Joint Finance committee reviews Idaho State Police budget requests, highlights staffing shortfalls and fentanyl initiatives

The Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee on Feb. 12 examined the Idaho State Policebudget request and heard agency leaders outline enhancements, funding shifts and staffing shortages that officials say affect patrol coverage across the state.

Noah Peterson, a budget policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office, walked the committee through ISPbudget pages and a list of enhancement requests, including a proposed unit focused on fentanyl trafficking, a special investigations unit for Idaho Department of Correction facilities, and a request to shift nearly $4.995 million and 37.48 full-time positions (FTP) away from the Highway Distribution Account (HDA) into general fund support for patrol operations.

Why it matters: Committee members repeatedly pressed agency leaders on trooper vacancy rates, regional coverage and whether requested dollars will translate into on-the-ground capacity in rural areas. Board-level funding decisions and the proposed HDA transfer would directly affect patrol staffing and forensic capacity statewide.

Peterson told the committee the ISP division requested a range of enhancements for fiscal 2026, among them 2 fleet-service FTP ($63,300 net), a 4-person special investigations unit to handle IDOC facility investigations ($757,300 total; $443,300 ongoing; $314,000 one-time), a forensic deputy lab manager (1 FTP, $118,200), an…