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 720 appropriates $18,298,500 and 166.00 full-time positions to the Division of Human Resources 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?
The agency has seen a six-fold increase in the size of its budget in recent years. This happened because it absorbed employees and costs from other state agencies as part of a statewide initiative to consolidate human resources activities. Therefore, this agency’s budget increase is not necessarily a sign of a growing government. It should be mentioned, however, that the consolidation resulted in no additional FTPs. Moreover, total statewide spending on HR increased by $239,800 by the completion of the move in the 2024 fiscal year. This increase is due to the new DHR fee schedule as part of consolidation efforts. This increase is not reflected in the DHR budget, but is assessed for other agencies using its services.
The new maintenance appropriation for the Division of Human Resources is $17,549,800.
(0)
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 would appropriate five new positions to the Division of Human Resources. These positions would support the Department of Parks and Recreation, Office of the State Public Defender, Department of Health and Welfare, and the Department of Corrections. There is also an additional FTP that would support the Office of Information Technology Services, which is undergoing a similar consolidation project.
With the exception of new staff for the State Public Defender (a new agency) and ITS (a consolidating agency), DHR’s request for new staff positions contradict the rationale for statewide consolidation. Agencies should be more efficient, lower costs, and reduce headcount when operations are all under one roof. This request ignores these goals.
(-1)
