JFAC holds final agency budget hearing, on ISP; begins preparing to set budgets…

Looking out at a sea of uniformed ISP officers in the JFAC hearing room this morning, JFAC Co-Chair Rep. Maxine Bell, R-Jerome, commented, “It looks like a pretty good day to be driving 81 mph on the interstate.” The Idaho State Police is having its budget hearing this morning, the final agency budget hearing before the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee starts hearing reports from chairs of germane committees later this morning, in preparation for setting state agency budgets.

Col. Ralph Powell, ISP director, told lawmakers that ISP has seen a 12 percent increase in new criminal cases in the past year, and responded to 5,777 collisions, 106 of which were fatal. A third of the deaths involved a commercial vehicle. ISP officers issued more than 62,000 citations, made more than 3,000 arrests, and assisted 21,688 motorists.

Drug seizures were way up, with marijuana seizures up 133 percent, methamphetamine seizures up 319 percent and heroin a startling 775 percent.

Gov. Butch Otter is recommending a 9.3 percent increase in state general funds for ISP next year to $28 million; that’s a 10.2 percent increase in total funds to $69.2 million. The largest item in the increase is $2.4 million in general funds, $3.2 million in total funds, for replacement items, including 48 vehicles, computer and software upgrades, and equipment including sirens and ballistic vests. The budget recommendation includes 10 new positions, including two detectives in the investigations division, three forensic science positions, and four positions in regional communications centers in Coeur d’Alene and Meridian. The governor’s budget proposal also includes continuing a pay plan that Powell said is aimed at stemming a loss of trained officers to other, higher-paying law enforcement agencies.

Powell told JFAC that the ISP has just one legislative proposal this year: SB 1329, to allow the use of unmarked cars for patrol. “The reason we are asking is simple, it is purely to save lives,” he said. “There have been almost 350 people killed on Idaho’s roads over the past three years due to aggressive, distracted drivers. … We have listened to the citizens and they want action. Thirty-five other state police agencies have used unmarked cars to reduce crashes and save lives.” He said the proposal would have no fiscal impact.

Later this morning, JFAC will hear from the chairs of the Senate Agriculture, House Judiciary, Senate Judiciary and House Education committees on their recommendations for budget decisions in those areas. The reports from committee chairs are scheduled to continue tomorrow, with statewide budget decisions – which will be written into all agency budgets – made on Thursday. The joint committee is scheduled to start setting budgets on Friday.