Jerald Raymond — The speaker addresses the chair as Mr. Chairman, likely referring to Chair Jerald Raymond.
Jerald Raymond — The committee meeting is being called to order for the House Agricultural Affairs Committee, which Chair Jerald Raymond would preside over.
Jerald Raymond — The chair states the motion on the minutes and calls the vote.
Jerald Raymond — The chair announces the committee will hear from Ms. Rachel Bickerton.
Jerald Raymond — A committee member is referenced as being responsible for Dean Edgar's agricultural education; the exact member is not named, so this is uncertain.
Jerald Raymond — Jerald Raymond is repeatedly addressed as Mr. Chair/Mr. Chairman during a continuous exchange in which a member asks about endowment positions and the witness finishes responding.
Jerald Raymond — Jerald Raymond is addressed as Mr. Chairman during the question period, then is referenced in connection with the presentation, and finally asks Dr. Kaiser to elaborate on the value of third-party independent review and how it can build confidence with other agencies in future projects.
Steve Miller — Representative Steve Miller asked whether any genetics work would be done at CAFE and whether the facility would be limited to milking, production, and nutrient-related work.
Steve Miller — Representative Steve Miller asked for the list of project applications and selections, then followed up with questions about BSU's LiDAR technology and how water content is determined. He also requested more detail on the water budget for the plain, including the inflows, outflows, and other inputs used to calculate levels. The responses addressed his questions by explaining the report, LiDAR capability, and the modeling approaches used.
Julie VanOrden — Representative Stone is referenced and addressed during a discussion about the Jerome/Rupert educational center and the two-plus-two program, with the response continuing to address the same topic across the consecutive mentions.
Dr. Kendra Kaiser — Dr. Kendra Kaiser explained that the Idaho Water Resources Research Institute uses its website and intake process to make it easy for anyone with a research need to submit it without much procedural burden. She then noted that more than half of the submissions focus on water scarcity and availability, indicating broad concern about water quantity across the state.
Otto Lang — Identified as a Ph.D. postdoctoral researcher at Boise State working on snowpack forecasting figures.
Chris Mathias — Not mentioned in this section.
Dr. Kaiser — Explained that working at larger scales is more efficient and provides value to the state.
Jack Nelsen — Jack Nelsen asked follow-up questions and emphasized that, beyond data quantity, the key issue is data quality and trend information. He warned that cherry-picking data can distort conclusions and argued that local governments, businesses, and planners need reliable water quality trends to guide operations, zoning, and land-use decisions. He also referenced Jerome County’s drinking water source protection challenges and the need for decisions based on aquifer travel time and local conditions.
John Shirts — Representative John Shirts first presented House Bill 630, explaining that it would codify the existing airborne shooting program for predatory animals such as coyotes and wolves, and argued that these predators pose serious problems for farmers and ranchers. He noted the presence of Lloyd Knight and invited committee questions. The discussion then moved directly to his presentation of House Bill 631, which he described as another rules-to-statute bill that would move agricultural certificates of free sale from rule into statute.
David Leavitt — David Leavitt was asked for a motion, then was called on by the chair to comment. In response, he declared Rule 80 and stated that he is Air Assault qualified, repeating that qualification in the follow-up exchange.
Lloyd Knight — Lloyd Knight is present with the sponsor for the bill and is also available to answer any questions about this portion of the legislation.
Kaylyn / Kaylin — Kaylyn/Kaylin was invited to speak and shared what she learned from attending the meeting: her interest in agriculture, her family's beef cattle and crop operation, and how growing up in agriculture has shaped who she is. She emphasized the importance of family operations, expressed a desire to better advocate for agriculture, and thanked the committee for the opportunity.
Kay Lynn / Kaylyn / Kaylin — The committee recognized Kay Lynn/Kaylyn/Kaylin for her service by presenting her with a Capitol flag flown in her honor, a governor-signed certificate, and a small Idaho necklace.