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: 0

Bill Description: House Bill 703 appropriates $38,499,000 and 341.33 full-time positions to Agricultural Research and Extension Services for fiscal year 2025.

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 Agricultural Research and Extension Services of $37,238,000, growing it from the base by 5.3% over the last three years. This rate is slower than the rate of inflation over the same period, demonstrating modest growth in the cost to maintain the agency.

(+1)

Does the budget grow government through the addition of new permanent FTPs or through funding unlegislated efforts to create new or expanded entitlement programs? Conversely, does this budget reduce the size of government staff and programs except where compelled by new legislation?

This legislation will expand the agency’s number for permanent staff positions by 2.37 FTPs. Two of these positions will be for new faculty positions that specialize in either irrigation or forestry research. The remaining 0.37 FTP will be used to add janitorial staff for the new Idaho Center for Plant and Soil Health facility in Parma.

(-1)