Idaho Liquor Division outlines staffing, IT and accessibility requests in budget briefing

Kellen McGurkin, a budget and policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office, opened the Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee briefing on the Idaho State Liquor Division’s FY 2026 budget and dedicated funds, describing the agency’s statutory charter and its revenue distributions to courts, cities, counties and the general fund.

The Liquor Division’s director, Andrew Arulanandam, and members of his leadership team answered committee questions on staffing, store openings, IT modernization and a requested website accessibility upgrade. “My name is Andrew Arulanandam…please call me Andrew,” Arulanandam said when introduced. He later described the agency as “a revenue generating agency” and framed the division’s staff as state ambassadors serving Idahoans.

Why it matters: the Liquor Division operates a network of state retail stores and contract outlets that generate revenue distributed by statute. Lawmakers focused on how the agency’s staffing and IT choices affect operations, public access and the state’s risk exposure to litigation and cyberthreats.

Key details from the presentation

- Staffing and turnover: The division has an FTP cap of 257.25 positions, concentrated in retail operations (about 210 full‑time retail positions). The…