Rating: 0

Bill Summary:

Senate Bill 1110 appropriates $490,948,900 for Fiscal Year 2026 to fund Idaho’s general government operations, including agencies such as the Department of Administration, Capitol Commission, Office of Drug Policy, Commissions on Aging, the Blind, and the Arts, Office of Energy and Mineral Resources, Military Division, Tax Commission, Board of Tax Appeals, and the Workforce Development Council. The bill also provides funding for the Public Employee Retirement System (PERSI), the STEM Action Center, and various infrastructure and emergency management programs. It includes employee compensation increases, reappropriates unspent federal ARPA and grant funds, and authorizes continuous appropriations for specific programs such as investment portfolio management and hazardous materials response. Oversight measures include reporting requirements, bonus restrictions, and legislative limits on fund transfers.

Reason for Rating:
While S1110 maintains funding for constitutionally valid state functions and includes strong fiscal oversight mechanisms, it also continues reliance on federal dollars and supports programs—such as workforce development grants and early education pipelines—that could raise concerns under a strict limited-government framework. However, the bill does not create new agencies or entitlements, and most of its provisions fund existing operations with legislative guardrails in place. The presence of both platform-aligned and platform-questionable elements makes the overall impact of this appropriations measure balanced, justifying a neutral rating.