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Legal counsel reviews the Legislature—s "power of the purse," limits on appropriations and drafting rules
Summary
Legislative legal counsel Elizabeth Bowen briefed the Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee on the constitutional and statutory basis for appropriation power, limits on how appropriations may be conditioned, the item veto, and statutes that govern JFAC—s duties and budget drafting.
Elizabeth Bowen, legislative legal counsel in the Legislative Services Office, presented a primer on the legal foundations of appropriation power and constraints the committee must follow. Bowen framed the topic as the legislature—s "power of the purse," described its historical origins and then reviewed Idaho constitutional provisions and key code sections that control how the legislature appropriates money.
Why it matters: appropriation authority defines what the executive can and cannot do with state funds and sets the legal boundaries for budget language, conditions and legislative intent. Bowen emphasized that appropriation acts are statutes and are subject to constitutional…
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