mike Crapo, to stress the importance of private-activity bonds and other municipal finance mechanisms for local projects.
Grismeyer recommended continuing to pursue a clearer, potentially dedicated state funding source for commercial airports ahead of the 2026 budget cycle and continuing outreach to legislators and the aeronautics division during the interim.
She concluded by saying the airport should remain engaged with ITD and the federal delegation as federal agency reviews and appropriations work proceed.
