Jim Guthrie — Addressed as chair during the opening remarks.
Jim Guthrie — Not mentioned in this section.
Jim Guthrie — Addressed as Mr. Chairman.
Jim Guthrie — Addressed as Mr. Chairman.
Jim Guthrie — Addressed as Mr. Chairman during the exchange.
Jim Guthrie — Addressed as Mr. Chairman.
Jim Guthrie — Addressed as Mr. Chairman during the policy question.
Jim Guthrie — Addressed as Mr. Chairman in a request to hold the bill in committee.
Jim Guthrie — Addressed as Mr. Chairman during the discussion of other flags and banners.
Jim Guthrie — Addressed as Mr. Chairman during the sports-team discussion.
Jim Guthrie — Addressed as Mr. Chairman.
Jim Guthrie — Addressed as Mr. Chairman in a question about inclusivity.
Jim Guthrie — Addressed as Mr. Chairman during questioning about heterosexual residents and flags.
Jim Guthrie — Addressed as Mr. Chairman in a question about heterosexual couples.
Jim Guthrie — Addressed as Mr. Chairman during the challenge to inclusivity.
Jim Guthrie — Addressed as Mr. Chairman during the exchange.
Jim Guthrie — Addressed as Mr. Chairman during the compliance question.
Jim Guthrie — The chair is asking how policymakers should handle cities choosing controversial flags.
Jim Guthrie — Referenced as the chair during the exchange.
Jim Guthrie — The chair is addressed during the response and transition to the next member.
Jim Guthrie — The chair is being addressed as the discussion moves to Representative Haas.
Jim Guthrie — Representative Haas thanks the chair.
Jim Guthrie — Representative Haas is identified as the next speaker.
Jim Guthrie — Representative Paulus addresses the chair.
Jim Guthrie — The mayor addresses the chair while responding.
Jim Guthrie — The chair asks for further questions and notes the focus on Boise.
Jim Guthrie — The question is directed to the chair and mayor.
Jim Guthrie — The response is directed to the chair.
Jim Guthrie — The question is directed to the chair.
Jim Guthrie — The chair intervenes to keep the discussion focused on facts after an objection to the witness's remarks.
Jim Guthrie — Was asked to keep the discussion focused on facts and not impute motives.
Jim Guthrie — The speaker addresses the chair while continuing the explanation.
Jim Guthrie — The speaker asks if there are further questions and then yields to Representative Church.
Jim Guthrie — The chair asks if there are further questions for Eric, the witness.
Jim Guthrie — Recognized to ask a follow-up question about other flags.
Jim Guthrie — Asks whether cities could fly various local and event-related flags under the bill.
Jim Guthrie — The witness addresses the chair while responding to the question.
Jim Guthrie — The witness responds directly to the member's question about flag displays.
Jim Guthrie — The witness asks permission to turn to the packet of documents relevant to the question.
Jim Guthrie — The witness says the collateral damage includes the examples raised by this member.
Jim Guthrie — The witness says this exhibit directly addresses the member's concern.
Jim Guthrie — Closed out Eric’s testimony and thanked him for appearing before the committee.
Jim Guthrie — Chair is addressed as 'Chairman Crane'; the transcript likely mishears the chair’s name, but the committee chair is being addressed.
Jim Guthrie — The chair interjects to keep the discussion orderly and says the committee should go through the chair.
Jim Guthrie — Jim Guthrie is repeatedly addressed as Chairman/Chairman Crane during a continuous exchange in which the speaker seeks clarification on the bill, asks about what counts as temporary, discusses concerns about government endorsement and use of Capitol or public space, and then asks to respond to a concern about exclusion before being recognized to continue.
Gloria Totorica Guena — Gloria Totorica Guena testified as a native Idahoan of Basque heritage and as an academic with expertise in Basque studies. She described her family’s history, including immigration from the Basque Country, survival under dictatorship, and the importance of Basque identity in Idaho. She argued that the Basque flag is a symbol of community rather than division, noting that it was once outlawed under dictatorship and that its use helps bring people together, including non-Basque community members. In response to committee questions, she said flag policy should be decided locally by elected city councils and mayors, emphasized that voters can replace officials if they disagree, and expressed concern that the bill’s date cutoff could interfere with Boise’s efforts to update its city flag.
Reverend Josh Lee — Reverend Josh Lee was called as the next witness, then entered the room and delivered testimony as a pastor at Boise First United Church of Christ. He explained that the church was the first gay-affirming church in Idaho and argued that flying the pride flag on government property is a symbol of love, welcome, acceptance, and inclusion rather than a political statement. He described the Boise city hall meeting approving the flag and relayed how the flag signals to LGBTQ people that they are included in the city. He concluded by invoking Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the idea that the church should serve as the conscience of the state, noting that during the civil rights movement the church opposed unjust laws and spoke out against them.
Kendall Schaber — Kendall Schaber testified on behalf of himself and his family, identifying as a Boise resident and arguing that flags and public displays are important symbols of belonging and community identity. He said local government is closest to the people and most accountable, criticized the sponsor for misrepresenting the mayor's actions in prior RS hearings, and described Boise as an inclusive community. He argued that towns should be free to use roadside poles and flags to honor graduates, champions, or community causes such as breast cancer awareness without state interference. He closed by urging a no vote on H561.
Janelle Winterstein — Janelle Winterstein was called as a witness and then testified in opposition to the bill. She introduced herself and explained that, based on her life experience in Idaho, she sees the proposed $2,000-per-day fine for displaying a non-American flag as excessive government regulation. She argued the measure reflects tyranny and an attempt to force uniformity, compared it to federal interference with Idaho’s own flag decisions, and said the issue is not about being anti-gay. Instead, she framed it as a matter of local control and the right of people and communities to make their own decisions.
Misty Tolman — Listed as the next witness after Janelle Winterstein.