Carrie Semmelroth — Identified as the second on the motion; transcript says 'Senator Semelroth.'
Carrie Semmelroth — Senator Carrie Semmelroth moved to send Senate Bill 1340 to the 14th order for possible amendments, then followed up with questions about the fiscal note and how county and highway district funding would be affected.
Carrie Semmelroth — Senator Carrie Semmelroth is identified as seconding the motion, and then she briefly comments that the bill may still need significant changes but that the opportunity to work with stakeholders is not closed for this session.
Mark Harris — Introduced himself as Idaho State Senate, Legislative District 35, and presented Senate Bill 1340.
Michael Kane — Testified on behalf of AAA and said the organization supports the bill.
Matt Condi — Kane identified Matt Condi as his colleague and boss, also signed up to testify.
Matthew Condi — Matthew Condi of AAA testified in support of the bill, thanking the Senator and committee for the discussion. He explained AAA’s proposed clarifying language changes, including replacing the term "congested" with more specific wording such as "obstructed by vehicles traveling below the speed limit," to improve clarity and traffic flow. He concluded by expressing appreciation for everyone involved and reaffirming support for the bill.
Phil Hart — Not mentioned in this section.
Phil Hart — Seconded the motion on Senate Bill 1340.
Phil Hart — Was asked to present Senate Bill 1287.
Phil Hart — Identified himself as the sponsor/presenter of Senate Bill 1287.
Phil Hart — Presented Senate Bill 1287 and explained its origin in constituent concerns.
Phil Hart — Explained that the bill is intended to address vagueness in the Idaho Code and gather feedback.
Phil Hart — Explained that counties and highway districts are taxing districts with their own taxing authority.
Phil Hart — Senator Hart was thanked and told he would be invited back to close after testimony.
Phil Hart — Weymouth said he looks forward to working with Senator Hart on amendments.
Phil Hart — The chair noted Senator Hart was taking notes and described the bill as a project rather than a final version.
Phil Hart — The chair jokingly referenced Senator Hart in closing remarks to Weeks.
Phil Hart — Referenced as the senator the witness is willing to work with on the amending order.
Phil Hart — Mentioned again as the senator who will speak for himself and whose final version was not expected.
Phil Hart — Referenced as the senator the witness worked with on the amending order.
Phil Hart — Referenced in the broader discussion of amending the bill.
Phil Hart — Referenced as the senator who will speak for himself; witness says he was not expecting this to be the final version.
Phil Hart — Chair notes Senator Hart was not expecting this to be the final version and invites further work.
Phil Hart — Senator Hart begins closing remarks on the bill.
Phil Hart — Says he did not hear any hostile ideas or possible amendments and gives an example of a legal description error.
Phil Hart — Addressed in discussion about bringing back a new RS this year.
Phil Hart — Asked to review revisions and the fiscal note more closely.
Phil Hart — Addressed as Senator Hart in the prior exchange; no direct speech in this section.
Phil Hart — Referenced in the committee exchange preceding this section.
Phil Hart — Asked whether the license plate would be redesigned multiple times or remain the same for years.
Phil Hart — Made the motion to send House Bill 663 to the floor.
Phil Hart — His motion on House Bill 663 was adopted.
Joshua Kohl — Not mentioned in this section.
Josh Thayer — Josh Thayer, ITD DMV policy manager, presented House Bill 532 as a measure to standardize identity verification across DMV services. He stated the bill has no fiscal impact, requested a due pass recommendation, and then answered questions by explaining the current mismatch in identity validation standards for motor vehicle matters. He illustrated the issue with an example involving an out-of-state person presenting an expired driver’s license, emphasizing the bill’s fraud-prevention purpose.
Doug Okuniewicz — During the chairing exchange, Mr. Chair/Mr. Chairman is addressed, and the chair states that the committee will hear testimony on the bill before returning to Senator Hart to close.
Ben Weymouth — Ben Weymouth, Director of Highways for Eastside Highway District in Kootenai County, testified that his district manages 242 miles of local roads and has concerns with the bill. He said he supports some parts of it, but objected to requiring a public hearing every time right-of-way is accepted because it would add time, cost, and bureaucracy, especially since right-of-way acceptance already occurs at a public meeting. He supported including a survey or exhibit with the documents to clarify the record, though he noted that a record-of-survey requirement could also add unnecessary cost. Weymouth also raised concerns about the bill’s vacation and validation provisions, saying it would be difficult or impossible to verify historical records going back 145 years. He concluded by saying he had covered the main points and was available for questions.
Susan Weeks — Susan Weeks was introduced as a virtual witness and then testified on Senate Bill 1287. She said she was speaking for multiple highway districts and counties, not a single client, and asked the committee to review several issues before advancing the bill. Her concerns included the public hearing requirement, which she said would interfere with eminent-domain negotiations and was unnecessary because transparency is already addressed in statute; the survey requirement, which she argued adds significant expense and should be reconsidered in light of existing legal descriptions for deeds; and the bill’s treatment of dedications, donations, and the validation process, which she said needed clearer and more precise language. She concluded by saying her time was up and offering to answer questions.
Susan Weeks — Her letter was received shortly before the hearing and was described as productive.
Steve Price — Steve Price, general counsel for the Ada County Highway District, was called to testify and identified himself. He said the bill would effectively wipe out the doctrine of prescriptive easements and upset the existing legal framework governing dedications and public acceptance, which depends on the law in effect at the time of the original action. He explained that the bill would throw that framework on its head by focusing too narrowly on designation and notice/public hearing requirements. Price also emphasized that public hearings are costly and time-consuming, noting that ACHD handles roughly 300 to 400 dedications a year and would be forced into nearly weekly public meetings to comply.
Chris Meyer, Givens-Persely — Named as part of a prior similar issue worked on in 2013.
Van Burtenshaw — During a brief exchange on the bill, Senator Burtenshaw is referenced as part of a discussion suggesting the bill may need to be redrawn using the expertise in the room. The conversation continues with direct address to Burtenshaw, and he is then identified as the maker of the motion, tying the remarks together into one procedural moment.
Mr. Weymouth — His testimony is cited as evidence of costs associated with the bill.
Mr. Price — His testimony is cited as evidence of costs associated with the bill.
Alison Rabe — Senator Tammy Nichols introduces herself as the sponsor of House Bill 663 for District 10, presents the bill, and later asks the committee to send it to the floor with a due pass recommendation. Senator Cole seconds the motion, continuing the same bill discussion and procedural action.
Cassidy Plum — Cassidy Plum identified herself as the State Director for Idaho Agriculture in the Classroom and testified in support of House Bill 663. She described the organization’s work funding classroom grants, teacher workshops, and curriculum resources, noted that much of its operating budget comes from the agriculture license plate, and explained that a new plate design is currently in consumer testing and is hoped to remain in use for many years.