BOISE, Idaho — In a recent letter addressed to state agency directors, institution presidents, and fiscal officers, the co-chairs of the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee (JFAC), Sen. C. Scott Grow (R-Eagle) and Rep. Josh Tanner (R-Eagle), are requesting that agencies game-plan for additional budget cuts on top of the 3% statewide cut mandated by Governor Brad Little in 2025.
The move comes as lawmakers wrestle with balancing a state budget that is currently running an estimated deficit of $40-50 million.
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Per the JFAC memo, agency heads are to submit additional budget analysis documents that include plans for cuts that amount to 1-2%, respectively, of their total budgets for 2026 and 2027— on top of the 3% cut already requested. Depending on the agency, that would result in some state agencies cutting their overall budgets by 4-5% instead of the 3% cut they'd already accounted for.
Furthermore, JFAC asks agency heads to identify how cuts will affect their workforce and if layoffs will be required to accommodate the cuts. Additionally, agency heads are asked to "identify if an essential service is affected."
In response to the request, Senate Minority Leader, Melisa Wintrow (D-Boise), issued the following statement: "Republicans created a budget mess with reckless tax giveaways tilted toward the wealthy, then imposed a 3% holdback that is already squeezing the services Idaho families pay for and expect. Now, Republican leaders are demanding another round of cuts in the middle of the year to make room for massive tax breaks for corporations and billionaires, including costly corporate write-offs that reward investments made outside Idaho."
The agencies subject to cuts are asked to return their budget analysis by Friday, Jan. 30.
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