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: (-2)
Bill Description: Senate Bill 1161 is an enhancement of $30,000 and 0.00 new full-time positions for the Office of Species Conservation for fiscal year 2026. This legislation appropriates a total of $20,017,100 and 16.00 full-time positions to the agency.
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 Office of Species Conservation at $20,017,100, growing from the base by 37.2% in the last three years. This rate is about 1.6 times 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 negative appropriation — a reduction to the base budget.
(-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?
The Office of Species Conservation depends heavily on federal funds, as this budget shows. Senate Bill 1161 confirms the base appropriation of over $18.1 million in federal funds — that is 90.6% of the agency’s budget. The agency also relies on federal funding to support 7.00 of its 16.00 total full-time positions.
(-1)
