Rubber Stamped Budgets
Recently there have been allegations that the Idaho Senate blindly rubber stamps the state’s budgets recommended by the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee (JFAC). What is the basis of this allegation?
The fact that the Idaho Senate rarely defeats a JFAC recommended budget bill? There must be more to the story because that dog doesn’t hunt. Idaho would not be recognized as the most fiscally sound, most transparent, least regulated, and highest credit rated state in the nation if the Senate were blindly rubber stamping budgets. These accolades are only earned after years of proven results based upon sound fiscal processes.
Historically the Senate has not played politics with the State’s budgets. That’s not to say there isn’t vigorous debate, just that it is generally honest and pragmatic debate about appropriately funding the citizens’ needs. Every dollar spent or saved in Idaho affects someone. Idaho has a very robust budgeting process to evaluate the needs and wants of its citizens. The process begins in June, several months before they are presented to the Legislature, by the state agencies. They are reviewed and vetted multiple times by the agencies, the Division of Financial Management and the Governor’s office before they are presented to the legislature each January. Throughout the process questions are answered ensuring the request is constitutional, legal, necessary, efficient, meets the goals, and does little harm.
Thousands of hours are spent vetting Idaho budgets. Many JFAC and other members of the legislature also meet with the agencies long before the legislative session begins to understand the work, challenges, and needs of the agencies. Once the legislative session begins in January, JFAC publicly meets for three hours daily to hear the agency requests and answer budget related questions to produce over 100 separate budgets that run our state government. Outside the daily meetings, smaller working groups are formed within JFAC to meet with and challenge the agency directors to produce the best budget recommendations possible. Legislators and others who have a particular interest in specific budgets can also weigh into the budget making process. JFAC is the hardest working committee in the legislature and takes their constitutionally required job seriously.
As a career banker, businessman, and member of JFAC, I have developed, approved, and declined thousands of budgets. I have never seen a perfect budget. The quality of a budget is a direct result of the budget process and the work put into developing the budget. The time for a legislator to genuinely raise their concerns and improve a budget is during the budget making process, not after the budget has been vetted and presented on the Senate floor. Otherwise, they may be playing budget politics and weaponizing the budget to intimidate the agency.
Unfortunately, there are members of the legislature, and yes even some who sit on JFAC, who are more interested in playing politics with budgets than they are willing to put in the time and effort to produce the best budgets for the people of Idaho. How do you know if your legislator is playing politics with the budgets? If they are a member of JFAC and don’t carry their share of budgets on the House or Senate floor, generally 10 or more budgets, they may be playing politics. If they aren’t a member of JFAC, but consistently vote against budgets, ask them their reasons and if they have met with the agency or budget drafters to discuss their concerns. If they haven’t met with the agency or budget drafters during the budget making process, they are likely playing budget politics.
Fortunately for Idaho, the majority of the members of the Idaho Senate understand the work that goes into building Idaho’s budgets. They take an opportunity to weigh in during the budget making process with their concerns and make an informed vote when the budget is presented on the Senate floor. No, the Idaho Senate does not blindly rubber stamp budgets. Those who tell you they do are either uninformed or are playing politics.
