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Idaho Historical Society seeks authority for archives consolidation, Old Pen staffing and America250 projects; displays USS Idaho silver service
Summary
The Idaho State Historical Society asked JFAC for spending authority to move and consolidate collections, add staff at the Old Idaho Penitentiary and continue America250 commemorative work; the agency displayed historic USS Idaho silver artifacts for legislators.
The Idaho State Historical Society presented its fiscal 2026 budget request and an exhibit of historic naval silver to the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Thursday, seeking authority for a multi-year collections consolidation, staff for the Old Idaho Penitentiary and spending tied to the America 250 commemoration.
Brooke Dupree, the Legislative Services Office analyst, explained the society’s request for $450,000 one-time in FY2026 to begin moving artifacts and records into a consolidated archival facility and separate one-time amounts for hardware and moving costs. Dupree also described ongoing requests for several staff positions for the Old Idaho Penitentiary paid from the site’s miscellaneous revenue fund.
Janet Gallimore, director of the Idaho State Historical Society, told the committee much of the agency’s work is financed through a mix of general fund and non-state revenue. "Our budgets [are] made up half and half: general fund and then non-state funding," Gallimore said. She described fundraising and grants the agency uses to support exhibits, education programs and restoration projects. The agency asked for reappropriation authority tied to funds already raised and to be raised for the America 250 commemoration; Dupree told the committee the governor recommended the requests.
The society also described a plan to consolidate three off-site storage locations into the State Archives building to improve environmental controls and security. Director Gallimore said the move would likely proceed in phases, first relocating three-dimensional collections and then archival records; she told JFAC the work could cross two fiscal years and involve moving roughly 30,000 boxes of records and about 50,000 artifacts.
On staffing at the Old Idaho Penitentiary, Gallimore said the agency had implemented positions from a business plan intended to expand educational programming and earned revenue at the site. "Our goal was to go from 6,000 students to 12,000," she said, adding the site relies heavily on earned income and that new educator and store-manager positions are focused on education and revenue generation.
Committee members asked the agency for fundraising results following a prior appropriation for a fundraising initiative; Gallimore said the society raises about $250,000 a year for ongoing education programs and manages campaign-specific efforts (for example, a $2,000,000 campaign the agency is currently conducting for the Old Pen). Committee members also asked whether the agency must get legislative spending authority to spend funds that the society raises or receives; Gallimore confirmed large grants and federal awards require spending authority through the state budget process and that some donation disbursements flow through the society’s foundation.
As part of the presentation, the society brought two artifacts related to naval ships named USS Idaho — a silver cake tray and an engraved fruit tray — and explained they will be curated as part of a partnership around the new USS Idaho submarine. Gallimore described coordination with the USS Idaho commission and other partners to ensure material returned from the ship will be cataloged and curated for future display in the state.
The committee did not take a final vote. Lawmakers requested additional data on outcomes and requested that the agency provide progress reports and fundraising balances for the initiatives described.
