The Idaho Legislature has adjourned, and lawmakers are returning to their districts, mostly with the exuberant message, “Guess what, Idaho? We saved you $292 million this year!” In response, you might ask, “Okay, but how much did you spend?” The jolting news for Idaho families is that the reported total government spending in Idaho is roughly $14.1 billion. Outrageous.

But it’s even worse than that because the legislators haven’t included all the spending. They just count some of it as “continuing” because the state is always spending in some special categories anyway, like it did last year. The real total is closer to $14.6 billion.

They may explain that they did very well compared to 2024, given the increase in prices over the year. They may say, “Last year we spent $13.9 billion, so the $14.1 billion is only a 1.5% increase.” The taxpayer, you — head in palm — are not impressed. 

This is the reality of the Idaho budget. Yes, this year the Legislature and Governor doled out $14.6 billion in spending for FY26, but even that is not what they claimed at the end of the session. The number they keep tossing around is $14.1 billion, for a 1.5% increase from last year — a much smaller claim.

By ignoring the “continuous spending,” which we previously pointed out is undisclosed as “off budget” — so not very transparent, but very real spending nonetheless — from the appropriations approved each year, they understate the true spending by roughly $455 million. (Note: Neither the State Controller’s Office nor the Legislative Services Office was able to provide the current continuous spending amounts, so this figure is our expert analyst’s best estimate based on historical data.)

Some of this “off budget” spending includes previously “dedicated” funding for Idaho Public Television and Lava Hot Springs. These subcategories were historically included, but were somehow removed from official budget accounting.

Further, legislators claim they saved $292 million because they didn’t spend what the governor recommended. This is a false savings because the recommendation was just a number thrown to them by the governor, having no authority behind it. The Legislature should not measure itself by what the governor recommends but by what the taxpayer must endure.

So, to be forthright and honest about what they are doing with your money, here is the bottom line. Last year, the full budget for all spending in the state was $13.9 billion. This year, it will be roughly $14.6 billion, a 4.8% increase overall. The Legislature didn’t “save” any money; it truly spent quite a bit more, $669 million more! 

Oh, one last thing. Speaking of saving, the Legislature didn’t even budget all your projected tax dollars. They kept another $441 million on the bottom line, “just in case.” The Legislature is collecting your taxes, spending 4.8% more, keeping another $441 million, and then saying it saved you money.  Does that feel like savings to you? Are you fine with them keeping any extra of your tax dollars?

President Calvin Coolidge said a century ago, "[Government] collecting more taxes than is absolutely necessary is legalized robbery." Our Legislature is not fiscally conservative. Every year, they spend more than the year before, by large amounts, and hold onto hundreds of millions extra for whatever suits them along the way. They are, in many ways, spendthrifts and robbers. Idaho can and should do much better.