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: Senate Bill 1431 appropriates $58,549,900 and 409.00 full-time positions to the Department of Juvenile Correction 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 Department of Juvenile Correction of $57,651,200, growing it from the base by 10.8% over the last three years. This rate is about seven percentage points slower than the rate of inflation over the same period, demonstrating acceptable 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?
Senate Bill 1431 transfers funding for one full-time position from dedicated funds to general funds. This decision is driven by chronically declining revenues in the Miscellaneous Revenue Fund. Though the department is retaining the position, it is using existing funds within its own general fund appropriations to support the personnel and operations costs. This is not a true increase in the growth of personnel or ongoing costs to operate the department.
(0)
