Rating: –1

Bill Summary:

Senate Bill 1190 appropriates additional funds to support salary increases for commissioners in three state regulatory agencies for fiscal year 2026. It allocates $11,800 from the Public Utilities Commission Fund for the Public Utilities Commission, $11,800 from the Industrial Administration Fund for the Industrial Commission, and $15,700 across the General Fund, Multistate Tax Compact Fund, and the Administration Services for Transportation Fund for the State Tax Commission. The bill includes an emergency clause and takes effect July 1, 2025.

Reason for Rating:
S1190 increases government spending on administrative salaries without offering any structural reforms, performance standards, or fiscal offsets. The Idaho Republican Party Platform calls for downsizing government, eliminating unnecessary programs, and reducing spending—particularly in bureaucratic or regulatory agencies. These three commissions wield expansive regulatory authority and are precisely the type of entrenched institutions the platform seeks to streamline or limit. By granting automatic salary increases with no accountability, reform language, or justification, this bill contradicts the platform’s emphasis on merit-based governance, transparency, and fiscal responsibility. It earns a negative rating.