Bill Description: Senate Bill 1252 would prohibit agency maintenance budgets from increasing faster than inflation, with certain exceptions.

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Does it increase government spending (for objectionable purposes) or debt? Conversely, does it decrease government spending or debt?

Senate Bill 1252 would create a new section in Idaho Code designated as 67-3537 “Limitation On Increase In State Budgets.” This section would stipulate that annual maintenance budgets of any entity of the state government shall not increase “by more than the average percentage increase in the consumer price index for all urban consumers for the west region…” as calculated from the preceding (12) months before an agency submits a budget request. If inflation is zero or negative, the budget may not increase. This limitation on increases may slow state expenditures.

The proposed legislation provides major exceptions including “exigent situations, federally mandated expenditures, or sustained difficulties in keeping with such restrictions as it relates to meeting operational objectives.” In some sense this is an acknowledgement that power of the purse cannot be rigidly constrained. Appropriation bills are law and therefore can override the provisions of this statute by stating an exception, or ignoring them all together. It is incumbent upon the people themselves and their representatives to not only control spending, but to react to developing needs and possible emergencies. This is complicated by the fact the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee could simply provide extra money in the enhancement budgets. While the effort is commendable, it likely only represents an additional rhetorical hurdle that must be overcome.

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