House Judiciary, Rules and Administration Committee
Key Moments
John Gannon — Asked whether House Bill 697 would be sent to the floor with a due pass recommendation.
Dale Hawkins — Representative Dale Hawkins asked to speak to the motion and argued that the bill should have been sent to the floor with a due pass recommendation. He then said it was amazing to fear the Attorney General enforcing the rule of law, and ultimately indicated he would go along with the motion because of the sponsor’s wishes.
Dale Hawkins — Representative Hawkins asked whether parents are ever not notified, and the chair then addressed that question as part of the same exchange.
Bruce Skaug — Addressed by other speakers during debate on the motion.
Bruce Skaug — Bruce Skaug is addressed as the chair throughout this brief exchange, with speakers referring to him as Mr. Chairman and Chairman Skaug while seeking his acknowledgment and permission to proceed.
Ted Hill — Representative Ted Hill briefly took the floor to comment on the motion and then stated his support for the bill, arguing that it was essential and needed to be decisive in order to resolve recent issues and address the problems the chamber had been dealing with.
Ted Hill — Representative Hill asked whether there is a rapid-response task force and whether children know whom to call for help, and the response acknowledged that it was a very good question and addressed the issue of task forces and rapid assistance.
Heather Scott — Heather Scott argued that the bill’s high penalties are appropriate because large penalties in other laws also deter misconduct, and she extended that logic to government actors, saying that if people do not break the rules they will not be punished and that strong punishment can make people think twice before violating the law.
Heather Scott — Was recognized after the motion and appears to be preparing to ask about testimony.
Heather Scott — Asked whether testimony would be taken on House Bill 695.
Heather Scott — Was thanked for asking about the distinction and fee impact.
Heather Scott — Asked whether ballot duplication or review procedures could inadvertently trigger the statute.
Heather Scott — Continued asking about ballot duplication and whether it could be captured by the statute.
Heather Scott — Addressed directly in response to her question.
Heather Scott — Referenced as having knowledge in this area.
Heather Scott — Thanked the secretary for explaining.
Heather Scott — Moved to send House Bill 697 to the floor with a due pass recommendation.
Heather Scott — Her motion on House Bill 697 was approved.
Heather Scott — Referenced as having stated the imminent potential harm to the victim.
Heather Scott — Referenced as having explained the imminent potential harm to the victim.
Heather Scott — Referenced as having noted that extortion is driven by shame.
Heather Scott — Referenced as part of the discussion of the bill and future next steps.
Heather Scott — Praised for protecting children and bringing the bill.
Heather Scott — Named as one of the floor carriers for House Bill 727.
Heather Scott — Invited to present Senate Bill 1248.
Heather Scott — Introduced Senate Bill 1248 and explained that it removes obsolete code related to the capital crimes defense fund.
Heather Scott — Introduced Senate Bill 1249 and explained it is a minor cleanup bill changing one word related to time terminology.
Mike Pohanka — Made the motion to send House Bill 688 to the House with a due pass recommendation.
Mike Pohanka — Moved to send Senate Bill 1249 to the House floor with a due pass recommendation.
Former Representative Robert — Former Representative Robert is mentioned twice in a garbled exchange related to testimony and motions, indicating he was signed up to testify or otherwise being referenced in the proceedings.
Joe Alfieri — Moved to send House Bill 695 to the floor with a due pass recommendation.
Joe Alfieri — Representative Alfieri thanked the chair and made supportive remarks about Representative Green and the bill, praising the sponsors and expressing approval of the legislation.
Cherry Durden — Signed up to testify on House Bill 695.
Terry Durden — Terry Durden, speaking for the Idaho State Sheriffs Association, supported changing the bill’s terminology from writ of possession to writ of restitution. He explained that a writ of restitution is the order used to carry out an eviction, so the revised language more accurately labels the process, and he thanked Representative Scott for the question.
Dan Garner — Representative Dan Garner introduced House Bill 697 and explained that it reorganizes Idaho voting code without changing its substance. He clarified that the bill does not alter the felony status for tampering with voting machines or tabulators, noting that the Secretary of State brought the bill. Later references to Garner simply pointed back to his earlier explanation of the bill and noted that he would carry it on the House floor.
Phil McGrane — Phil McGrane, Idaho Secretary of State, testified in support of House Bill 697, explaining that the bill clarifies election-code language to improve election integrity and reduce confusion about what conduct is being charged. He noted that 15 people had been charged under the statute since July, emphasized that no one has been charged with tampering with voting equipment, and said the cases involved felons attempting to register or vote. He explained that separating the offenses makes charges clearer to the public. McGrane also clarified that the bill does not change existing law, described the process for duplicating damaged ballots so machines can read them, stressed that the original ballot is never altered, and said election records are retained for years and can be reviewed in recounts or audits.
Marco Erickson — Co-sponsor of the bill with Representative Green.
Marco Erickson — Named as a partner in discussing next steps after the bill.
Marco Erickson — Praised alongside Representative Green for bringing the bill.
Marco Erickson — Named as one of the floor carriers for House Bill 727.
Marco Erickson — Moved to send Senate Bill 1248 to the floor with a due pass recommendation.
Chief Deputy Jeff Nye — Chief Deputy Jeff Nye testified for the Attorney General’s office and said the office was neutral on the bill. He then discussed Idaho ICAC sextortion cyber tip data, noting that the unit received 107 sextortion cyber tips and continuing that statistical explanation with projected annual totals.
Mr. Nye — Was asked to explain current prevention efforts.
Ilana Rubel — Representative Rubel requested a motion and then moved to send House Bill 727 to the floor with a due pass recommendation.
Kelly Brassfield — Signed up to testify but did not testify.
John Gannon — Raised concerns about fee shifting and fairness in the bill.
John Shirts — Representative Shirts moved to hold House Bill 743 subject to the call of the chair.
John Shirts — Representative John Shirts introduced House Bill 688 and explained that it addresses the dangers of counterfeit airbags, citing his prior experience as a prosecutor and the fatalities and safety risks associated with these devices, especially in the used-car market. He described the bill’s approach as a measured response that defines prohibited conduct, requires knowing conduct, and sets a simple misdemeanor penalty, noting discussions with auto dealers and law enforcement, including similar investigations in Utah. He concluded by emphasizing the bill’s life-saving purpose and asking for a due pass recommendation.
Chris Mathias — Representative Matthias moved to approve the minutes of Monday, February 23, 2026.
Chris Mathias — Representative Matthias asks what is currently being done to prevent sextortion and related threats before codifying them, prompting a response that explains the difficulty of enforcement when perpetrators are overseas. The discussion then continues by referencing Matthias’s question as the basis for further remarks on prevention and enforcement.