JFAC advances community college and corrections budgets, defers $2.5 million library digital-access grant

The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee (JFAC) on March 7 approved several agency budget items — including enrollment workload adjustments for Idaho’s community colleges, a personnel/FTP transfer inside the Department of Commerce, and funding for juvenile and adult corrections — while declining to approve a $2.5 million federal Digital Access for All grant for the Idaho Commission for Libraries. The libraries item drew extended debate over whether federal digital-equity programs include diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) language and how returned federal funds are redistributed.

Why it matters: The committee’s votes shape which agency requests move to the Legislature’s floors and which items are held for further committee action. Several of the approved items allocate ongoing general funds or direct agencies to develop new funding models; the libraries item would have distributed a federal digital-equity grant to local libraries across Idaho.

Most significant outcomes

- Community colleges: JFAC approved $1,679,800 in ongoing General Fund for enrollment workload adjustments across the College of Eastern Idaho, College of Southern Idaho and College of Western Idaho. The motion was moved by Representative Petske and seconded by Senator Ward Engelking. The committee voted 19–1 in favor (Senate 9–1; House 10–0) and sent the recommendation to the floors with a “due pass.”

- Idaho Commission for Libraries (Digital Access for All grant): Two competing motions were offered. A proposal to remove the $2.5 million federal digital-access grant from the budget was advanced by Senator Scott Carlson; a separate motion to include the $2.5 million grant was offered by Senator Cook. Both the substitute and the original motion failed to secure an affirmative House majority in committee and the item was left to be taken up later. Committee members repeatedly referenced the federal program as the Digital Equity Act.

- Department of Commerce: A net-zero program transfer moved one full-time position and $140,900 from the Commerce program to the Broadband Office. Representative Handy moved the transfer; it passed unanimously in committee (20–0) and will carry a due pass recommendation.

- Department of Juvenile Corrections: The committee approved a package including a $300,000 ongoing General Fund enhancement for substance-use-disorder residential treatment, a $380,000 dedicated-funds item for radio-system replacement, IT modernization reclassifications that reduced full-time equivalents by seven, and other IT replacement items. The motion was moved by Senator Wintrow and seconded by Representative Manwaring; it passed in committee 15–5 (Senate 8–2; House 7–3).

- Department of Corrections (Management Services): The committee approved enhancements including $1 million ongoing for recidivism case-management software, $668,100 for transparency software, IT replacement items, and an $85,000 ongoing request tied to a governor’s initiative for a special assistant U.S. attorney in northern Idaho. Senator Galloway moved the package; it passed in committee 15–5 (Senate 8–2; House 7–3).

Committee debate and procedure

The libraries item produced the most sustained debate. Senator Carlson asked to remove the $2.5 million “Digital Access for All” grant — arguing the legislature should not fund programs tied to DEI — and cited online materials he said identified DEI content in grant documents. Other members, including Senator Cook and Senator Wintrow, replied that the federal program (identified in the meeting as the Digital Equity Act) funds broadband access, cybersecurity, digital literacy and outreach to older adults, veterans and rural residents. Senator Cook warned that turning down the grant could result in redistribution of federal funds to other jurisdictions.

Committee co-chairs and staff also spent time clarifying procedure after several motions failed on one chamber’s side of the joint committee. Co-chairs said the committee will bring failed motions back for reconsideration at JFAC rather than routing them unilaterally to the chamber where the motion failed.

Ending note

The committee signaled it will continue work in the coming days and reconvene to finish remaining budget items. Several approved items carry “due pass” recommendations to the House and Senate floors; items where the committee could not reach agreement will return to JFAC for further consideration.