Idaho state agencies are submitting stripped-down budget requests for fiscal year 2028, following a directive from the governor’s top budget official to keep spending flat after cuts made during the 2026 legislative session, according to idahocapitalsun.com.

Lori Wolff, who serves as Governor Brad Little’s budget chief at the Division of Financial Management, sent a memo to agencies in May instructing them to submit barebones budgets and not to seek restoration of funds cut last year. “We were very tight on our bottom line before, so it doesn’t give us a whole lot of room,” Wolff told the Idaho Capital Sun. She added that the priority this year is holding agency budgets at the levels set in 2026.

The budget requests are published on the Division of Financial Management website. Fiscal year 2028 begins July 1, 2027.

A significant portion of projected revenue growth is already spoken for. Non-discretionary spending on Medicaid, prisons, and public schools is expected to absorb most of any new revenue, leaving little flexibility for agencies seeking additional funding. Readers can find related context in our coverage of Idaho Medicaid expansion work rules, which are set to affect roughly 85,000 enrollees.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare had not yet posted its budget request as of the article’s publication. Spokesperson Emily Callihan said the department expected to publish its request by Tuesday.

Governor Little typically releases his full proposed state budget in January, ahead of the legislative session. The 2027 Idaho legislative session is also scheduled to begin in January. The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee will then divide agency budgets into barebones funding and any new spending proposals for lawmakers to consider.