House approves public‑safety maintenance budget after debate over trooper vacancies and pay

The Idaho House on March 12 approved the public‑safety maintenance budget contained in Senate Bill 13‑61 following extended debate about staffing and recruitment for the Idaho State Police and corrections systems.

Representative 30 (bill sponsor) described the package as a maintenance budget that covers the Department of Corrections, Idaho State Police, Juvenile Corrections and related functions, and said the maintenance figure was approximately -2.8% after personnel benefit costs and statewide allocations. Critics on the floor, including Representative 16, said trooper positions are vacant across multiple districts and raised concerns that the maintenance budget alone will not address recruitment, retention and response‑time problems.

Representative 16 said vacancies were concentrated in several districts and argued the budget was insufficient to restore staffing levels, noting that pay differences with neighboring states were contributing to turnover. Representative 27 and others said the bill left funding for enhancements to later budget actions and separate bills, and they emphasized the committee had tried to keep core public safety allocations intact in the maintenance bill.

After the second‑round debate the House took a recorded vote. As announced on the floor, the clerk reported the result and the House passed Senate Bill 13‑61; the Speaker indicated enhancements and other measures would be pursued through the remainder of the budget process.

What happens next: With passage on the House floor, the maintenance budget moves forward in the legislative process; members and leaders signaled that additional enhancement proposals and targeted funding would be pursued in committee and separate legislation to address recruitment and retention concerns.