Idaho lawmakers introduced a renewed effort to eliminate funding for the Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs.

Idaho Rep. Jeff Ehlers, R-Meridian, introduced a bill Thursday that would eliminate state funding for the commission by July 1, 2028, and would remove the charitable income tax credit for private donations made to the commission.

Ehlers said the bill was a result of a recommendation from the interim DOGE Task Force, which was named for the now-defunct federal Department of Government Efficiency, to save an estimated $80,000 in state general funds. He said the state budget-writing committee would need to phase out the commission’s remaining $200,000 in state appropriations.

“The commission could continue on their mission, they would just be privately funded,” Ehlers told the House Revenue and Taxation Committee.

The interim legislative DOGE Task Force in December voted to recommend phasing out state funding of the commission, with some members likening it to “DEI,” or diversity, equity and inclusion, the Idaho Capital Sun previously reported.

The vote to introduce the bill allows it to return for a full public hearing. A few of the committee members said they would vote to introduce the legislation but were skeptical of eliminating the commission’s funding.

Some lawmakers open to debate, but question elimination of commission

Boise Democrats, Reps. Steve Berch and John Gannon, both said the $80,000 cost savings was negligible for the state budget of nearly $5.7 billion in general funds, and that the commission’s work was important.

“There is spending that I think can be legitimately examined and reviewed,” Gannon said. “I think that the focus on the Hispanic commission is not justified or appropriate.”

Berch and Gannon were the only “no” votes on the bill’s introduction.

Rep. Jerald Raymond, R-Menan, said he was “absolutely opposed to the concept” of eliminating the commission.

“But I do welcome the opportunity to have a public hearing,” Raymond said.

Rep. John Shirts, R-Weiser, said he wanted to have an “open debate” about the bill.

“But I will say, I am a little bit skeptical about, what is the point if somebody’s not doing anything wrong?” Shirts said. “Especially as a party that is actively trying to make inroads with the Spanish community, and has.”

Rep. Charlie Shephard, R-Pollock, bemoaned that the DOGE task force was “being thrown under the bus for being these horrible, evil people, for doing what we asked them to do.”

Berch responded, “we did not ask the DOGE committee to do anything,” noting that a bill to create the task force failed to advance last year and the committee was created by legislative leadership instead.

A previous effort to completely eliminate Hispanic commission failed

In January, another lawmaker attempted to introduce a bill that would have fully eliminated the Commission on Hispanic Affairs. Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, proposed the bill in the House State Affairs Committee, which voted 7-7 in a motion to introduce it that failed because it did not receive a majority.

Scott, who sat on the DOGE task force, in the January introductory hearing mentioned the task force’s efforts.

Ehlers on Thursday said that Scott’s effort was separate from DOGE, and did not follow the recommendation to take a phased approach and keep the commission intact.