Idaho shifts some sorely needed money to court tech

BOISE — Idaho’s system for funding court technology has long been unsustainable and faced an anticipated shortfall of $5.7 million in fiscal year 2025.

But the state budget-writers Friday approved shifts and increases in how technology — which includes case management systems, video conferencing, cybersecurity, and digital recordings of proceedings — will be managed and paid for.

The Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee (JFAC) set the Judicial Branch’s Court Operations budget and provided $8.5 million in state general funds toward court technology support. The “enhancement” budget, which includes new spending requests and builds on the previously passed “maintenance” budget, totals $10.9 million in general funds.

Idaho Supreme Court Chief Justice Richard Bevan named technology needs as a top priority in his state of the judiciary address the past two years.

As part of the request, six new full-time employees were approved for court technology support; the branch had requested 11.

Rep. Britt Raybould, R-Rexburg, made the motion to pass the budget, and said the six employees are in line with a third-party analysis done on court technology needs.

The Court Technology Fund was designed to be a self-sustaining way to fund court systems, with the money coming in through fees on criminal and civil court cases. But the technology needs have skyrocketed while the cases bringing in fees have declined.

The Judicial Branch hired an independent consultant to look at the technology needs and spending and offer recommendations on how to sustain services. Many of the budget requests this year are to implement these recommendations.

The budget approved Friday also shifts how existing IT personnel were being paid for. The IT staff salaries had been paid through the Court Technology Fund, so the new budget shifts around existing 52 full-time employees to being paid for through the state general fund in order to relieve stress on the technology fund.

Court Operations provides technology support for 45 courthouse locations throughout the state.

During the branch’s budget hearing in February, Administrative Director of the Courts Sara Omundson said the need to update security systems is profound. She said the courts average around 200,000 attempts to get into the system per week.

“We are managing to keep our system safe,” Omundson said at the time, “but the architecture we have right now is not safe.”

The branch is in the process of upgrading these systems.

The budget also includes $711,300 and five new full-time employees for statewide administrative support and around $1.5 million for replacement items.

The joint committee voted 19-1, with only Rep. Tina Lambert, R-Caldwell, voting against it.

“This motion reflects our concern and support for the courts moving forward in being able to complete their technology transition and being able to support the court networks moving forward,” Raybould said.

The budget will head to the House and Senate for approval by the full Legislature.

Guido covers Idaho politics for the Lewiston Tribune, Moscow-Pullman Daily News and Idaho Press of Nampa. She may be contacted at lguido@idahopress.com and can be found on X, formerly Twitter, @EyeOnBoiseGuido.