Among the state agency budgets being set this morning are some smaller ones, including the Health Education Programs division, which includes programs that send Idaho students to medical school, dental school, optometry and veterinary school in other states since Idaho lacks those schools, and residency programs to train newly graduated doctors in Idaho, in hopes of attracting them to practice here. On a unanimous, 17-0 vote, JFAC approved the governor's recommendation for the programs, which reflects a 1.2 percent increase in state general funds, 2 percent in total funds; the program's funding remains well below the 2011 level.

A $216,000 request to expand internal medicine residencies to bring more doctors to rural Idaho was rejected. "Like a lot of good programs, had we had more funding, we would have funded this one," said Rep. Fred Wood, R-Burley, a physician. "Unfortunately, looking at the total budget, it can't be done."

Most state agency budgets are being set for next year with hardly any increase, other than to cover 2 percent raises for state workers who are performing to standards, after no raises were funded for state employees for the past four years. There have been a few exceptions, mainly involving multimillion-dollar contracts, like the one with Corrections Corp. of America to operate a privately-run state prison south of Boise, and the one with CenturyLink and Education Networks of America for the Idaho Education Network. The public schools budget includes increases to cover the "Students Come First" reforms enacted last year, including technology boosts and merit pay, and the higher ed budget includes increases for a growing student load, but not to catch up on student population jumps that weren't funded the past few years.

One budget approved this morning reflects a 14.1 percent increase in state general funds and a 34.1 percent increase in total funds; it's for the office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The jump in ongoing state funds is to operate the new longitudinal data system; the total budget also reflects an Albertson Foundation grant for development of an instructional management system. The other budgets set today, from the judicial branch to the Office of Drug Policy, show only very small increases.