Rating: –1

Bill Summary:
Senate Bill 1204 (2025) appropriates an additional $295,000 from the Idaho General Fund to the Executive Office of the Governor for Fiscal Year 2026. Of this amount, $45,000 is designated for capital outlay—typically used for purchasing equipment or making improvements to physical infrastructure—and $250,000 is earmarked for trustee and benefit payments. The bill does not specify the purpose or recipients of the benefit payments. An emergency clause is included, making the funding effective as of July 1, 2025.

Reason for Rating:
This bill represents an unjustified increase in executive spending with no performance metrics, program detail, or evidence of necessity. It violates the Idaho Republican Party Platform’s principles of limited government, fiscal restraint, and transparency (Article I, Sections 1A–F). By allocating funds to the governor’s office without clear justification—particularly the $250,000 in unspecified benefit payments—it expands bureaucratic power without accountability. The platform is explicit that government programs outside constitutional obligations should be defunded and left to the private sector. Without clarity or constraints, S1204 serves only to bloat the executive budget, contrary to Republican values.