Welfare budget set; covers multi-day food stamp issuance
The budget for the Division of Welfare, another big piece of the state Department of Health & Welfare, has been set this morning on a 16-4 vote of the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee. Overall, the budget shows just a 0.9 percent increase in state general tax funds, and a 1 percent decrease in total funds from this year. Included in the budget is $39,500 in state funds to move from a single-day issuance of food stamps each month to multi-day issuance, which lawmakers approved last year; most of the funding for the move is coming from federal bonus payments to the Department of Health & Welfare.
Rep. Jason Monks, R-Meridian, objected to the state funds. “It was indicated that it would all come from bonus monies the state received. Here we are a year later and we’re asking for general funds,” he said. Sen. Dan Schmidt, D-Moscow, said, “It was a policy decision last year to do the multi-day issuance, and it is only costing us 40,000 bucks this year, but it could cost us more if we don’t keep doing it right.” The single-day issuance on the first of each month drew protests from grocers in some parts of the state who said they were overwhelmed with shoppers on the 1st, leading to long lines and food going to waste when shoppers abandoned their carts.
Sens. Dean Mortimer, R-Idaho Falls, and Sheryl Nuxoll, R-Cottonwood, objected to the inclusion in the budget of the final $3.2 million to upgrade the division’s eligibility determination system, saying they didn’t want to support the state’s health insurance exchange, which contracts with the division for eligibility determination services. But Sen. Dan Johnson, R-Lewiston, said, “I think it’s been an advantage for the state to have the eligibility system that we have. This just completes that work. Health & Welfare is going to do that work whether we have a state exchange or not.”
Schmidt said, “It’s clear to me that the function that this money pays for is required, whether we would have done that or not. Eligibility determination is something the Division of Welfare needs to do, they do it well, and I appreciate the function.” The only “no” votes on the budget bill came from Mortimer, Nuxoll, Monks, and Sen. Steven Thayn, R-Emmett.
Also this morning, JFAC voted unanimously to follow the recommendation of the Joint Millenium Fund Committee on how to distribute Millenium Fund money next year, which comes from a tobacco settlement. The committee recommended $8.5 million in grants to 17 applicants for health-related programs, and reversion of an additional $2 million to the fund’s permanent endowment.
The budget also was set for the state Controller’s office, and the controller’s request has changed – he no longer is asking for $3.5 million in state general funds next year to convert away from a current mainframe computer system. Instead, that move will be made in a subsequent year. Setting the budget without that expense, as JFAC unanimously voted to do, saves the general fund $3.5 million as lawmakers continue to sort through agency budgets for the coming year.
