Senate approves $25,000 treasurer enhancement after debate over $15 million housing cut

Senators passed House Bill 3-46 on final reading, approving a $25,000 one-time enhancement for the State Treasurer’s Office for fiscal year 2026. The vote was 22 in favor, 13 opposed.

The measure provides $25,000 to the treasurer for a cybersecurity email-security tool: $7,500 from the General Fund and $17,500 from dedicated funds, according to the bill sponsor. The Senate approved the appropriation after floor debate over broader budget trade-offs.

Supporters said the funding is a modest, targeted cybersecurity purchase for the constitutional officer who serves as the banker for all state agencies and custodian of public school endowment funds. “The State Treasurer is one of seven constitutional officers in Idaho and serves as the banker for all Idaho agencies,” Senator Terry O’Keefe said during opening remarks, explaining the treasurer’s duties and the agency request for the enhancement.

Opponents focused on larger budget priorities. Several senators objected that a $15 million item originally discussed in the treasurer’s budget — a pass-through for gap financing of workforce housing projects — was removed during budget adjustments. Senator Montreux said the $15 million would have supported roughly 300–400 workforce housing units around the state and criticized the cut as a casualty of making room for tax cuts.

Senator Groh described the committee process and noted that JFAC (the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee) had trimmed other requested items, saying the appropriation matched the agency’s request after committee adjustments. Supporters said the item represents a narrowly tailored enhancement and not an expansion of the base budget.

The motion before the Senate was whether House Bill 3-46 shall pass. The secretary called the roll; the final tally was 22 yes, 13 no. The bill passed and will be returned to the House of Representatives.