Dave Lent — Moves to approve the minutes from January 28, 2026.
Dave Lent — Senator Lent seconded the motion on Senate Bill 1250.
Melissa Wintrow — Seconded the motion to approve the minutes.
Melissa Wintrow — Is invited to begin presentation on Senate Bill 1250.
Melissa Wintrow — Introduces the bill and describes it as amending the Public Records Act.
Melissa Wintrow — Thanks the chair and invites questions and testimony.
Melissa Wintrow — Joked with the chair about the speed of her presentation.
Melissa Wintrow — Identified as co-chair with Brassfield on the ICJC subcommittee.
Melissa Wintrow — Senator Wintrow was thanked for involving the Idaho Press Club in the discussion, then used her closing remarks to explain the bill’s purpose and limits. She said the measure is meant to balance transparency and public interest with privacy, dignity of the decedent, and protection of family members, noting that some language came from the Prosecuting Attorneys Association to avoid affecting criminal investigations. She asked the committee to view the bill as a first step and support it, while being open to amendments. She also clarified that the bill prohibits release of decedent photos rather than all crime scene or investigatory records, emphasized that graphic decedent photos should not be released regardless of case status, and answered questions about the next-of-kin order by referencing the statute’s fixed priority sequence. When uncertainty remained, she deferred to the county coroner for a definitive answer and ended with a final appreciative comment.
Lori Hartog — Worked with the speaker on prior legislation.
Mr. Hodges — Mr. Hodges testifies that the bill’s use of discretionary language ('may') is problematic because Idaho families currently have unrestricted access to post-mortem images, and he argues the bill could improperly burden constitutional access-to-courts rights and raise serious due process concerns. The chair then thanks him and closes his testimony.
Mr. Hodges — Referenced as a prior witness and as the plaintiff seeking release of images of his deceased daughter.
Kelly Brassfield — Kelly Brassfield is called to testify and then speaks in support of Senate Bill 1250 on behalf of the Idaho Association of Counties and the ICJC subcommittee. She explains that while counties had concerns about disclosure of photos and images, she still supports the bill as written. She notes a preference for keeping the language as 'may' to preserve discretion in certain cases, especially where releasing information may require expert judgment. The exchange ends with a follow-up question directed to her by name.
Doug Ricks — Senator Doug Ricks questions whether the bill language should be changed from 'may' to 'shall' and asks if counties would have any problem with that change, continuing the same line of inquiry in a brief follow-up.
Doug Ricks — Senator Ricks asked a series of follow-up questions about the bill’s family-member and next-of-kin disclosure language. He said he liked the part shielding records from public release, suggested clarifying the wording for situations like divorced parents, and asked how courts or counties would resolve competing next-of-kin claims. He then pressed on how the order would apply among adult children, what would happen if one child did not want to receive the information, and whether the coroner’s office would still retain discretion over releasing photos if the bill keeps the word ‘may.’
Shawn Dygert — Likely the senator being addressed; transcript says 'Senator Shippey,' which appears to be a mishearing.
unnamed earlier testifier — Referenced as having raised the issue of disclosure to next of kin.
Lori McCann? — Ms. Brassfield is being questioned about the timing and availability of records, but she is not speaking in this section.
Ms. Brassfield — Said she could not confidently answer the question about how long records remain unavailable.
Todd Lakey — Senator Lakey is addressed as the chair during the meeting, including a direct acknowledgment of him as Chairman Lakey while testimony continues.
Charlie Shepherd — Asked follow-up questions about the timing and availability of records.
Charlie Shepherd — The chair deferred to Senator Shippey regarding whether he had a question.
Charlie Shepherd — A senator is referenced as having a question, but the name appears to be a transcription error; likely Senator Andrews is not in the provided member list.
Tori Danner — Tori Danner, the Bannock County coroner representing the Idaho State Association of County Coroners, testified in support of the bill, saying it is intended to protect the privacy of the deceased and prevent unintended trauma caused by public access.
Tori Danner — Tori Danner, the Bannock County Coroner and representative of the Idaho State Association of County Coroners, explained how the legislation would work in practice. She said sibling requests would be handled from eldest to youngest, though disputes could be worked out or resolved by the courts. She also stated that the bill would allow release of whatever photos are requested if the requester is entitled to them, and that the coroner’s office would retain discretion to consider circumstances and consult counsel before making a decision.
Aaron Bezoli — Aaron Bezoli, Chief Civil Prosecuting Attorney for Canyon County, identified himself and stated he was speaking on behalf of the Canyon County Prosecutor's Office, then concluded his testimony by offering to answer any questions.
Olivia Consolvis — The chair introduces the next virtual witness, Olivia Consolvis, and the witness immediately corrects the pronunciation of her last name.
Mr. Bozoli — The chair thanks the prior witness before moving to the next witness.
Olivia Gonzalez — Olivia Gonzalez testified about the murder of her sister Kaylee Gonzalez and the release of crime scene photos and related documents after sentencing. She explained that a non-dissemination order had been in place, but police later released hundreds of documents, creating fear, public exposure, and painful mental images for her family. She described meeting with investigators and prosecutors to view her sister, wanting privacy, trying to protect others from further harm, and struggling with the emotional impact of the photos and the officers’ statements. She concluded by saying that without seeing the photos, she would have been left only with the horrific images created by the words used to describe her sister.
Kaylee Gonzalez — Identified as the speaker's sister and a murder victim.
Madison Morgan — Identified as a murder victim.
Ethan Chapin — Identified as a murder victim.
Xana Kernodle — Identified as a murder victim; transcript spelling corrected from 'Zana Cronodal'.
Ken Burgess — Ken Burgess, speaking for the Idaho Press Club and its First Amendment Committee, said the club usually opposes public records restrictions but supports this bill because it strikes a reasonable balance between protecting the privacy and dignity of decedents and their families while preserving transparency, including information relevant to public health and safety. He thanked Senator Wintrow for involving the club in the discussion over the past year and urged the committee to send the bill to the floor.
Alan Hodges — Named as one of the witnesses whose testimony was heard.
Daniel Foreman — Referenced as having asked an earlier question about the language.
Daniel Foreman — Referenced as ready to make a motion.
Daniel Foreman — Senator Foreman was recognized to make a motion and then moved to send Senate Bill 1250 to the floor of the Senate with a due pass recommendation.
Jordan Redman — Senator Kaiser asked about the bill’s effect on access to records, specifically whether it would prevent true crime enthusiasts, investigators, investigative journalists, or authors from obtaining those records.
Kelly Anthon — Was addressed in the question about how long law enforcement keeps records internally.