Diana David — Diana David testified in opposition to Senate Bill 1430, identifying herself as a Giffords Gun Owners for Safety State Ambassador and a gun violence survivor. After her remarks, the committee thanked her and closed questions on her testimony.
Kelly Anthon — Also called on after the fiscal note discussion.
Kelly Anthon — Kelly Anthon was recorded as voting yes on the motion related to sending House Bill 621 to General Orders, with the transcript also reflecting the same affirmative vote in a near-duplicate mention.
Brandon Shippy — Members debated a bill affecting courthouse access and security. Questions focused on whether trial court administrators had been consulted, whether the law was being used to block access to county offices, and whether the bill was too broad. The discussion also covered how the measure would apply to county buildings versus courtrooms, concerns about Nez Perce County’s setup and public access to non-court areas, and clarification of the bill’s carve-out for jail holding and detention areas.
Brandon Shippy — During the roll call, Representative Brandon Shippy was recorded as voting no on one vote and yes on a subsequent motion in the same procedural sequence.
Representative Haas — Identifies himself as an attorney and says civil cases can be emotionally charged.
James Ruchti — Asked how local governments and courthouses would determine the courtroom portion and how that would square with Senate Bill 1430.
James Ruchti — Was asked to explain how courthouse and local-government determinations would work.
James Ruchti — Was asked whether local governments could create policies defining courtroom portions and whether that would violate preemption.
James Ruchti — Responded by returning to the bill's original explanation and the ambiguity in courthouse carry restrictions.
James Ruchti — Explained that the bill is intended to clarify that only courtroom areas, not entire county buildings, are restricted.
James Ruchti — Asked whether a courthouse means the whole building or only the courtroom.
James Ruchti — Explained that the bill is intended to separate courthouse areas from county-building access and restore rights in county buildings with courtrooms.
James Ruchti — Asked whether a courthouse means the whole building or only the courtroom.
James Ruchti — Explained that the bill is intended to separate courthouse areas from county-building access and restore rights in county buildings with courtrooms.
James Ruchti — Said the courthouse as a whole would be treated as a court area when court spaces are included.
James Ruchti — Asked whether affected people could simply file a lawsuit if their rights are being violated.
James Ruchti — Questioned whether the Idaho Association of Counties understood that higher law would trump lower authority.
James Ruchti — Asked whether the Idaho Association of Counties is involved in county building planning and whether it advises counties to avoid courthouse/county-building combinations.
James Ruchti — Brassfield responded to Scott's question about legal confusion.
James Ruchti — Continued questioning about county building planning and whether counties are advised to avoid legal conflicts.
James Ruchti — During the committee’s consideration of House Bill 621, the member made an amended substitute motion to send the bill to the floor with no recommendation. The discussion then moved into the roll-call vote on that motion, where the member was recorded as voting yes, alongside other members’ votes.
Ricky — Asked to retrieve the letter from the witness.
NRA member(s) — The speaker said they would not recommend that NRA members go through the metal detector and continue carrying, because it could create legal jeopardy and liability.
Kelly Brassfield — Kelly Brassfield testified for the Idaho Association of Counties in opposition to House Bill 621. She said she had met with the bill sponsor and asked whether the fiscal impact would be updated if the bill moved forward, but that did not happen. Brassfield explained that the bill would create confusion for county officials about whether to follow judicial orders or the proposed law, especially regarding courthouse firearms restrictions, and she urged the committee to vote no on the bill. In follow-up, she reiterated that counties need clarity and noted that the association is not involved in day-to-day building decisions.
Trent Tripple — Trent Tripple, representing the Ada County Clerk’s office, testified against the bill. He argued that courthouses require strong security and are different from the Statehouse, compared courthouse security needs to school security, and said Ada County saved money by building a combined administrative courthouse to maximize security at lower cost. He warned the bill would increase expenses, threaten staffing, burden taxpayers, and benefit only a few people, concluding by asking the committee not to support it.
Nick Woods — Nick Woods of Lewiston appeared virtually to testify in favor of the bill. He argued that armed self-defense is necessary in courthouses, that metal detectors and unarmed security do not stop a determined attacker, and that any firearm restriction should apply at the court floor rather than the courthouse entrance. He also praised Representatives Mitchell and Harris for pointing out what he saw as the irony of restricting Second Amendment rights. The chair then thanked him and closed his testimony.
Treg Bernt — During the roll call on the substitute motion, the motion fails 11 to 2. In the same exchange, the member is recorded as voting no, and the transcript includes likely transcription errors in the name reference ("Polanka"/"Pohanka") while the discussion returns to the substitute motion.
Ben Toews — During the roll call, Ben Toews is recorded as voting on the motion, with the transcript showing repeated adjacent vote responses in the same voting sequence.
Ben Adams — During the roll call, Ben Adams was recorded voting on the motion, with the transcript showing repeated roll-call responses for Representative Bingham, including a no followed by yes votes as the vote was taken.
Lori Hartog — During the roll call on the motion, Lori Hartog was recorded as voting no on one call and yes on subsequent calls, with her name appearing inconsistently in the transcript as 'Haasz' or 'Haas.'
Diana David — Diana David testified against House Bill 621, identifying herself as a Giffords Gun Owners for Safety Ambassador, retired insurance industry risk manager, gun owner, and gun violence survivor. She argued that courthouses are sensitive spaces containing prosecutor offices, holding cells, attorney conference rooms, jury deliberation rooms, and other areas where weapons increase the risk of deadly confrontations and assaults, endangering litigants, security officers, and judges. She said the bill would reduce safety, noted it was introduced shortly after Chief Justice Bevan warned about rising violent threats against judicial staff, and argued it would impose additional security costs while weakening protections.
Avine Klein — Avine Klein was called as the next witness, stated that she had written testimony for the committee, and testified in support of Senate Bill 1430 as the State Director for the NRA. The committee then thanked her and concluded questions on her testimony.
Avine Klein — Avine Klein, State Director for the NRA, testified in support of House Bill 621. She emphasized the constitutional right to keep and bear arms and Idaho’s strong preemption framework, then explained that the bill preserves local control by allowing counties to interpret requirements based on their courthouse’s layout, services, costs, resources, and staffing. In response to questions, she said the bill needs clarification and that such clarification is necessary before a lawsuit could be brought.
Jim Guthrie — Chair Guthrie presided over committee proceedings on the motion to send Senate Bill 1430 to the floor with a do-pass recommendation, called for discussion, and then put the motion to a vote, which carried.
Jim Guthrie — As chairman, he calls the roll and later thanks the committee after the motion passes.
Mark Harris — Representative Harris (Kyle Harris) was introduced as a co-sponsor and then spoke in support of House Bill 621, explaining that the bill is meant to preserve carry rights and align with preemption law without intruding on courtrooms, private spaces, or other sensitive areas. He argued that citizens should not have to disarm for ordinary county business such as voting, paying taxes, or meeting commissioners, and requested a do-pass recommendation. In follow-up exchanges, he said he had discussed the issue with county commissioners, who refused to move security equipment, and argued counties should find no-cost workarounds rather than impose major expenses. He also reaffirmed his support for the Second Amendment. Later, Mark Harris responded to questions about courthouse security and said he was not aware of any contact with the trial court administrator.
Mark Harris — Mentioned as one of the representatives Nick Woods praised for recognizing the irony of the issue.
Mark Harris — The chair tells Representative Harris he and Representative Mitchell can wrap up.
Mark Harris — Representative Boyle asks whether the sponsors would add language; Representative Mitchell responds that federal code already covers it.
Mark Harris — Voted no on the motion to send House Bill 621 to General Orders.
Mark Harris — Voted yes on the substitute motion.
Mark Harris — The roll call continues and the motion passes 13 to 0.