Rating: –1

Bill Summary:

Senate Bill 1185 appropriates an additional $5,190,300 from the General Fund to the Judicial Branch for fiscal year 2026. The funding includes $5,117,400 for personnel costs, $51,900 for operating expenditures, and $21,000 for capital outlay. The funds are allocated across several divisions: $218,000 to the Supreme Court, $113,700 to the Court of Appeals, $2,290,600 to District Courts, and $2,568,000 to the Magistrate Division. The bill includes an emergency clause and becomes effective July 1, 2025.

Reason for Rating:
S1185 increases taxpayer spending on Idaho’s judicial system without offering any structural reforms, cost-saving measures, or accountability mechanisms. While courts are a core government function, the Idaho Republican Party Platform calls for fiscal restraint, streamlined government, and the elimination of unnecessary programs. This bill expands judicial personnel budgets significantly—especially in the lower courts—without checks on future growth, efficiency requirements, or consideration of decentralized or privatized alternatives. The lack of offsetting reforms or taxpayer protections results in a direct contradiction to the platform’s commitment to limited, responsible governance, earning the bill a negative rating.