The Joint Ways and Means Committee reported House Bill 5,029 — the Department of State Police budget bill — out with the dash-1 amendment and a recommendation that it “do pass as amended.” The Public Safety Subcommittee recommended a total-funds budget that included $547,900,000 in general fund and funding for 1,390 positions.

Lawmakers who spoke during the work session praised state troopers’ work but repeatedly said current staffing and funding fall short of meeting rural response needs. “When I was a kid… We have 40% more state police than we do now and the population has more than doubled,” said Senator Marty Feuerbach, voicing a reason for voting in favor despite concerns. Representative Mark Owens said he would vote no, citing underfunding and counties losing sheriff coverage: “We need the state police. We need to fund the state police adequately how we used to.”

Senators and representatives from largely rural districts described long response times and thin local coverage. “I have 2 sheriff’s deputies, 2 road deputies in Curry County and I’m grateful for OSP stepping in,” said Senator Brock Smith, adding that the state troopers often backfill local public safety. Several speakers urged a longer-term conversation about increasing trooper staffing and whether the state should backfill duties ordinarily funded at the city or county level.

Committee chairs moved through the formal action after discussion. The subcommittee’s budget summary listed equipment purchases, position reclassifications, a new trooper position, and shifts to backfill lottery and department revenue shortfalls. The motion to report the bill out as amended passed on the committee floor.

Discussion-only items included recurring calls from members for a sustained plan to restore trooper levels and for the department to propose technology or deployment changes to improve coverage in remote areas. Several senators urged the public safety subcommittee to continue work on recruitment and gradual increases in patrol staffing. No additional amendments were adopted on the committee floor.

The committee’s reporting of HB 5,029 advances the budget to the next stage of the legislative process with the subcommittee’s recommended amendments in place.