Whitefish representative Lieser sponsors 15 bills
Rep. Ed Lieser, D-Whitefish, concedes there will be days of “tough sledding” in his future. As a freshman Democrat heading into a Republican led state House of Representatives, Lieser knows he’ll need bipartisan support to have success on any of the 15 bills he’s sponsoring during the 2013 legislative session.
“It’s going to be essential to garner Republican support,” Lieser told the Pilot in a recent interview.
Building relationships will be critical, he said. Lieser notes that he’s already reached out to Sen. Dee Brown, R-Coram, and Rep. Jerry O’Neil, R-Columbia Falls. Once in Helena, Lieser says he’ll spend more time “in the halls” meeting with as many representatives as possible.
Along with the 15 bills he’s sponsoring, Lieser is on the taxation committee, the natural resources committee and the Fish, Wildlife and Parks committee. As a retired forester, Lieser acknowledges his assignments fit his skill set.
One of the bills he’s sponsoring would provide a $1,000 tax credit for property owners in the wildland-urban interface who reduce fire fuels on their land.
Lieser says he can make a solid argument for the effectiveness of fire fuel reduction. A $1,000 tax incentive might be just enough to persuade some landowners to take precautions.
Another bill Lieser is sponsoring would set up septic tanks inspections prior to the sale of a property. While not a state mandate, local governments could choose to adopt the inspection guidelines as a way to protect water quality.
A recent study by the Whitefish Lake Institute revealed septic contamination in Whitefish Lake, likely the result of failing septic tanks. This bill is partially in response to those findings.
“Protecting water quality is the driving force behind the bill,” Lieser said, “to get aging, ineffective septic systems replaced.”
He says the bill will also protect home buyers and lenders.
Lieser is also requesting a draft bill that aims to revise the state’s aquatic invasive species laws. He says the state’s AIS inspection process needs to be more aggressive, particularly at gateways along the southern border and in the east.
“In my opinion, this is a huge issue for the state,” Lieser said. “Chas Cartwright [former Glacier Park supervisor] says aquatic invasive species are the No. 1 threat to the park’s ecosystem.”
Lieser says inspection stations need to be open for more months of the year, which he acknowledges will cost the state money. To offset those costs he plans to propose a decal program.
In Wyoming, an AIS decal is required for all watercraft prior to launching on any water in the state. Fees collected for the AIS decals in Wyoming are used to partially fund their AIS program.
Lieser is also requesting a bill that proposes to raise the maximum fine for lakeshore protection violations. As it is now, the maximum fine is $500. He’d like it to be $2,500.
“It’s important to protect our lakeshores,” Lieser said. “A $500 fine is insignificant to those building multi-million dollar homes on the lake.”
A library bill Lieser is requesting would give cities the ability to create or enlarge a public library district. The bill is partially in response to some concerns voiced by the Whitefish Community Library board of trustees.
The Whitefish library has been a city-run facility since parting ways with the county library system in 2010. Currently the library’s district boundary is based on Whitefish city limits.
Lieser says Whitefish’s library boundary could be expanded to reflect the school district boundary.
Another draft bill Lieser is excited about, although not sponsoring, deals with property taxes. The legislation proposed by Rep. Dick Barrett, D-Missoula, would create a property tax “circuit breaker” credit.
A tax circuit breaker is a tax refund provided to property owners whose property taxes are deemed to be too high compared to their income.
Lieser says rising property taxes are a top concern among his constituents.