Kevin Cook — Senator Kevin Cook is addressed in a continuous exchange about the bill’s fiscal note and implementation. The questioning focuses on whether the proposal would require district policy changes and what implementation costs might be involved.
Kevin Cook — Called on regarding a motion.
Kevin Cook — Coach Danielson is referenced by Rogar in support of the recruiting concerns.
Kevin Cook — Kevin Cook reflected on his lifelong love of competition, saying that as a youth he did not seek out an easy team or play with kids his own age, but instead preferred tougher competition and stronger opponents. He continued that theme by joking that his current competition is simply getting out of bed and making it to the Capitol.
Dennis Mansfield — Dennis Mansfield was introduced as an in-person witness and then testified in support of House Bill 623. He urged a yes vote, described how moments of silence and reflection were meaningful in his experience with New Hope, emphasized that the practice was not about imposing faith, and said conversations with former inmates and his grandchildren reinforced his belief that the bill had value. He closed by again asking the committee to support the bill.
Alan Gorin — Alan Gorin introduced himself as the Idaho representative for Prager University and explained his perspective on the value of silence. He argued that moments of silence have universal appeal, resonating with both religious and non-religious people, and cited personal and cultural references such as his upbringing, a saying about silence, and "The Sounds of Silence." He concluded by urging people to pause, step back from daily entanglements, and reflect, emphasizing that this practice can be meaningful in both religious and secular terms.
Mendo Leff Schiltz — Listed as an in-person witness to testify; pronunciation noted as uncertain.
Mendel Lifshitz — Mendel Lifshitz testified in support of House Bill 623, describing it as a measure that promotes equality for students of all faiths and backgrounds and could help address youth struggles such as bullying, drug use, and suicide. He argued the bill has a proven track record in other states, citing data suggesting reductions in juvenile crime and improvements in mental health, including comparisons between states like New York and New Jersey. When questioned, he acknowledged he could not say Idaho-specific data existed yet or that the bill was the only factor in the outcomes, but said the multi-year, multi-state study supported his position and offered to share the data with the committee.
Dave Lent — Throughout this portion of the meeting, speakers repeatedly address Dave Lent as Chairman/Mr. Chairman while engaging the committee, offering greetings, thanks, and brief remarks directed to him as the presiding member. The mentions reflect a continuous sequence of committee exchanges rather than separate substantive discussions.
Dave Lent — Dave Lent is repeatedly addressed as 'Mr. Chairman' throughout a continuous committee exchange, with no substantive topic shift indicated in the mentions provided.
Janie Ward-Engelking — Janie Ward-Engelking is introduced as having a question and then asks whether the moment-of-silence policy was the only change made in the cited states, challenging the implication that the policy alone caused the observed outcome.
Janie Ward-Engelking — Janie Ward-Engelking is referenced in a continuous exchange, first through a garbled address and later directly as 'Senator,' indicating she is the questioner or participant being addressed in the same discussion.
Janie Ward-Engelking — Continued speaking in support of the 60-second silence period as a helpful way for students to de-stress and prepare for the day.
Janie Ward-Engelking — Was addressed in the prior exchange and is part of the ongoing questioning about recruiting Idaho students.
Janie Ward-Engelking — Senator Ward-Engelking argued that Idaho is still developing its youth sports and club-team pipelines, so some sports are not yet at the level needed to compete with other states and at least eight teams could be affected by the bill. She said she did not want to further damage universities, appreciated the work on the bill, but would ultimately vote no. In response, another speaker pushed back, saying that the fact Idaho kids are not yet at that level is not a reason to stop working with them.
Heather Stout — Heather Stout was introduced as the next video witness and then testified in opposition to HB 623, stating that a required daily moment of silence in public schools raises serious First Amendment concerns.
Kathy Daz — Listed as a forthcoming video witness.
Vicki Fadness — Vicki Fadness is introduced as an upcoming witness and then appears to testify. She identifies herself as a retired first- and second-grade teacher and begins opposing the bill by explaining what a minute of silence would look like in a primary classroom.
Ms. Stout — The chair thanks Ms. Stout after her testimony.
Kathy Dawes — Kathy Dawes is introduced as the next remote witness and then begins her testimony, identifying herself as a longtime Moscow resident and retired eighth-grade science teacher speaking on her own behalf.
Ms. Dawes — Chair thanks Kathy Dawes after her testimony.
Daniel Murphy — Daniel Murphy is introduced as the next in-person witness and then begins his testimony, thanking the chairman and committee and speaking in support of a short quiet break at the start of the school day.
unnamed substitute teacher witness — A 15-year substitute teacher testified in support of House Bill 623, drawing on experience across preschool, special education, K-12, and juvenile hall to argue that quiet time in classrooms helps students settle in. The witness said students could use the time for silent prayer or reflection and emphasized that classroom time is never perfectly uninterrupted, making the proposal practical and beneficial.
Mr. Murphy — The chair thanks Mr. Murphy after his testimony.
Mary Mansley? / Dr. Mary Mosley — The chair initially misreads the name, then the witness identifies herself as Dr. Mary Mosley from Meridian.
Benjamin Shavitz — Benjamin Shavitz appears as a virtual witness and begins his testimony by identifying himself as a resident of District 17 and thanking the committee for hearing him.
Bonnie Faf — Bonnie Faf introduces herself as representing AAUW and opposes the bill.
David Magera — David Magera, a pastor in Caldwell, is introduced and begins his proponent testimony, thanking the senator and committee for the opportunity to speak and starting his support for the bill.
Carrie Semmelroth — Asks about current practice and whether teachers can already take a 60-second silence break.
Carrie Semmelroth — Asked Theros to explain what she meant by needing to be more competitive to keep Idaho students at home.
Carrie Semmelroth — Is part of the continuing committee discussion about Idaho student-athlete recruiting and competitiveness.
Carrie Semmelroth — Praised for having gone through the system, staying in Idaho, and working in the state; used as an example of the bill's goals.
Tammy Nichols — Senator Tammy Nichols is called on regarding a motion and then speaks in support of it, citing a New York University study about student stress as part of her argument.
Tammy Nichols — Senator Nichols asked a series of follow-up questions to the witness about whether there is any written NCAA evidence, such as a letter, indicating that the bill would be considered a problem, and whether limiting scholarships would be viewed as discriminatory.
Christy Zito — Senator Christy Zito speaks in support of the bill, saying she sees nothing wrong with teaching children these kinds of values and recalling that similar practices were common when she was in school. She also references her service on the board of Bridging the Gap as part of her broader support for the bill.
Christy Zito — Asked whether Idaho must recruit outside the United States to get competitive student-athletes.
Christy Zito — Suggested focusing resources on developing in-state or domestic talent instead of recruiting abroad.
Christy Zito — Asks where scholarship funding comes from and follows up on the financing of athletic scholarships.
Christy Zito — Referenced generically as 'Senator' in support of recruiting kids from the state first.
Christy Zito — Introduced as the next speaker, though the name appears to be a transcription error and is likely a senator's name.
Jeremiah Dickey — Jeremiah Dickey is introduced as the first witness appearing by video, then begins his testimony to the committee, thanking the chair and members and starting remarks opposing Senate Bill 1357 while describing the Broncos as selected on merit.
Spencer Danielson — Spencer Danielson, head football coach at Boise State, testified in opposition to the bill. He explained that Boise State recruits based on both talent and character, argued that the bill would harm recruiting, and noted that the team includes 14 Idaho players and 18 international players. He also pointed to examples of international players who became valued members of the community.
Beck Roghar — Named as the third witness to testify.
Boise State representative / witness — Argued that international student athletes contribute academically, stay in Idaho after graduation, and become community leaders.
Beck Rogar — Beck Rogar, the head women's tennis coach at Boise State University, introduced herself and opposed the bill, explaining that it would be used against her program in negative recruiting and would make it harder to compete for top players.
Tom Worcesterchell / Tom Wistersell — The chair or committee member appears to introduce the next witness, with the name uncertain due to transcription.
Commissioner Tom Wistersell — Identified himself as commissioner of the Big Sky Conference and began testimony opposing the bill.
Tom Wistersell — Tom Wistersell testified that the bill could jeopardize a state’s ability to host NCAA tournament games because the NCAA is sensitive to laws it views as discriminatory or restrictive of student opportunity. He said he does not have a formal NCAA letter, but relies on years of experience with the national championship bid process and his work on the men’s basketball committee, where he has seen host-site questionnaires ask about state laws. Based on that experience, he explained that NCAA staff would likely flag the issue for review, especially laws involving discrimination based on race, creed, color, equity, or similar factors, though he would not guarantee the bill would definitively violate NCAA rules.
Terry Golic — Terry Golic, the athletic director at the University of Idaho, testified in strong opposition to the bill. He argued that it would hinder Idaho athletics from competing at the highest level and could force the university to drop both men’s and women’s tennis because it would be unable to compete effectively against NCAA opponents. In response to questions, he said that in some sports Idaho would need to recruit outside the United States and explained that, in certain sports, the lower-level training available is not sufficient for Division I competition.
Pauline Theros — Pauline Theros, Director of Athletics at Idaho State University, explained that Idaho State actively recruits Idaho students, visits every Idaho high school each year, and prioritizes Idaho first before recruiting regionally, nationally, and selectively internationally when it benefits Idaho programs. She emphasized that Idaho institutions should be allowed to compete under the same rules as their peers across the country.