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JFAC approves judicial pay increases, two district judges and two magistrates, plus IT resources
Summary
The committee approved salary enhancements for judges and new judgeship resources across multiple judicial districts, plus IT staff funding for court operations; the package incorporates pay changes that were advanced in a separate bill and includes additional court-reporting positions tied to new judges.
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on March 12 approved enhancements for the judicial branch that include salary increases for judges, additional judicial positions across multiple districts, and IT staffing to support court operations.
The motion carried the judicial salary increases proposed in House Bill 322 (as presented to the committee), which provide incremental percentage raises across court levels: 10% for Supreme Court justices, 10.5% for Court of Appeals justices, 10.9% for district judges and about 11.5% for magistrate judges. The salary adjustment was reflected in the FY2026 package the committee advanced.
The committee also approved enhancement funding for judicial resources that included one new district judge in the First Judicial District (Coeur d’Alene) and one new district judge in the Seventh Judicial District (Bonneville County) as proposed; the enhancement also provided two magistrate judges (including one for the Fifth Judicial District in Twin Falls and one in the Seventh Judicial District in Idaho Falls) and associated court reporter resources.
Sponsor remarks explained that the district-judge additions were accompanied by court-reporting and courtroom resources and that IT positions partially funded in FY2025 were being fully funded for FY2026.
Votes and outcome: the committee approved the combined FY2026 judicial package by roll call; the committee total recorded 17 ayes, 3 nays and no absent/excused members, and the motion carried a due-pass recommendation.
Why it matters: judicial salary and staffing changes affect court capacity, case processing and judicial recruitment and retention across Idaho. Sponsors said the measures respond to workload and recruitment pressures in specific districts.
Next steps: the appropriations and related statutory proposals that require enabling bills will follow the Legislature’s deliberative process. The committee noted that some of the judicial items are tied to pending bills in the Legislature and will be included as trailer or companion appropriations where needed.
