Votes at a glance: JFAC actions Feb. 14 — dozens of budget motions advance; several passed unanimously

The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Friday handled a large slate of budget motions spanning state agencies, special commissions and programs. Many motions were procedural or for replacement items, while others added targeted enhancements or approved supplemental spending.

Key outcomes (motions passed with recorded tallies and due-pass recommendations unless noted):

- Idaho Public Television: add $342,400 (FY2026; replacement items and network operations center equipment). Vote: passed (16 ayes, 4 nays). - Soil and Water Conservation Commission: add $1,040,500 (one-time; vehicle replacement $40,500 and $1,000,000 for agricultural water-quality grants). Vote: passed (18 ayes, 2 nays; roll call recorded 9-1 Senate and 9-1 House in final tally). - Behavioral health (see separate article): multiple supplemental and FY2026 items approved, including $6,743,800 federal carryover for IBHP and $2,663,500 general fund for civil-commitment expenditures. - Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired: add $28,900 (IT hardware). Vote: unanimous. - Department of Labor: initial motion to add $7,330,000 for unemployment-insurance operations failed in roll call earlier in the meeting; later a corrective transfer of $4,868,000 between unemployment funds passed to fix FY2024 accounting. Language to require a positions report also passed by unanimous consent. - Secretary of State: maintenance and enhancements motion (including reappropriation authority for elections-related items) moved forward with due-pass recommendation (vote recorded with mixed ayes/nays; committee passed motion as recorded). - Lieutenant Governor: added $32,600 (ITS hardware). Vote: passed. - State Treasurer: added $25,000 (email security software); the governor's separate workforce-housing recommendation was not included in the committee motion. Vote: motion passed. - Idaho State Liquor Division: multiple dedicated-fund enhancements and replacement items totaling $1,521,700; motion passed (14 ayes, 6 nays recorded). - Office of Energy and Mineral Resources: motions on personnel fund alignment and the governor's Speed Council recommendation (one general-fund FTP) passed; the larger federal home-energy rebate appropriation did not secure committee majority in the final recorded roll call. - Commission on the Arts: added $18,400 for arts and education grant increases. Vote: passed (13 ayes, 7 nays). - Idaho Lottery: added $176,700 (ITS hardware). Vote: passed (16 ayes, 2 nays). - Brand Inspection Division (Idaho State Police): replacement vehicles and IT items totaling $289,200; motion passed. - Commission of Pardons and Parole: $12,600 for IT replacement items; motion passed unanimously. - Division of Veteran Services: technical correction shifting amounts between personnel and operating within miscellaneous and federal grants (net-zero) approved unanimously.

Several motions also included associated condition, limitation and restriction language; the committee disposed of many such language items by unanimous consent during the meeting. Multiple votes used the roll-call procedure; recorded tallies are summarized above as reported in the committee transcript.

Procedural note: committee members and staff identified a handful of accounting and drafting errors while voting; staff and chairs corrected or clarified figures and re-ran votes where necessary. The committee forwarded passed items with due-pass recommendations for later steps in the legislative budget process.