Governor’s office seeks funds for America250 exhibit and to restore emergency fund; legislators press for detail on constituent platform and interagency staff‑p

The Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee reviewed the Executive Office of the Governor’s budget on Feb. 18, hearing requests for one‑time IT replacements, participation in a federal celebratory initiative and a cash transfer to restore the governor’s emergency fund.

Christopher LaHozet, legislative budget analyst, said the governor recommends $45,000 in one‑time general fund spending for IT replacement items and $250,000 in one‑time general fund to implement objectives of a White House task force on the nation’s 250th anniversary (identified in the presentation as "Task Force 2250" tied to a presidential executive order referenced in the briefing). LaHozet said the governor also proposes a $1,350,000 one‑time cash transfer from the general fund to the governor’s emergency fund to bring the cash balance up to the base appropriation of $2,000,000 (the analyst said the cash balance was about $650,000).

LaHozet described the governor’s emergency fund program and said the fund is available to the governor for expenditures that meet the requirements of Idaho Code "sections 50 seven‑sixteen oh 1" (as referenced in the briefing) and noted the fund had been used for reimbursement related to the Moscow murder investigations and a public safety program.

Committee members asked for more detail on several lines. Senator Hart and others sought clarification about a constituent services management system previously authorized in the budget: the FY25 appropriation authorized a platform and the analyst said the governor’s office had looked at Salesforce but that a subscription‑style implementation and implementation costs were a consideration. DFM Director Lori Wolf told the committee the governor’s office had not yet spent those FY25 funds and that DFM and OITS were exploring lower‑cost alternatives and potential shared services.

Lawmakers also requested transaction‑level detail about personnel reimbursements and interagency transfers. Representative Tanner and others pointed to multiple transfers recorded as reimbursements to the governor’s office and asked whether those transactions were used to cover staff costs; DFM director Wolf said personnel cost sharing and reimbursements (the “10P” process) have long been used across state government, that the practice predates current systems and that the LUMA accounting implementation preserves the process for reimbursing agencies that perform work on behalf of others. Wolf offered to provide committee members the detail they requested on specific transfers and time charged.

Several senators asked for an itemized list of travel, charter flights and IT hardware. The analyst said he would provide the committee with the requested expenditure reports. Senator Zitterfeld and others asked for an Excel breakout of how prior emergency fund money had been spent; the analyst said DFM produces statutory reports and would share the data with the committee.

The hearing record shows no committee action (motions or votes) on the governor’s budget requests during the presentation. Analysts and DFM committed to provide follow‑up detail requested by members.