State historical society seeks funds to consolidate archives, expand Old Pen programming and support America250 commemoration

The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on [date not specified] reviewed budget requests from the Idaho State Historical Society, including authority to spend raised funds, one-time moving costs to consolidate collections, staffing for the Old Idaho Penitentiary, and general-fund support for America250 commemoration activities.

Brooke Dupree, the Legislative Services Office analyst, outlined the society’s fund structure and recent spending. The society requested $450,000 one-time in FY2026 for moving costs to consolidate three off-site storage facilities into the Idaho State Archives at the Penitentiary District, and it asked for several ongoing staff positions tied to the Old Idaho Penitentiary: positions for education and operations supported from the miscellaneous revenue fund (earned income at the site). Dupree noted the society had received a one-time $5,000,000 appropriation in previous years for infrastructure and that the society’s fiscal profile can show negative balances at times because of timing and borrowing limits tied to records-management fee revenue.

Director Janet Gallimore (identified for the record as head of the Idaho State Historical Society) told the committee that government accounting requires spending authority for funds raised or received as grants. "We have to authorize money to be spent," Gallimore said. She explained that the authority the society requested is intended to allow the agency to apply for and accept federal and private grants (for example, a National Endowment for the Humanities grant for Old Pen exhibits) and then spend those funds in compliance with government accounting and auditing requirements.

Gallimore described the consolidation plan for collections now in older off-site facilities: the society will move three-dimensional artifacts (textiles, furniture, military items and other objects) first and archival records second, and staff estimated the combined move would span two fiscal years and take roughly 10 months for the physical move component. The FY2026 one-time request is intended in part to pay moving contractors and related logistics.

The society also outlined the Old Pen business-plan-driven hires. Gallimore said the Old Pen relies heavily on earned income and that staff positions requested are intended to expand educational programming and revenue-generation capacity; the society set a goal to grow student visits from roughly 6,000 to 12,000 (planning target) and to increase earned-income opportunities at the site.

On commemorations, the society requested reappropriation authority and general-fund support for America250 projects previously approved in the FY25 budget book. Gallimore said roughly $1.4 million of the $1.65 million appropriation is already obligated to partner projects — for example, grants to Boise State University and Idaho Public Television for curriculum and documentary work — and that the society is coordinating with a newly formed advisory council to advise commemoration planning.

As part of the presentation the society brought artifacts related to ships named USS Idaho — including pieces of a silver service used on earlier ships — and explained a plan to curate and catalog items placed aboard the current USS Idaho so the state can preserve items when ships are retired or return to state custody.

Committee members asked for additional details: a report on results from earlier Old Pen hires, metrics on student and revenue goals, and a status update on America250 obligations and grant agreements. Gallimore agreed to provide the committee with data on student visits, earned-income performance and further details on the moving plan and the status of obligated America250 funds.