Idaho Legislature's Budget Committee Meets in Moscow, Lewiston This Week

Members of the Idaho Legislature’s joint budget committee kicked off a three-day tour in Moscow and Lewiston this week, meeting to prepare for the upcoming 2027 legislative session as idahocapitalsun.com reported.

Although lawmakers are not currently in session, the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee routinely conducts spring and fall off-season tours across the state.

JFAC holds immense power over state operations. The committee consists of 10 members each from the Idaho House of Representatives and the Idaho Senate, and it shoulders the annual responsibility of crafting the budget for every single state agency and department.

That task has grown increasingly difficult. Last year, JFAC and Gov. Brad Little enacted budget cuts across nearly all state departments. Aside from K-12 public schools, state agency budgets faced a 4% reduction in fiscal year 2026 and another 5% cut for fiscal year 2027. Committee members will pivot to drafting the fiscal year 2028 budget this coming January.

To prepare for those debates, lawmakers are spending three days immersed in budget briefings, audit updates, and facility inspections. The agenda features deep dives into the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare budget request, wildfire season suppression costs, and an update on new state correctional facilities, alongside tours of the Port of Lewiston, Lewis-Clark State College, and the University of Idaho.

“The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee is pretty much working year round because government is a year-round process and funding government and making sure it is funded appropriately demands a lot of time from the committee,” said Sen. Scott Grow, a Republican from Eagle who serves as co-chair of JFAC.

University idaho moscow campus aerial view part

Citizens hoping to follow the proceedings face practical hurdles. Keith Bybee, the Idaho Legislative Services Office’s budget and policy analysis manager, confirmed that this week’s sessions will not be livestreamed online, meaning attendance requires showing up in person.

The schedule began Tuesday afternoon at the Best Western University Inn in Moscow, shifting Wednesday morning to the student union building on the University of Idaho campus. On Thursday, the committee moves to Lewiston to meet at Independent School District No. 1 before touring the Idaho State Veterans Home.

Grow explained that these site visits help budget writers verify that state funds achieve their intended statutory goals.

Idaho Legislature's Budget Committee Meets in Moscow, Lewiston This Week

“That gives us opportunities to visit certain sites that are of interest in an effort to see how the appropriations have been utilized and to assure us that the money that was appropriated went for good and appropriate purposes in accordance with state law,” Grow said.

When the committee convenes for the 2027 session, the roster will look notably different. Five of the 20 lawmakers who served on JFAC during the 2026 session will not return, having retired or lost their primary or general elections.

Departing members include Sens. Jim Woodward, R-Sagle; Glenneda Zuiderveld, R-Twin Falls; Cody Galloway, R-Boise; along with Reps. Steven Miller, R-Fairfield, and Dustin Manwaring, R-Pocatello.

Republican legislative leaders will fill those vacancies during the Idaho Legislature’s organizational session, which starts December 3, ahead of the regular session scheduled to begin January 11.