Cracking the Code: Idaho’s Budget Secrets Revealed

Editorial by Senator Scott Herndon, District 1 (Jan. 30, 2024)

Idaho’s Spending Problem

Looking at the chart below, you can see how Idaho’s state spending has grown 54% over just the last four years. 

Three Types of Budget Accounts

Spending comes from three different types of accounts – the general fund, dedicated funds, and federal funds. The general fund money is most of the sales taxes and personal and corporate income taxes that you pay in Idaho.

A Shocking Revelation

Here is a stunning statistic. In previous years, the Idaho legislature reviewed only 19% of the total spending. Your legislature has routinely approved $10 billion budgets while not even reviewing 81% of those expenditures. That spending would continue to roll over year after year and never get a review by the legislature. Read more.