Noah Peterson — Budget policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office presenting the Department of Juvenile Corrections budget review.
Noah Peterson — Concluded prepared remarks and offered to answer questions.
Ashley Dowell — Director of the Department of Juvenile Corrections; introduced herself and identified Amy Anderson as her chief financial officer.
Ashley Dowell — Said she would provide a list of the vehicles and mileage and explained their general use.
Ashley Dowell — Explained that the vehicles are used to transport juveniles, youth, and staff to court hearings and that they are at the end of their life.
Ashley Dowell — Responded that the reduced census is largely due to county partnerships.
Ashley Dowell — Explained that some holdback impacts came from removed contracts and reduced substance use disorder funding.
Ashley Dowell — Director Dowell's testimony continued into workforce impacts, but the response is not included in this section.
Amy Anderson — Identified as the chief financial officer for the Department of Juvenile Corrections.
Jordan Redman — The transcript says 'Senator Mitchell,' but the expected member list does not include a Senator Mitchell; this appears to be Representative Mitchell, likely member_9881, asking about vehicles.
Jordan Redman — Referenced as working with the office to reestablish a new nuclear task force.
Jordan Redman — A continuous exchange in which the transcript appears to mis-transcribe a senator’s name as 'Senator Bjurkey' while the discussion continues with Ms. Younger about permitting-related issues and time frames, likely in the context of the Speed Council.
Brandon Mitchell — Brandon Mitchell asked for a list of the 10 vehicles, including what they are, how many miles are on them, and what they are used for.
Melissa Wintrow — Melissa Wintrow asked the agency to share success stories from the past year that helped reduce the census and improve child safety, then pressed for details on the governor's holdback, including where the cuts are coming from and how they are affecting the agency's work. She also requested more specific, granular examples of prevention activities and youth assessment center services to better understand what those resources look like in practice.
Dustin Manwaring — Representative Manwaring asked about the agency’s workforce impact, including the workforce impact plan, staffing analysis, and whether vacancies could be converted into direct care positions. The Director responded by addressing the 2% reduction plan and staffing analysis in relation to that workforce discussion.
Mark Harris — Senator Hart asked whether juveniles in the facilities are committed under mandatory minimum sentences and sought a number; the response addressed juvenile sentencing practices, including indeterminate sentences.
Mark Harris — Likely the 'Co-Chairman Grove' being addressed is a transcription error; the name is uncertain and not matched confidently to a listed member.
Administrator Calli Younger — Identified as present to answer questions about OEMR's budget.
Jeff Cornilles — Mr. Pearson appears to be a transcription error for Representative Jeff Cornilles, who is referenced in the prior context as the analyst.
Callie Younger — Callie Younger introduced herself as the administrator at the Office of Energy and Mineral Resources and explained that the office is predominantly federally funded, with work focused on grants, supporting rural communities, energy resiliency, and related policy efforts.
Louis Conkel — Introduced as the fiscal officer accompanying Administrator Younger.
Administrator Younger — Said the office is not requesting the previously funded speed item again and is focusing on permitting efficiency and federal coordination.
Administrator Younger — Responded that she is a lawyer and has had to study the technical issues before discussing them.
Administrator Younger — Responded that one obstacle is simply getting projects stood up.
Kevin Cook — Kevin Cook thanked Ms. Younger for appearing and then asked what the committee hopes to accomplish with nuclear energy over the next five years, specifically how it could benefit Idaho’s economy and what impact it would have for the state.
Kevin Cook — Kevin Cook asks about spent nuclear fuel and how much energy remains in fuel rods, then follows up by noting that Idaho and INL are uniquely positioned to study and use that remaining energy and asks what legislators can do to help keep Idaho open for business in this area.
Ms. Younger — Responded to Senator Cook's question about nuclear policy and economic impact.
Ms. Younger — Ms. Younger explains that after the office did not receive funding last year, it reassessed its approach based on industry feedback that companies want a single knowledgeable point of contact to help guide permits through the process. In response, the office has begun creating a more centralized, one-stop permitting approach, including working more closely with the Permitting Council and using FAST-41, with Liberty Gold as the first project to go through that process. She also emphasizes the need to provide regulatory certainty and to show that the state is open for business, including helping local governments and counties prepare for incoming projects and identify the types of developments they are ready to support.
C. Grow — C. Grow discussed nuclear fuel recycling and reprocessing, asking about the recoverability of spent fuel rods, what obstacles could slow progress, and how the legislature and executive branch can work together to identify policy gaps and move the issue forward.
Steve Miller — Steve Miller asked about Idaho’s nuclear development plans, expressing interest in thorium molten salt reactors and spent fuel utilization, then following up with questions about the sizing and planning of modular and micro reactors, including 20 MW-scale users in Idaho. He concluded by asking whether workforce limitations are the main obstacle to getting production underway in the state.
Seena — Seena responds that the agency consolidation idea is still being worked on and may become a policy bill. The discussion continues with an explanation of efforts to codify the agency and the work it does, framing the proposal as part of a broader merger/codification effort.