Doug Okuniewicz — Colonel Gardner explained that ISP staffing shortages are driven by pay structure issues, noting that trooper compensation comes from two funding streams and that CEC increases currently apply only to part of a trooper’s wage rather than the full amount. He said this creates a long-term pay gap that makes ISP less competitive than county sheriff’s offices, contributing to officers leaving for counties such as Shoshone, Blaine, and Canyon. He also described academy attrition and difficulty retaining recruits, saying the new pay plan is intended to fix the CEC problem by applying the full CEC to the entire wage. In the later part of the exchange, he emphasized the exceptional work troopers do, said he is proud of those who remain, and stressed the importance of motivating and retaining them because their work matters to public safety.
Trooper Jason Kegel — Praised by Colonel Gardner for long service and for staying with state police despite higher-paying options elsewhere.
Britt Raybould — Representative Price asks for clarification on how the plan applies to commissioned officers and whether it also helps trooper pay, continuing the same question across both mentions.
Ms. Otto — Asked to come forward and provide more specific financial numbers.
Christine Otto — Financial executive officer at Idaho State Police; explains comp time payouts and monthly 30-hour payouts for troopers.
Christine Otto — Christine Otto, Financial Executive Officer for Idaho State Police, explained the estimated cost of training a trooper at about $231,600, including hard costs, first-year training, room and board, and other training expenses. She clarified that POST covers different costs and does not pay for Idaho State Police’s training, though they may share facilities such as dorms and the cafeteria. The discussion then moved to whether troopers should be required to remain on the force for two years after training, reflecting concern about recouping the investment in training.
Christine Otto — Described as the brains of the operation and praised for her budget work after being taken from LSO.
Jordan Redman — Representative Harris asks about trooper retention, noting the pay comparison is compelling and asking at what stage officers are usually lost; the response indicates that losses typically occur around years three to four.
Jordan Redman — Representative Harris asks about the large cost difference between POST training and Idaho State Police trooper training and whether a deputy lateraling into a trooper role must still complete the full, expensive training or can be exempted from it.
David Cannon — Asks about the cost per officer to go through POST training.
Bruce Skaug — Representative Bruce Skaug asked about the total cost of training from start to finish, including related expenses along the way. The response used the Patrol Academy as an example, explaining that it is a 14-week academy with a cost of $10,700 per student. Bruce then followed up with a question about why the POST academy budget or actuals for 2025 went down and then back up, and later referenced a prior presentation about the total cost of getting a qualified trooper trained, experienced, and ready for the road.
Administrator Johnson — Began explaining the Patrol Academy as the example for training cost.
Steve Miller — Representative Miller and the administrator discussed training costs and what those costs represent. The administrator clarified that POST trains officers and deputies employed by other agencies, while Miller distinguished that he was asking specifically about the cost to train Idaho State Police troopers. Miller then sought confirmation that the combined costs reflect the state's total investment in a trooper, and he closed by noting that the troopers he has ridden with are excellent, suggesting the training is effective.
Steve Miller — Representative Miller praises brand inspectors as helpful referees during cattle gatherings, saying cattle folks appreciate having them there because they bring clarity and make the process easier to manage.
Rod Furniss — Representative Furniss said he would let Brad address the agreement and stated there is a two-year agreement that students sign.
Heather Scott — Representative Bruce asks follow-up questions about how other authorized training programs differ from POST Academy training and whether those programs fall under the same umbrella or framework.
Ms. Cristinato — Identified as 'the brains of the operation' and noted as having been up at the table several times.
Daniel Foreman — Lieutenant Colonel Weigert is introduced as one of the deputy directors and the operations deputy director, with background as the former district commander in Pocatello. The speaker then uses him in a metaphor comparing him to the polished, visible exterior of a patrol car, emphasizing the sharp, outward-facing side of operations.
Russ Wheatley — Russ Wheatley is introduced as a behind-the-scenes deputy director who has been with the agency nearly as long as the speaker. He is then praised for his long tenure and outstanding work, with the speaker noting that he likely joined around the same time and does a phenomenal job handling key agency functions such as HR, finances, and IT.
Laurie Hicks — Identified as a long-time POST employee and business operations specialist.
Cody Burlisle — Cody Burlisle identifies himself as the executive director of the Idaho Brand Board and the state brand inspector. He explains that most full-time inspectors have historically been POST-certified, and that the agency recently created two classifications of brand inspectors. He clarifies that POST-certified inspectors are the ones used for law enforcement duties, though they also perform regular regulatory inspections and most of their work is day-to-day regulatory in nature. He then closes by thanking Representative Miller and expressing appreciation for his staff and the people he works with.
Edward Hill — Representative Harris praises the agency for keeping trucks in service to high mileage, then asks whether the brand inspectors are fully certified troopers and whether the POST-certified inspectors also have a dual role patrolling while conducting brand inspections. The exchange ends with a brief indication that there are no further questions.
Codi Galloway — Galloway was called during roll call.
Janie Ward-Engelking — Called during roll call.
Janie Ward-Engelking — Offers thanks and praises Sergeant Kegel for helping her quickly.
Melissa Wintrow — Called during roll call.
Melissa Wintrow — Commends ISP's forensics team and notes progress in sexual assault kit processing.
Steven Tanner — Representative Tanner is first called during roll call and then addressed by the witness as co-chair in the same brief segment.
Steven Tanner — Chair Steven Tanner is identified as wanting to add something to the discussion before the meeting returns to another question; the second mention repeats this same point as a clarification.
Steven Tanner — The speaker directs House-side questions to Coach Chair Tanner, referring to Representative Tanner.
James Petzke — Called during roll call.
James Petzke — Representative Petzke follows up on what is being done with unspent personnel dollars during the fiscal year, asking for a report on the amount of unspent personnel funds, overtime usage, and any other uses for those dollars. The exchange concludes with him indicating that his questions have been answered.
Dustin Manwaring — Called during roll call.
Brandon Mitchell — Called during roll call.
Elaine Price — Called during roll call.
Elaine Price — Representative Price thanked Mr. Gardner for being present, then raised questions about the commission pay plan legislation, noting that it was projected to raise $18 million while only $12 million was being used and asking whether a middle-ground fee increase might be possible. He also asked how the commissioned-officer pay plan would affect trooper pay and sought clarification on the $12 million versus $18 million issue. The exchange concluded with a response acknowledging prior conversations over the summer.
Chris Bruce — Called during roll call.
Chris Bruce — Representative Bruce asks who bears the cost of academy training when recruits leave for another agency, and the Colonel responds that the state absorbs every penny of that expense.
Mark Harris — Called during roll call.
Mark Harris — Senator Cook discusses law enforcement staffing and compensation issues, including deputies leaving for higher-paying ISP positions, rural sheriffs’ concerns about the pay increase, what pay level would actually solve the staffing shortage, and why vacancies persist in Idaho Falls despite local pay differences. The exchange remains focused on whether the state is entering a wage competition to retain officers and how to address ongoing vacancies.
Mark Harris — President/Representative Harris asks whether transferred positions would continue to be paid from the POST fund or instead be funded through general funds.
Brooke Green — Called during roll call.
Noah Peterson — Identified himself as a budget and policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office and began presenting on the Idaho State Police budget.
Noah Peterson — Introduces himself as a budget and policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office and begins the POST budget review.
Noah Peterson — Noah Peterson is handed back the floor, then identifies himself for the record as a budget policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office and begins introducing the Brand Inspection Division budget materials.
Dale Hawkins — Asked how much of the 27 patrol vehicles request comes from the general fund.
Phil Hart — Hart was called during roll call.
Cindy Carlson — Carlson was called during roll call.
Cindy Carlson — Senator Winter was recognized to ask a question and emphasized that funding state agencies to retain employees is essential for public safety and agency stability. He then asked Colonel Gardner to share something the units are proud of and identify a challenge beyond staffing. Colonel Gardner responded directly to Senator Winter’s question.
Glenneda Zuiderveld — Zuiderveld is called during roll call.