Zuckerbucks Buy Tax Break

Secretary of State candidate Dorothy Moon raises the possibility that a disturbing pay to play scheme won Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook now Meta CEO, a huge tax break in Idaho. Redoubt News posts Moon's article

First the Pay. Zuckerberg funded "voter rights" schemes throughout the country during the 2020 election through his Center for Technology and Civic Life and other associated groups. Idaho was in on the scheme, especially Phil McGrane's Ada County. Moon writes:

Over $500,000 came to Idaho, most to Ada County. Twenty Counties in total took the “free” money at that time of “need” during the COVID crisis.

Now the Play. What did Zuckerberg get in return? Rep. Greg Chaney sponsored a bill (HB 521) at the same time that would exempt enormous data centers from taxes. Again, Moon:

This carve-out was for companies that could “invest” at least $250 million for capital investment. Not too many $250 million dollar investors out there with plans for Data Centers except for Facebook, now Meta. . . . From the text of HB-521 “On and after July 1, 2020, there is exempted from the taxes imposed by this chapter the purchase or use of eligible server equipment and new data center facilities”.

Who voted to give Facebook/Meta such tax breaks?

Here is the vote in the House:

AYES – Abernathy, Addis, Anderson, Anderst, Andrus, Blanksma, Chaney, Clow, Collins, DeMordaunt, Ellis, Furniss, Gibbs, Goesling, Green, Hartgen, Holtzclaw, Horman, Kauffman, Kerby, Lickley, Marshall, McCrostie, Monks, Moyle, Raybould(Erickson), Raymond, Ricks, Rubel, Smith, Syme, Toone, Troy, Wagoner, Wood, Youngblood, Mr. Speaker

NAYS – Berch, Boyle, Chew, Christensen, Crane, Dixon, Ehardt, Gannon, Harris, Kiska, Mendive, Moon, Necochea, Palmer, Remington, Shepherd, Wintrow, Wisniewski, Young, Zito, Zollinger

Absent – Amador, Armstrong, Barbieri, Davis, Gestrin, Giddings, Kingsley, Mason, Nichols, Scott, Stevenson, Vander Woude

Floor Sponsor - Chaney

Here is a list in the Senate:

AYES – Agenbroad, Anthon, Bayer, Brackett, Buckner-Webb, Burgoyne, Burtenshaw, Cheatham, Crabtree, Den Hartog, Guthrie, Harris, Heider, Hill, Lakey, Lee, Lent, Lodge, Martin, Mortimer, Nye, Patrick, Rice, Souza, Stennett, Thayn, Vick, Ward-Engelking, Winder, Woodward

NAYS – Johnson

Absent and excused – Bair, Grow, Jordan, Nelson

Floor Sponsor - Rice