JFAC approves salaries and new judges in judicial budget package

The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee voted March 12 to recommend due-pass for a judicial-branch FY2026 enhancement package that funds judicial salary increases and adds judicial resources in response to workload.

The measure, moved by Senator Cook and seconded by Representative Galavish, included three components: a judicial-compensation increase (funded under House Bill 322), resources to add district and magistrate judges (including positions and court reporters), and funding to fully staff IT positions that were partially funded in FY2025. The package totals an additional $5,190,300 from the general fund and six full-time equivalent positions for FY2026.

The compensation element was described as follows in committee: a roughly 10% increase for Supreme Court justices, a 10.5% increase for Court of Appeals justices, a 10.9% increase for district judges and an 11.5% increase for magistrate judges (the legislative vehicle cited was House Bill 322). The judicial-resources enhancement added one district judgeship in the First Judicial District (Coeur d'Alene) and one district judgeship in the Seventh Judicial District (Bonneville County), plus two magistrate judges (one in the Fifth Judicial District in Twin Falls and one in the Seventh Judicial District in Idaho Falls) and associated court reporter support.

Committee discussion included procedural notes tying requested judgeships and appropriation authority to pending or companion statutory bills. The committee recorded the motion passed (total recorded: 17 ayes, 3 nays across both chambers' committee votes at the joint session).

Ending: The committee's approval advances the judicial compensation increases and additional judgeship resources to the next stage of legislative consideration; the funding will trail companion statutory measures that add judicial positions or set compensation.