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: (0)

Bill Description: House Bill 459 is an enhancement of $161,000 and 0.00 new full-time positions for the Department of Labor for fiscal year 2026. This legislation appropriates a total of $104,938,300 and 644 full-time positions to the agency, after a reduction of 15.58 FTP’s.

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 Labor at over $104 million, growing from the base by 7.9% in the last three years. This rate is more than 6 points slower than what would be prescribed by inflationary pressures and growth. This demonstrates modest growth in the size of the agency’s programs and spending.

(+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?

House Bill 459 appropriates just over $81 million in federal funding to the Department of Labor. This represents about 77% of the total budget for the agency. This demonstrates considerable dependence on the federal government for the agency’s programs and operations.

(-1)