Jim Guthrie — Addressed in the response to the question.
Jim Guthrie — Thanked Ms. Zamora, noted her background, and said the committee will vote on her appointment on Friday.
Jim Guthrie — Presided over the motion and vote.
Jim Guthrie — Turned the gavel over to the vice chair and introduced the rules agenda.
Jim Guthrie — Addressed as Mr. Chairman.
Jim Guthrie — As chair, Jim Guthrie transitions the committee from the rules docket to consideration of RSs, begins with RS 3-2874, and then welcomes Senator Lennie, asking him to introduce himself for the record.
Keith Bybee — Thanked the committee and said the major questions remain around tax conformity.
Estella Zamora — Estella Zamora was introduced as the subject of a gubernatorial reappointment to the Idaho Commission on Human Rights and then gave testimony about her background and qualifications. She said she has lived in Idaho for over 60 years, described her family’s migrant farm worker history, and noted her long career at the courthouse as an interpreter coordinator helping people through the judicial process. She explained that she has served on the Human Rights Commission as president and currently as vice president, and emphasized dignity and opportunity for all. In response to questions, she said many commission cases involve disability issues, described how the commission distinguishes violations through investigation and probable-cause review, and noted she did not recall a specific immigration case but remembered a late-1990s eastern Idaho matter involving immigrants and language.
Brandon Shippy — Senator Brandon Shippy thanked Ms. Zamora and asked her to explain the main issues the commission deals with, specifically what kinds of matters and potential violations are typically brought before the commission for consideration.
Brandon Shippy — Brandon Shippy questions Mr. Thomas about the stakeholder process behind the rule, focusing on how feedback from landowners, including farmers and ranchers affected by utility crossings on their property, influenced the final outcome. The exchange concludes with Shippy thanking Mr. Thomas for his time.
Mark Harris — Senator Mark Harris moved to send David Dean's gubernatorial appointment to the Idaho Endowment Fund Investment Board to the Senate floor with a recommendation of approval; the motion was then formally noted.
Mark Harris — Is identified as the second on the motion to introduce RS 32970.
Mark Harris — Welcomes a Caribou County delegation to the Capitol.
Treg Bernt — Referred to as the vice chair who will lead the committee through rules.
Treg Bernt — As Chair, asks whether anyone from the audience wants to testify before the vote.
Treg Bernt — Addresses Senator Taves' motion and asks for public comment before voting.
Treg Bernt — Receives the motion to approve the docket.
Treg Bernt — Holds the motion while asking for any public testimony.
Treg Bernt — Is addressed as 'co-chair' in Mr. Thomas's response.
Treg Bernt — Returns to the pending motion after committee questions conclude.
Treg Bernt — Recognizes the renewed motion and later calls for the vote.
Treg Bernt — Puts the motion to a vote and announces passage.
Treg Bernt — Is thanked for guiding the committee through the rules.
Treg Bernt — Presides over the motion on RS 3-2874.
Treg Bernt — The transcript says 'Senator Taves'; likely a mis-transcription of a committee member making the motion.
Treg Bernt — No direct role in this excerpt, but the text contains a transcription error in the motion sequence; the motion is attributed to Senator Den Hartog and seconded by Senator Taves.
Treg Bernt — The chair's name is not spoken here, but the committee discussion continues under chairing.
Taylor Thomas — Taylor Thomas was called to the podium, identified himself as the administrator of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission, and began presenting testimony on the pending rules governing pole attachments.
Mr. Thomas — Mr. Thomas concludes his presentation by thanking the committee and emphasizing stakeholder input, legislative direction, collaboration, and permitting timelines. He is then thanked by senators and asked follow-up questions about stakeholder feedback and how landowner input affected the final rule. Mr. Thomas responds that large landowners were not part of the negotiated rulemaking discussions and offers to provide more detail later. The exchange ends with another thank-you after the vote.
Brian Lennie — Brian Lennie, Senator for District 13, presents RS 3-2874 to close what he describes as a loophole involving the personal voter affidavit. He explains that the affidavit is rarely used, cites usage statistics, and describes how it works at the polls for registered voters without ID. He says he personally used the affidavit in 2024 and argues that there are few valid reasons to vote without identification, noting that IDs are inexpensive and accessible. He concludes by asking the committee to print the bill so it can receive a full debate.
Lori Hartog — Lori Den Hartog first raises a Joint Rule 18 point that the fiscal notes for the RSs should explain why there is no additional expenditure or impact on the general fund and state/local government. She then moves to introduce RS 32868 and later RS 32970, while the chair and others reference her advice and motions as the committee proceeds through the RSs.
Brian Lenny, Senator for District 13, Nampa, Idaho — Introduced RS 32970 and explained it would impose a 12-month moratorium on reappointed gubernatorial appointees after Senate rejection.
James Ruchti — Senator Ruchti asks whether the slide would look different if it accounted for other factors such as prior cuts and population growth.
James Ruchti — The senator refers to being present during the 2009-2011 budget cuts.
James Ruchti — Mr. Bybee addresses Senator Ruchti's question about budget growth and population growth.
James Ruchti — The speaker invites Senator Ruchti to follow up after explaining the per-capita growth rate.
James Ruchti — Referenced in the earlier discussion about inflation-adjusted numbers.
James Ruchti — Asked for an explanation of state spending and why it has increased.
James Ruchti — No direct mention in the text; the excerpt focuses on Senate confirmation authority and rejected appointees.
Ben Adams — Senator Ben Adams questions how to interpret state spending growth across major areas, asking whether general fund growth is flat on a per-capita basis, confirming the slide reflects general fund spending, and asking how much general fund growth has gone to Medicaid since 2020. He then follows up on Medicaid enrollment growth, asking how many current recipients were not on Medicaid in 2020, and broadens the same line of inquiry to education by noting that public school enrollment increased while spending also rose, implying a need to understand whether the increases are being measured on a per-student basis.
Ben Adams — Ben Adams asked whether the commission had seen any immigration-related human rights violations or other human rights concerns in Idaho. The exchange was addressed in the response, and when offered a follow-up, Adams declined further questioning.
Ben Adams — Seconded the motion to send RS 3-2874 to print.
Mr. Bybee — Explained that the chart shows nominal, not inflation-adjusted, general fund values over 22 years.
Jim Guthrie — Addressed as Mr. Chairman during the exchange.
Jim Guthrie — Addressed as Chairman in the closing exchange.
Jim Guthrie — Addressed as Mr. Chairman during the exchange.
Jim Guthrie — Addressed as Mr. Guthrie/Chair during the response.
Jim Guthrie — Addressed as Mr. Chairman during the follow-up question.
Jim Guthrie — Addressed in the explanation of commission cases.
Jim Guthrie — Addressed as Mr. Chairman during the question.