Idaho State president vows tighter controls after forensic lab funding probe, outlines FY2026 needs

Idaho State University President Robert Wagner told the Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee on Jan. 29 that the university will strengthen financial controls and return state funds related to a proposed Eastern Idaho forensic pathology laboratory after an internal review found accountability lapses.

The issue surfaced in late 2023, Wagner said, when ISU discovered its campus would no longer be the preferred host for the pathology facility. Wagner told the committee the university spent a “small portion” of the appropriation on a consultant and that, following a memorandum of understanding, the remaining funds were transferred to the county. Wagner said in retrospect ISU “should have kept those funds” and instituted invoice procedures or other protocols to track legislative funds more closely. Representatives and co‑chairs in the committee thanked Wagner and said the funds will be returned to the state; an audit has been requested and is in process, the committee announced.

The funding‑and‑accountability exchange occurred during Kevin Campbell’s budget overview of Idaho State University. Campbell, a Budget and Policy Analyst with the Legislative Services…