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.

Analyst: Niklas Kleinworth

Rating: -1

Bill Description: House Bill 682 appropriates $11,566,500 and 74.00 full-time positions to the Legislative Branch for fiscal year 2025.

ANALYST NOTE: This budget includes several agencies within the Legislative Branch, including the Legislative Services Office and the Office of Performance Evaluations.

Is the maintenance budget inappropriate for the needs of the state, the size of the agency, or the inflationary environment of the economy? Conversely, is the maintenance budget appropriate given the needs of the state and economic pressures?

This legislation confirms the program maintenance budget for the Legislative Branch of $11,504,600. This growth from the FY 2022 base is more than 43% higher than what would be prescribed by inflationary pressures and growth.

(-1)