Governor’s 2026 executive budget emphasizes education, water, transportation and reserves

Laurie Wolf, administrator of the Division of Financial Management, told the Joint Finance and Appropriation Committee on Jan. 8 that Gov. Brad Little’s executive budget for fiscal 2026 is built to be “structurally balanced” while continuing the administration’s priorities on education, workforce programs, infrastructure and natural‑resource management.

The governor’s proposal projects total general‑fund revenue of roughly $6.2 billion for FY 2026 and recommends about $151 million in ongoing and one‑time enhancements on top of maintenance costs. Wolf said the administration used a conservative revenue forecast, left a projected ending balance of roughly $227 million for FY 2026 and proposes transfers to state stabilization funds to bolster reserves.

Why it matters: The package would funnel new money into several areas that legislators identified as priorities during the committee’s orientation, while also directing funds into savings and holding a $100 million placeholder for tax relief. Committee members pressed Wolf on tradeoffs between new spending and tax cuts, and on several large one‑time requests tied to recent…