The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee this morning is making the statewide budget decisions that will form the basis for all the state agency budgets it writes this year. On unanimous votes, the joint committee has adopted the revenue projections of both the governor and the Economic Outlook Revenue Assessment Committee, which project $3.183609 billion for fiscal year 2016, the current year, a 4.15 percent increase; and 3.340372 billion for next year, fiscal year 2017, a 4.92 percent increase.

Sen. Dean Mortimer, R-Idaho Falls, said, “I feel comfortable with this recommendation at 4.9.” He noted that he served on the revenue assessment committee. “I was just a titch lower,” he said. “I recognize that this number is a projection, and as a projection we have to pick a number. I’m hopeful that we can make sure when we start setting our budgets that we can be as reasonable as we can, recognizing that that number may be just a little bit high.” He noted that the last couple of months of state tax revenue have “come in a little low,” and called for “caution, just caution.”

JFAC Co-Chair Rep. Maxine Bell, R-Jerome, said, “I think probably your remarks speak for all of us in this room.”

There was considerably more discussion about the benefit costs for state workers next year, which include the governor’s recommendation to cover a $1,040 increase in health insurance costs per employee, rather than push that cost onto the employees. That amount is roughly equal to half the recommended 3 percent merit raises the state is considering for state workers next year, as it adds up to $9.7 million in state general fund money; so if the state didn’t cover it, the real impact of next year’s raises would drop from an average of 3 percent to 1.5 percent.

JFAC voted 18-1 to approve inclusion of the insurance cost increase in state agency budgets; the sole “no” vote came from Sen. Sheryl Nuxoll, R-Cottonwood.