... Just in case that 18-month review of Idaho's highway funding dilemma wasn't enough of a tipoff.

The 2010 Legislature will not look at any major fee or tax hikes for highways, Senate Transportation Committee Chairman John McGee says. He made this not-exactly-bold prediction in this morning's Idaho Press-Tribune.

"We know we have to do something about the infrastructure in this state, but the poor economy is making it difficult," said McGee, R-Caldwell.

Kind of steals the thunder — such as it is — from Gov. Butch Otter's "Task Force on Modernizing Transportation Funding," which is scheduled to hold its third meeting in Boise Wednesday. The 15-member group — which includes McGee and nine other legislators — must submit its final report on funding options by Dec. 1, 2010, one year from today.

In the meantime, the road funding issue, the defining issue of the 2009 session, shapes up to be a non-issue in 2010. No big surprise there.

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