JFAC approves $177.4 million CEC package, sets $1.55/hour minimum and targeted boosts for troopers, IT and health workers

The Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee voted Thursday to add $177,429,100 in pay‑related funding to the maintenance bills, approving a package that directs pay increases between $1.05 and $1.55 per hour for state workers and includes targeted adjustments for specific employee groups.

Representative Tammy Miller moved the package, which the committee described as conforming language to satisfy several sections of Idaho code that require legislative action on salary schedule changes. The motion included a $1.55‑per‑hour minimum market adjustment for state agency and institution full‑time equivalent positions, a 5% or equivalent allocation for community colleges, a 4.5% adjustment for classified and nonclassified IT and engineering staff, up to an 8% total increase for Idaho State Police troopers, and a targeted increase for nursing and health care employees of $1.55 per hour or 3%, whichever is greater. The motion also provided $84,669,500 for public schools and the Idaho Educational Services for the Deaf and Blind as part of the package.

Committee staff presented the fiscal split: $128,354,900 from the general fund, $34,266,900 from dedicated funds, and $14,807,300 from federal funds, totaling $177,429,100. Members were told the motion will be incorporated into the maintenance bills already passed by the committee and appear together on the floor if the package advances.

Debate centered on pay compression, recruitment and retention. Senator Ward Engle King and Senator Wintrow said the package does not sufficiently address higher salaries above about $64,000 and warned of continued compression that could hinder retention. Senator Cook and Senator Woodward said they supported the motion but noted concerns: Cook argued the package ties managers’ hands by guaranteeing a minimum across the board, and Woodward warned the approach may reward tenure over merit and create “use it or lose it” expectations for agency managers. Representative Miller, who offered the motion, said the measure strikes a balance between cost‑of‑living recognition and rewarding high performers.

Committee members also discussed how the package would be implemented at institutions; staff said presidents and managers would determine specific application within the funded ranges for their agencies. The language directs agencies to report any use of existing resources for pay increases above the $1.55 per hour amount, prohibits transferring the new funding out of personnel categories, and requires monthly reporting by the Division of Human Resources and the Office of the State Controller to identify pay changes.

Roll calls produced recorded tallies reported by the clerk; the committee chair declared the motion passed and said it would carry a due‑pass recommendation to the floor.

The action follows weeks of CEC committee work and a 33‑page CEC report analysts said contains data showing the largest remaining problems are at higher parts of the pay scale. Lawmakers who opposed the motion urged further work on structural pay issues next year; supporters described the package as a compromise that advances immediate relief while leaving broader reform for future consideration.

Votes at a glance: the committee recorded chamber roll calls during the meeting and announced the motion as carried (clerk reported Senate and House tallies at the meeting); the motion will be included in the maintenance bill package for floor consideration.