The Idaho Spending Index examines appropriation bills on several fronts to add some important context to lawmakers’ discussions as the spending bills are considered on the House and Senate floors. As we look at the budget, we consider the following issues:

Does the agency requesting these funds serve a proper role of government? Has wasteful or duplicative spending been identified within the agency, and if so, has that spending been eliminated or corrected? Have budget-writers reviewed existing outlays to look for opportunities to contain spending, e.g., through a base reduction? If there is a maintenance budget, is that maintenance budget appropriate? Are the line items appropriate in type and size, and are they absolutely necessary for serving the public? Does the budget contemplate adding new employees or programs? Does the appropriation increase dependency on the federal government?

Our analysis is intended to provide lawmakers and their constituents with a frame of reference for conservative budgeting, by summarizing whether appropriation measures contain items that are truly  objectionable or legitimate and worthy of support.

Bill Description: FY22 Public Health Districts, appropriation reduction

Rating: 0

This bill represents a 30.3% reduction from the prior year and that is something to celebrate. However the reduction is not from the earlier version of the appropriation, which was held, H285. That bill, H285, was drafted before H316aaS was signed into law. H316 is a wind down of the CAT program and the statutory changes reduce the funds needed by Public Health Districts. So H285 was held. 

So in effect this is a trailer to H285 with the entire reduction attributable to the impact of H316, a policy change.