The Idaho Spending Index serves to provide a fiscally conservative perspective on state budgeting while providing an unbiased measurement of how Idaho lawmakers apply these values to their voting behavior on appropriations bills. Each bill is analyzed within the context of the metrics below. They receive one (+1) point for each metric that is satisfied by freedom-focused policymaking and lose one (-1) point for each instance in which the inverse is true. The sum of these points composes the score for the bill.
Rating: (-3)
Bill Description: Senate Bill 1160 is an enhancement of $2,625,000 and 0.00 new full-time positions for the Department of Health and Welfare, Other Programs for fiscal year 2026. This legislation appropriates a total of $78,119,800 and 328.50 full-time positions to these agencies.
This budget combines appropriations for the Indirect Support Services Division, Licensing and Certification Division, and Independent Councils.
Does this budget incur any wasteful spending among discretionary funds, including new line items? Conversely, does this budget contain any provisions that serve to reduce spending where possible (i.e. base reductions, debt reconciliation, etc.)?
The Domestic Violence Council provides funding to nonprofit organizations and some local government agencies that serve victims of domestic violence. It distributed $10.5 million to 43 programs across the state in the 2024 fiscal year..
The sheer number of nonprofit organizations that serve victims of domestic violence demonstrates the council’s obsolescence, not its need. These entities are well distributed across the state and exemplify the diverse services available to victims of these crimes. The DVC has become merely an entity to pass through federal funds to these agencies. It is not the proper role of the government to financially support these organizations, but the role of the community.
(-1)
Is the continuation or growth in ongoing spending, if any, inappropriate for the changes in circumstances, scope of the agency, or current economic environment? Conversely, is the continuation or growth in ongoing spending appropriate given any change in circumstances or economic pressures?
This legislation funds ongoing spending for the Department of Health and Welfare, Other Programs at $58,159,600, growing from the base by 5.1% in the last three years, which is less than inflation.
One agency, however, saw outsized growth in the last few years. The Licensing and Certification Division will receive $9,045,400 in ongoing funding for the 2026 fiscal year; growing from the base by 16.7% over three years. This rate is nearly 2.5 points faster than what would be prescribed by inflationary pressures and growth.
Because of the accelerated growth in this budget the last three years, a truly fiscally responsible enhancement budget for FY2026 would reverse the growth with a reduction to the base budget, or negative appropriation, despite the maintenance-only request this year.
(-1)
Does this budget perpetuate or expand state dependence on federal dollars, thereby violating principles of federalism? Conversely, does this budget actively reduce the amount of federal dollars used to balance this budget?
All three agencies contained within rely heavily on federal funding to support their operations. Below are the funds broken down by agency:
Reliance on federal funding to support programs to this extent makes Idaho merely a vector for federal initiatives rather than a sovereign state government in the union. Federal strings attached to this funding imports federal policymaking into what should be state decisions. These agencies perpetuate Idaho’s dependence on federal dollars.
(-1)
