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From the Offices of the
IDAHO JOINT FINANCE AND APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE
Co-chairs: Senator Scott Grow, Representative Wendy Horman

Op-Ed by Rep. Julianne Young: Horman and Grow’s Unprecedented Contribution to State Fiscal Responsibility
April 24, 2024

I have witnessed unprecedented growth in state spending during my six years of legislative service, from a total budget of $8 billion to $14 billion, with budget growth averaging 10% per year. Despite the double-forked promises stereotypical politicians may offer, this trajectory is unsustainable. Idaho can’t continually increase government spending at these levels AND reduce taxes while still balancing the budget.

State budget proposals are written by the Joint Finance and Appropriation Committee (JFAC) and then voted on by both the House and Senate. When I was first elected, legislators were only provided a brief written overview with no budget details or indication of year over year growth. A “yes” vote on a budget was viewed as a vote of confidence in JFAC or support for the agency being funded. The House and Senate essentially functioned as a low-information rubber stamp for spending.

In addition, budgets contained accounting gimmicks that allowed money to be allocated retroactively (called supplementals) and transfers that camouflaged real spending. Even JFAC committee members were at a disadvantage because the previous year's spending (the base) was automatically rolled into the next year’s budget without scrutiny and with a percentage increase. Only “new” spending was examined.

State Representative Wendy Horman, recognizing the need for change, began implementing meaningful reforms in 2019. First, she fought to make the record of state expenditures available to the public online on the state website: https://legislature.idaho.gov/lso/bpa/budgetinformation/ and https://transparent.idaho.gov/. Then, she ensured that an itemized summary accompanied each budget showing year-over-year increases and supplementals.

Legislators with better information began voting “no” on excessive budget growth (frequently between 7% and 20%, and occasionally several hundred percent) or on supplemental appropriations. Contrary to the claims of big-government spending advocates that “no” votes somehow jeopardize agencies or public safety, “no” votes primarily send a message that legislators expect more fiscal restraint. In instances where budgets fail, JFAC modifies them and sends them back for another vote.

Unfortunately, the JFAC process itself favored growth and spending continued to increase at unsustainable levels, with a 12% increase in state general fund spending from 2023-2024. Then, Representative Horman and Senator Grow (a certified accountant), recently appointed co-chairs of JFAC, implemented groundbreaking changes. These were aptly described by an Idaho Capital Sun article titled, “Major State Budget Process Changes Helped Shape 2024 Idaho Legislative Session.” (https://idahocapitalsun.com/2024/04/13/major-state-budget-process-changes-helped-shape-20 24-idaho-legislative-session/).

The new process resembles the way one might approach a home budget: First, the committee passes budgets containing “maintenance” items (required and fixed expenses comparable to a house payment, insurance, or taxes). Then, they more closely examine “discretionary expenses” (required but adjustable expenses, such as gas and groceries). Last, they consider new expenditures (comparable to a fun vacation or a new hobby).

Implementing these changes was no small logistical and political feat. Resistance was incredible, albeit astonishing from a fiscally-conservative perspective. Agencies complained, some leadership members pressured, and some legislators objected that “maintenance budgets didn’t include everything an agency might need” (remember the practice of rolling everything in the “base” over into the next year).

Despite stiff resistance from, and even out-right shenanigans by, those seeking to undermine these changes, Representative Horman and Senator Grow stood their ground. At great personal cost and with the full support of the majority of Republicans in both House and Senate, they succeeded. Most Republicans agreed: the primary duty of legislators should be the responsible allocation of tax-payer dollars, not the protection of government spending; and transparency should never be viewed as a threat.

As a result of this success, general fund spending from 2024 to 2025 increased only 1.7%-- the most conservative spending growth Idaho has seen since the Great Recession! While there is always room for improvement, this substantive success merits celebration! It is one thing to give lip service to fiscal responsibility while standing on the side-lines criticizing those in the trenches taking fire. It is an entirely different thing to stand in that line of fire and fundamentally alter entrenched bureaucratic processes in ways that produce unmistakeable concrete results.

In real life, heroes don’t show up with shiny medals on their lapels. Most are dead and gone long before history, looking back on their lasting impact, finally raises its sleepy head and gives a surly nod. Voters should take note– the sacrifices made and work completed this session by Representative Horman and Senator Grow are, in my humble opinion, just the type of tireless, heroic labor that quietly, and with vision, shapes a better tomorrow for others who may or may not ever know or understand the difference. I sincerely thank them both for their selfless service to Idaho and their unprecedented contribution to state fiscal sanity, hopefully for years to come.

Budget Information – Idaho State Legislature Legislative Services Office Budget and Policy Analysis 700 W. Jefferson St. • P.O. Box 83720 Boise, ID 83720-0054 P: 208-334-3531 | F: 208-334-2668

From the Offices of the:
IDAHO JOINT FINANCE AND APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE
Co-chairs: Senator Scott Grow, Representative Wendy Horman

Op-Ed: JFAC is Finally Exciting!

This week we did a media interview with Joe Parris of KTVB in Boise. As he was walking into the Capitol for the interview, a random citizen said to him, “Well finally! After 20 years, JFAC is finally exciting!”

What is JFAC and why is it exciting this year?

JFAC is the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee of the Idaho Legislature. We are the Co-Chairs. This is the committee that sets budgets for the State of Idaho. Unlike the federal government, Idaho’s Constitution requires us to set a balanced budget.

This year we implemented some changes to increase transparency and accountability for how your tax dollars are spent.

Not everyone is as excited as that citizen, but taxpayers definitely have reason to be.

Remember how the federal government boosted the money supply during the pandemic? Whether they printed it in the basement or borrowed from Japan or China, it was still inflated, one-time cash. Sure, it felt real because we could buy real stuff with those stimulus checks, even if the eggs did cost five dollars a dozen.

The same thing happened in government. Spending increased significantly. But just as “covid cash” exited your bank account, it is also exiting state government and we need to make sure that we are left with a state government Idahoans can afford. Constitutionally we can’t and we won’t end up like the federal government – spending beyond our ability to pay.

Recessions or economic slowdowns are a rotten time to raise taxes to pay for a government we bought during a pandemic that we can no longer afford.

So, for the first time, the Legislature has passed “maintenance” budgets separately from the new funding state agencies have requested.

In simple terms, maintenance budgets separate an agency’s base budget (all the money they received last year, plus increased costs for salaries and benefits) from its growth (new cars, new computers, new employees, new programs, etc.).

Some of the new things may be important and necessary for the agency to do its work, but one thing that hasn’t changed is that every request for new funding continues to be scrutinized by the committee. If JFAC ever sends a budget that has unnecessary spending of your hard-earned tax dollars to the House or Senate floors for the full Legislature to consider, we haven’t done our job.

A study conducted last summer by JFAC staff revealed that only about 19% of spending is reviewed during a legislative session. Beginning this summer and fall, that will change. JFAC will begin systematic reviews of base budgets for all state agencies.

This perfectly legal, commonsense approach to budgeting means we are going to monitor government spending better than we’ve been able to before, and make sure we aren’t growing government beyond Idahoans ability to pay for it.

Please go to our new website to learn more or visit www.Transparent.Idaho.gov see how your tax dollars are being spent.

www.transparent.idaho.gov

Glenn Beck to headline 2024 Ada County Lincoln Day Event on Feb 15th!

Idaho Convention of States will be holding an event Monday, Dec 11th, 2023. Senator Lakey will be sharing his experience at a recent Convention of States simulation.

Congrats to the West Valley Allstars! ESPN+ will be airing these Idaho Little League State Champions at their Pacific Northwest Regional matchup on Sunday, July 23rd, 2023 at 12:00pm PST.

Mike Hon visits with Kasper and Chris at KBOI radio. Gentlemen, thanks for the chat!

Press Release
Released on March 13, 2023
On behalf of Concerned Citizens of Meridian...
------------------------------
THIS COULD ALL BE OVER TODAY!
As has been discussed at length, the Concerned Citizens of Meridian, were given no other recourse than to submit a petition to follow a process to re-establish the Meridian Library District for the protection of children in the community. After 18 months of making EVERY effort to communicate with the board to find a mutually beneficial solution, (including some members applying for positions to serve on the board) all communication with the board, short of emails, has been shut down.

This option is the LEAST DESIRED of all parties, including CCoM.

A second option to end this conflict was offered by Phil Reynolds, of CCoM.

“If the existing board truly loves this library, if they truly love this community, if they are sincere about the importance of protecting children, and if they really don’t wish to drag this community through this conflict, they would submit their resignations.”

A new board could be appointed that supports family-friendly community standards, that doesn’t cry “censorship” where there is none, and doesn’t argue for “First Amendment” rights that don’t actually apply to children.

The simplest solution is the best for all. It is the only solution that equally protects ALL citizens of Meridian. Make arrangements for the sexually explicit material to be accessible only to parents who wish to check out these materials on behalf their children. All citizens can equally enjoy the use of the library together as was the idea behind the design of this country in the first place. Kuna School District recently made this change.

Kuna School District places 25 books under restricted access after Idaho legislators request removal | Local News | idahopress.com

For now, the plan to hold a hearing continues. CCoM asks that all concerned Meridian citizens sign up to testify to protect our children at the upcoming hearing at the Ada County Courthouse on March 20th. It starts at 6:00pm. If you can’t be there in person, submit your support to [email protected] by Wednesday, March 15th.

Please contact the Concerned Citizens of Meridian if you have questions. [email protected].

Should this plan need to be executed, CCoM has already drafted the next petition to re-create the library board and, should it be necessary, transfer all property to the new district.

The bottom line is this. Are there sexually explicit materials physically and freely accessible to children in the Meridian Library at this time? Despite direct denials from the library board that it isn’t, the answer is YES!

Do we want our children to have access to these materials without parental knowledge and consent? No.

For those who would like to contribute to helping CCoM recover some of the unexpected costs they have incurred because of this protracted conflict, please donate at https://www.givesendgo.com/G3PCN.

Click here to Give now to Concerned Citizens of Meridian by 1776 Sons of Liberty, LLC A common question we get asked is, “what is your organization about?” God, Family, and Country are our priorities.  We are a non-partisan organization who focuses on the Constitution. We start every meeting with a prayer and the ...

Concerned Citizens of Meridian hope to 'recreate' the Library District after starting petition to dissolve it The group Concerned Citizens of Meridian introduced a petition to dissolve the Meridian Library District. They say their actual goal is to replace the library's Board of Trustees.

Client: CONCERNED CITIZENS OF MERIDIAN's Mike Hon interviews with Julie Luchetta of Boise State Radio. Public inquiries to CCoM may be sent by email to [email protected].

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