Budgets include 6 liquor stores

BOISE – Idaho would get six new liquor stores, two of them in North Idaho, under budgets approved by the Legislature’s joint budget committee Monday.

The state Liquor Dispensary, funded entirely from the state-controlled sale of alcohol, successfully proposed the new stores as part of its $15.1 million budget next year. One would be in Hayden and one in Moscow. The others would open in Meridian, Boise, Pocatello and Twin Falls.

The new stores would require 12 new state employees to operate them.

In other budget decisions Monday, the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee:

“Set a $6.4 million budget for the state Department of Agriculture, a 10 percent increase in general funds. The unanimously approved budget includes a big boost to agricultural commodity marketing programs, increased spending to combat noxious weeds including milfoil and a $72,500 increase in the crop residue disposal program. That program, which oversees agricultural field burning, is funded entirely by a $2-per-acre fee that farmers pay when they register their fields for burning. The increased funds mean more farmers are registering.

“Set a budget for the Division of Welfare that’s up 5 percent over this year in total funds, more than two-thirds of which come from the federal government.

The division includes welfare, food stamps, child care and eligibility determination and administration for an array of programs.

“Unanimously agreed on budgets for the offices of state treasurer, lieutenant governor, controller and secretary of state.

The agriculture budget generated some discussion, as some committee members asked whether the department’s marketing efforts duplicate those by the state Department of Commerce and Labor.

State Agriculture Director Pat Takasugi said the department’s efforts focus on “phytosanitary” issues relating to plant diseases and pests that must be addressed to export agricultural products. “Without it, we probably wouldn’t ship anything,” he said.

In response to a question from Senate Finance Chairman Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, Takasugi said the current estimate is that Idahoans would have to eat 54 potatoes a day to use up the crop if those produced in the state weren’t sold elsewhere.