Daniel Foreman — Senator Foreman is identified as having reviewed the minutes and then moves to approve the minutes of February 11th, 2026.
Daniel Foreman — Makes the motion to send HCR 25 to the floor with a due pass recommendation.
Daniel Foreman — His motion is recognized by the chair.
Daniel Foreman — Argues in favor of the resolution and acknowledges opposition concerns.
Daniel Foreman — Thanked by the chair after speaking; likely a transcription error for a member name, but the intended reference appears to be a senator on the committee.
Todd Lakey — The chair opens the meeting and calls for approval of the minutes, then continues with procedural guidance by reminding witnesses and committee members to avoid personal attacks and to direct all questions and discussion through the chair.
Todd Lakey — Takatori addresses Chairman Lakey in thanks.
Todd Lakey — Witness thanks Senator Lakey and the committee.
Josh Keyser — Seconds the motion to approve the minutes; likely a transcription error for Senator Keyser.
Doug Ricks — The chair calls Senator Ricks forward as the sponsor of HCR 25.
Doug Ricks — Introduces himself as the sponsor of HCR 25 and states he represents District 34 and Madison County.
Doug Ricks — Referenced as having noted that the campaign is at 28 states and needs five more.
Doug Ricks — The chair asks if there are any questions for Senator Ricks after the exchange with the witness.
Doug Ricks — Larry Craig thanked Senator Ricks for sponsoring the concurrent resolution.
Doug Ricks — Senator Doug Ricks is invited to conclude, identifies himself for the record, and then delivers his remarks in support of HCR 25. He discusses concerns about the federal deficit, argues that the resolution faces a very high ratification threshold, cites prior legislative efforts, and closes by asking the committee to send the resolution to the floor with a due pass recommendation. He then seconds the motion to advance the resolution.
Lauren Enz — Testified in support of HCR 25 and argued that the U.S. debt is a serious financial crisis.
Melissa Wintrow — Senator Melissa Wintrow is recognized and asks a question of the witness, specifically probing whether the witness's view would change if more states were controlled by Democrats.
Melissa Wintrow — Senator Winthrop explains that she is torn about supporting a runaway convention because of widespread uncertainty and disagreement over what the rules would be, and she questions whether the process would truly restrain power or simply sit on the sidelines. She says she is not willing to take that risk in the current climate, notes that she has followed the issue for 10 years, and concludes that Congress has shown it cannot address the problem on its own, underscoring the urgency of the issue.
Vicki Keene — Vicki Keene delivered public testimony opposing HCR 25 on behalf of the Idaho GOP and the Republican National Committee. After she finished, the chair thanked her for her testimony and invited questions from the committee.
Ms. Keene — The chair thanked Ms. Keene for her testimony and asked whether there were any questions.
Doug Tumer / Doug Tumor — Introduced himself as retired, living in Otto Falls, and founder of an organization called Stand Up Right.
Doug Tumor — Continued his testimony, identifying concerns about an Article V convention and warning about a runaway convention.
Doug Tumer / Mr. Tumer — Continued and then concluded his testimony by warning that an Article V convention is too risky.
Mr. Tumer / Mr. Tummer — The chair thanked the witness and asked for questions, with the surname transcribed inconsistently.
Scott Perrin — Scott Perrin was introduced as the next witness and then identified himself as being from Cottonwood, Idaho. He argued strongly for tabling the resolution, saying he would rather do that than pass the bill. He expanded on that position by saying Idaho should work to wean itself away from federal dollars so the state can be more self-reliant and better positioned to lead. He added that if more states reduced their dependence on federal funding, it would strengthen the argument, and he said he is teaching his children the same values.
Mr. Perrin — The chair thanked him and asked for questions before moving to the next witness.
Larry Craig — Larry Craig is introduced as the next witness and then begins his testimony, identifying himself as a private citizen from Boise, Idaho. He thanks the committee for holding the hearing on this important issue and offers special thanks to Senator Ricks for sponsoring the concurrent resolution.
Senator Craig / Larry Craig — The chair thanked him respectfully and noted he is no longer a senator.
Liz Nickham — Identified herself as being from Twin Falls and questioned whether the Constitution is a systemic failure or whether people fail to honor it.
Ms. Nickham — The chair asked Ms. Nickham to conclude her remarks at the two-minute mark, then the committee thanked her for her testimony and invited questions.
Daniel Murphy — Daniel Murphy, from Boise, began his testimony and explained that after considering both sides, he now opposes the convention idea, citing concerns about delegate selection and rule-making.
Mr. Murphy — The committee thanked him and moved to the next witness.
Tom Luna — Tom Luna was introduced as the next witness, then identified himself as being from Canyon County, District 9, and testified in support of a balanced budget amendment.
students/youth — Luna said the committee would hear from students and urged members to listen closely.
Tom Muns / Tom Muntz / Mr. Mons — Introduced with inconsistent transcription of his name; he begins testimony.
Tom Munns — Testified that HCR 25 is unnecessary and that the Constitution already limits spending through enumerated powers.
Liz — Referenced as having made a prior point about the Constitution being at fault.
Mr. Munns — The witness concludes by opposing HCR 25 and warning about the burden of a convention.
Michael Law — States he is from Kuna and opposes the resolution, arguing that idolizing Ronald Reagan does not settle the issue.
Mr. Law — Concludes by urging opposition to the measure and warning about taxation.
Mary Kay Alex — Virtual witness/testifier is attempted but not successfully connected in this excerpt.
Mary Kay Alex — Committee attempts to connect with Mary Kay Alex virtually, but it fails.
Matthew Jensen — Introduced as the next testifier after a virtual invitation was rejected.
Matthew K. Jensen — Introduces himself as a lifelong Idahoan from District 17 and urges the committee to stop HCR 25.
Craig Zoburg — The chair attempts to move to Craig Zoburg after virtual testimony fails.
Craig Schober / Schoberg (questionable) — Craig Schober (name uncertain) opens his testimony by asking committee members whether they took an oath to the Constitution, then says that his prior visits with conventions of the states seemed plausible at first but left him with no real answers, which he characterizes as frustrating and unresponsive.
Evelyn Whiting — Evelyn Whiting is introduced as the next witness, then identifies herself as speaking for herself and her generation. She argues that debt has become normalized for young people and frames the amendment as an issue of intergenerational responsibility rather than punishment, emphasizing that responsible adults should act accordingly.
Ryan Spoon — The committee introduces Ryan Spoon, who then testifies in his capacity as first vice chair of the Ada County Republican Party. He states that the Idaho Republican Party opposes an Article 5 convention, and he concludes by saying he has no further remarks but is available to answer questions.
Heidi Smith Takatori — The committee calls Heidi Smith Takatori, who then identifies herself as being from District 9 and begins testifying against HCR-25. She argues that the convention application process is controlled by the legislatures and that Congress sets the rules after an application is made.
Mr. Spoon — Takatori references Spoon's point about legislatures applying for the convention.