BOISE, Idaho — Republican Rep. Josh Tanner of District 14 and the newly appointed Co-Chair of the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee (JFAC) criticized Gov. Brad Little’s proposed budget in a scathing statement following the Governor’s State of the State address.
Idaho News 6 Senior Reporter Don Nelson spoke with Tanner at the statehouse to better understand his concerns.
Asked if Idaho faces serious budget trouble, Tanner replied, “I don’t necessarily think we’re in big trouble.” However, he emphasized that, as JFAC Co-Chair, he will prioritize fiscal restraint, minimal government growth, and strict accountability for agency spending.
WATCH: Don Nelson interviews Rep. Josh Tanner (R) regarding the governor's proposed budget
Idaho’s projected budget shortfall for 2026 is estimated at more than $40 million, with deeper challenges expected in 2027. Tanner argues the Governor’s plan fails to balance the budget, relying on “one-time gimmicks” and leaving Idaho with the lowest ending fund balances in nearly a decade.
"So when you're looking at the ending balance, you've got your ongoing budget and your one-time budgets, what we saw is a negative in the ongoing and if you're doing anything— you want to do it in reverse— because your ongoing aspects [are] setting up for future aspects."\
JFAC Co-Chair Sen. C. Scott Grow offered a similar warning: "So the challenge we got, couple of challenges, one is a short-term to fill a long-term problem and the other is a very skinny bottom line."
Both the Governor and the JFAC Co-Chairs say they will not raise taxes. Instead, they argue that balancing the budget will require possible cuts to state agencies.
“We do not have a revenue problem,” Tanner said. “I do believe we have a spending problem.”
The Governor's budget is not structurally balanced, relying on gimmicks to make the numbers work. JFAC and the Idaho Legislature will step up and create a true balanced budget that lives within its means and protects Idaho taxpayers for years to come.
— Josh Tanner 🇺🇸 (@josh_idaho) January 13, 2026
Read my full statement: pic.twitter.com/cJqOt65a6h
House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, a Democrat, voiced concern about potential K-12 education cuts, especially to Special Education programs. “If you look at the new composition of the budget committee,” Rubel said, “these are not folks who are friendly to public education.”
Tanner pushed back on that claim, saying he is not looking to slash K-12 funding. “Absolutely not,” he said. “I think it's something we need to continue to look at, see what, if anything, that is not functioning well."
Tanner pledged that the Legislature will act to restore fiscal discipline.
Idaho News 6 will continue to monitor budget negotiations and potential agency cuts for the 2026 fiscal year.
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This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
