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Senate approves $644,400 in dedicated enhancements for State Liquor Division, cuts other requests
Summary
Senate Bill 11-92 provides $644,400 in dedicated-fund appropriations to the Idaho State Liquor Division for items including part-time wage increases, shrink-wrap freight costs, website ADA updates, and equipment replacement; the measure passed after floor debate 21–13 with one correction noted during the roll call.
Senate Bill 11-92, the enhancement appropriation for the Idaho State Liquor Division, passed the Idaho Senate on March 28, 2025. Senator Carlson presented the bill, which the sponsor said uses the agency’s own dedicated funds rather than the general fund and provides $644,400 in dedicated-fund appropriations after substantial reductions from the agency request.
Sponsor Carlson outlined that the appropriation was reduced from a prior $1.5 million enhancement request. The bill provides $644,400 in dedicated funds for several items: $57,400 ongoing to raise part-time retail staff wages (from $15.00 to $15.45 per hour) to reduce turnover; $72,000 ongoing for shrink-wrap costs tied to a new freight contract; $75,000 one-time to update the division website to meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (ADA compliance); and $205,000 for replacement items including warehouse motorized equipment ($95,000) and two modified fleet vehicles ($110,000). The sponsor emphasized that the agency funds itself, and no general funds are requested.
Floor debate included objections on policy grounds (one senator said the legislature should not be facilitating alcohol promotion) and several clarifying questions about line items; the sponsor said one earlier draft had omitted a network-switches and firewall line by drafting error and that the current bill corrects that. After debate and a sequence of vote changes and roll-call corrections, the secretary announced the corrected tally as 21 in favor, 13 opposed, with 1 absent; the Senate recorded the bill as passed and will transmit it to the House of Representatives.
No amendments were adopted on the Senate floor. Sponsor Carlson noted the division’s statutory duty to regulate importation, distribution and sale and to optimize net revenue to the state, and that the agency returns profits to cities, counties and the general fund.
