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JFAC approves judicial pay increases, two new district judges and magistrates; adds resources
Summary
Committee approved $5.19 million and six FTE for judicial compensation and resources, including statutory‑linked pay increases for justices and judges and adding judges in specified districts.
The Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee approved Wednesday an FY2026 package for the judicial branch that includes pay increases, two new district judges, two new magistrate judges and additional IT staffing.
Jeff Bybee (committee record shows Bybee presenting on behalf of the branch) briefed the committee on two main line items. First, judicial compensation increases reflected statutory proposals in House Bill 322 for pay adjustments: 10% for Supreme Court justices, 10.5% for Court of Appeals, 10.9% for district judges and 11.5% for magistrate judges. Second, the judicial resources enhancement requested one new district judge in the First Judicial District (Coeur d’Alene), one in the Seventh Judicial District (Bonneville County), and two magistrate judges (one in the Fifth Judicial District/Twin Falls and one in the Seventh/Judicial for Idaho Falls as corrected in committee record), plus court reporter resources associated with those judges.
Senator Cook moved the package; Representative Galavish seconded. In remarks, sponsors tied the request to caseload pressures and the judiciary’s statutory staffing requests. The motion added $5,190,300 from the General Fund and six FTE for FY2026.
The committee approved the motion on a joint roll call: 17 ayes, 3 nays and 0 absent/excused; the majority voted in the affirmative and JFAC will carry a due‑pass recommendation.
What’s next: House Bill 322 (judicial compensation) and related judicial resource bills will proceed through the legislative process alongside the budget recommendation.
