Idaho sales tax exemptions

[bill london <london@moscow.com>]

This morning's Lewiston Tribune (Wed. July31, page 5A) includes a story
about a proposal to raise enough money to fix the state's dilapidated
school buildings.  The proposal is to cut the state's sales tax from 5%
to 3% while eliminating the present exemptions to the sales tax.
Amazing to me that the state could cut the tax rate almost in half and
still raise more money just by ending the present exemptions.
It seems like the exemptions must be many and huge.
What are those exemptions?
What groups do those exemptions benefit? (farmers? manufacturers?)
Can someone answer these questions????????
BL