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Digital Access for All grant sparks partisan debate; JFAC does not approve $2.5 million request during session
Summary
The Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee debated a $2.5 million "Digital Access for All" grant for libraries on March 7 and split along partisan lines over whether the funding included DEI priorities; neither the amendment to remove the grant nor the original package carried a House majority, so the committee did not approve the grant.
The Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee on March 7 debated a $2.5 million grant titled “Digital Access for All,” administered through the Idaho Commission for Libraries, with members sharply divided over whether the funding advances diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) priorities.
Brooke Dupree, a Legislative Services Office analyst, introduced the Commission for Libraries’ budget and explained the $2,500,000 line was for a Digital Access for All grant. Senator Carlson offered a motion that would limit funding to $82,400 and remove the $2.5 million grant; he said the larger grant funded…
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