Treg Bernt — Seconded the motion on Senate Bill 1351.
Treg Bernt — Seconded the motion to send Senate Bill 1359 to the 14th order for possible amendments.
Treg Bernt — Asked whether Boise State has spoken with the federal delegation about college athletics issues.
Treg Bernt — Likely the senator being addressed as 'Senator Byrne' in the transcript; the text indicates he is handling the motion process.
Treg Bernt — Identified as the second on the motion; transcript rendered the name as 'Senator Taves.'
Ben Toews — Made the motion to send RS 33628 to print.
Ben Toews — Seconded the motion on RS 33644.
Lori Hartog — Senator Lori Hartog was noted as having an excused absence this morning.
Kelly Anthon — Identified as the second on the motion for Senate Bill 1348.
Kelly Anthon — Asks a clarifying question about the bill's definitions of camping versus protesting.
Kelly Anthon — States he is trying to understand the bill and the distinction between camping and protesting.
Kelly Anthon — Suggests a distinction between true camping and protest activity for purposes of the bill.
Kelly Anthon — Asks whether he is missing something about the need for front-end content analysis.
Kelly Anthon — Addressed by the speaker during the exchange; Senator Anthon is seeking to understand the practical balance between protest and park maintenance.
Kelly Anthon — Addressed by the witness while explaining the legal distinction between protest and living there.
Kelly Anthon — Acknowledged Senator Adams and introduced a question about the bill.
Kelly Anthon — Asked about the discretion given to the Department of Administration in the bill's rulemaking language.
Kelly Anthon — Responded that the testimony helped deliberations and that the bill is not unconstitutional on its face.
Kelly Anthon — Said the opposition testimony was worth considering and stated the bill is not unconstitutional on its face.
Kelly Anthon — Argued the bill allows agency rulemaking to meet court requirements and is not facially unconstitutional.
Kelly Anthon — Said objections rely on hypothetical facts and that he cannot oppose House Bill 603 on those grounds.
Kelly Anthon — Said the Capitol Mall has year-round needs and that his leadership role informs his view.
Kelly Anthon — Explained that the Capitol Mall has year-round security and access needs, including events, bomb threats, and security sweeps.
Kelly Anthon — Continued listing reasons the grounds must remain accessible, beyond maintenance needs.
Kelly Anthon — Argued that practical needs support a time, place, and manner restriction while preserving protest rights.
Kelly Anthon — Said the statute recognizes practical realities and aims to find a balance between protest rights and government needs.
Kelly Anthon — Announced support for the motion and said he would vote in favor while continuing to seek balance.
Pam Eaton — Pam Eaton was introduced as the next testifier and then identified herself as President and CEO representing the Idaho Retailers Association and the Idaho Lodging and Restaurant Association, stating her support for the bill.
Ms. Eaton — The chair thanked Ms. Eaton after her testimony.
James Ruchti — Senator James Ruchti introduces Senate Bill 1359 and explains that it is designed to provide basic safeguards without over-regulating the industry. He identifies himself as the State Senator for District 29 in Pocatello and describes the bill as focused on basic registration, disclosure, and compliance requirements. He also cites Idaho cryptocurrency scam losses, noting that Idahoans lost more than $35 million in 2024 compared with $19 million in 2023, and says those figures are likely underreported. He references input from the senior fraud and financial exploitation working group, and later remarks refer back to his explanation of Idaho’s losses from crypto kiosk fraud.
James Ruchti — Senator Ruchti was given the opportunity to close, indicated he was fine with closing, and then delivered his closing remarks on the bill, saying it strikes the right balance and inviting any questions.
James Ruchti — During the questioning period, Senator James Ruchti asks whether the resolution’s scope extends across Idaho’s public universities and NCAA divisions, then follows up by asking how the issues raised would affect other higher education institutions in the state. The chair later checks whether he has any additional questions and notes that he is done.
James Ruchti — Continued arguing that college sports are headed toward a split where the SEC and Big Ten take the top programs, leaving others behind; said Boise State and similar programs deserve a seat at the table.
James Ruchti — Senator Ruchti repeatedly questions witnesses about how the bill would withstand legal challenge, including concerns about prior lawsuits over camping on state grounds, whether the legislation could be found unconstitutional, what a constitutionally sound statutory framework would look like, and what liability or attorney-fee exposure the state might face if litigation arises. Witnesses and the chair respond by addressing the legal assumptions and deferring some questions to the Attorney General’s office, while continuing to discuss the bill’s potential court challenges and legal structure.
James Ruchti — Senator Ruchti stated that he would vote against the bill, explaining that while he understood the underlying issue, he believed the legislature was taking an overly reckless approach that would likely trigger repeated litigation and unnecessary taxpayer expense. He argued the statute should be refined to get it right and avoid wasting public money, and he was later recorded as voting no on the motion to advance House Bill 603.
Lisa Anderson — Lisa Anderson of AARP Idaho introduced herself as the organization’s advocacy director and explained that AARP has partnered on the bill. She then urged support for the measure, describing crypto kiosks as a favored tool of scammers targeting older Americans and citing Idaho and national fraud-loss figures to show the scale of the problem. She emphasized that kiosk transactions are difficult to reverse, that the bill is pro-accountability rather than anti-technology, and that financial exploitation can harm victims’ families and shift costs to taxpayers and public safety-net programs such as Medicaid and long-term care. She concluded by arguing that the bill reflects responsible governance and asking the committee to pass Senate Bill 1359 to protect Idaho seniors from financial exploitation.
Brad Thorne — Brad Thorne, a Boise police officer and Secret Service task force officer/cybercrime detective, testified about the harms of kiosk fraud. He described how scammers target victims like Sarah, Judy, and Thomas, leading to large cash losses through kiosks, including deposits as high as $40,000. He noted that there are no regulations preventing such large single deposits, said police were able to intervene in at least one case, and urged passage of the bill as the best way to protect and serve the community.
Deputy Chief Zach Hessing — Was called to testify next after Brad Thorne.
Chief Deputy Zach Kessing — Identified himself as Chief Deputy at the Ada County Sheriff's Office and testified in support of SB 1359.
Jeremiah Shen — Jeremiah Shen, interim president of Boise State University, testified about the importance of Boise State athletics and its major economic impact, while emphasizing that the broader college athletics financial model is unstable. He argued that the industry needs thoughtful, bipartisan federal leadership and standards to help stabilize it.
President Shen — President Shen explained that concerns about Boise State’s situation in the FBS could ripple outward to affect FCS programs and other schools, including Idaho and Idaho State, so the resolution should be considered in terms of impacts across all NCAA divisions. He also noted that he and Athletic Director Jeremiah Dickey have met twice with the federal delegation about college athletics and found them receptive to the discussion.
Jeremiah Dickey — Jeremiah Dickey, Boise State's Director of Athletics, introduced Boise State's athletic profile and national recognition, citing its history, major football moments, and broad visibility. He argued that Boise State's brand and the broader college athletics system are at risk because of inconsistent rules, state-by-state NIL laws, litigation, and lack of uniform governance. Dickey urged Congress to establish a single national framework for NIL, revenue sharing, and eligibility, emphasized that changes at the FBS level affect lower divisions as well, framed Boise State as an important voice for Idaho and the Treasure Valley, and closed by asking the committee to support the joint memorial.
Spencer Danielson — Boise State head football coach; introduces his program 'Built Different' and says it focuses on building champions on and off the field.
Kaylon Downs — Introduced as the women's golf coach, though the transcription is incomplete at the end of the section.
Kaelin Downs — Women's golf coach representing women's sports teams and Olympic sports; emphasizes student-athlete development and community contribution.
Jim Clemon — Name is announced as a virtual participant, though the spelling is uncertain.
Jim Clayman — Athletic director at Lewis-Clark State; introduces the NAIA and its scope.
Ahmed Hussein — A virtual witness is being attempted, but the name is uncertain and the connection may not be established.
Jen White — The committee moves on to Jen White after the attempted virtual connection fails.
Jennifer White — Jennifer White, Executive Director of the State Board of Education, introduces herself and explains that she is testifying on behalf of Idaho institutions, continuing her opening remarks in support of the long-standing model of college athletics.