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: -2

Bill Description: Senate Bill 1373 appropriates $5,016,600 and 17.75 full-time positions to the Soil and Water Conservation Commission 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 maintenance budget for the Soil and Water Conservation Commission at $3,913,400, growing it from the base by 28.1% in the last three years. This rate is 55% faster than what would be prescribed by inflationary pressures and growth.

(-1)

Does this budget contain hidden fund transfers or supplemental expenditures that work to enact new policy or are not valid emergency expenditures? Conversely, are fund transfers only made to stabilization funds or are supplemental requests only made in the interest of resolving valid fiscal emergencies?

This budget contains a $1,000,000 transfer from the General Fund to the Clean Water Revolving Loan Fund. This line item was not requested by the agency but recommended by the governor. Being a cash transfer, this line item hides real spending from the General Fund.

(-1)