Rating: –1

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Bill Summary:

House Bill 322 increases the annual salary of Idaho Supreme Court justices from $169,508 to $186,508, a $17,000 raise. Because the salaries of other judicial officers—Court of Appeals judges, District Court judges, and Magistrates—are set in relation to the Supreme Court’s salary, this bill also causes a proportional increase across the entire judiciary. The bill includes an emergency clause, making it effective July 1, 2025.

The proposed raise comes without any performance requirements, budget offsets, or accompanying judicial reforms. The emergency clause accelerates the implementation timeline, bypassing the typical public input period.

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Reason for Rating:

H0322 expands government spending by increasing judicial salaries at a time when many Idahoans face economic pressures and inflation. It creates automatic pay raises for all levels of the judiciary without individual assessment or accountability, and it does so without linking those raises to efficiency, transparency, or judicial performance improvements. Furthermore, the inclusion of an emergency clause circumvents normal legislative procedures, raising concerns about the abuse of legislative process.

This bill contradicts key Idaho Republican Party Platform principles such as fiscal responsibility, government transparency, and the rejection of unjustified growth in government compensation. As such, House Bill 322 is appropriately rated at –1.