Rep. Shirley Ringo, D-Moscow, said of JFAC's newly set budget target for next year: "I think that it's artificially low, and it forces us into making cuts to programs which are substantial. There are certain agencies that absolutely can't sustain those cuts."

Sen. Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint, said, "I was here .. when we had to do holdbacks." She said she's heard consistently from state agencies, including schools, over the years that they want lawmakers to "set the number, even if it's low - don't turn us upside down in the middle of the year."

Senate Finance Chairman Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, said, "We don't have the reserves to protect us. January was good. But we have no idea whether that will translate into April." He said he's not saying Idaho will see less growth next year than this year, even though the budget figure is based on just 3 percent tax revenue growth next year, when this year's growth is tracking at 4.8 percent. "What we're saying is ... this is the number we're confident in," he said. "We hope it's 6.9 We'd love to be wrong. But ... the consequence of us picking too high a number and then having to make holdbacks to public schools or Medicaid is much more severe than to make those difficult choices up front."