Megan Egbert — Moves to approve the minutes from March 3 and March 10 and jokes with the chair.
Megan Egbert — Representative Megan Egbert asked for clarification on what happens when an abuse claim is substantiated but the related criminal case later ends in a not-guilty verdict, specifically how the substantiated finding interacts with the criminal outcome.
Megan Egbert — Representative Egbert asked a series of follow-up questions about the bill’s page seven language, seeking clarification on how the proposed subsection differs from existing law and code. He then continued the same line of inquiry by raising a practical example from his experience as a guardian ad litem and asking what consequences or limitations arise when parental rights cannot be terminated because of incarceration.
Megan Egbert — Recognized to speak to the substitute motion.
Megan Egbert — Said she would not support the substitute motion and argued there is no due process problem with the bill.
Megan Egbert — Quoted the chairman and praised the committee for focusing on children.
Megan Egbert — Said the committee has heard serious problems and praised foster parents for their work.
Megan Egbert — Voted no on the motion.
Megan Egbert — Voted yes on the motion.
Megan Egbert — Representative Egbert is first named in the roll call, then states she will not support the due pass because of conflicts with ADA requirements in the bill, and later is recorded voting no.
Brandon Shippy — The transcript appears to misrender the sponsor name as 'Representative Bicewinger/Byswinger'; likely intended to refer to the bill sponsor, but the exact member is uncertain from the audio provided.
Brandon Shippy — Referenced as a Senate colleague who had similar concerns about the bill's safety mechanism.
Brandon Shippy — Called as 'Representative Furman' and voted yes.
Brandon Shippy — The transcript says 'Representative Furman'; likely the member asking the question is Brandon Shippy? However, this is uncertain and should be treated cautiously.
Rob Byswinger — Introduces himself as District 8, representing Valley, Custer, Boise, and Elmore counties, and begins presenting a different topic focused on veterans' mental health.
Ilana Rubel — Moves to introduce RS 33592C1.
Ilana Rubel — During the roll-call vote, Representative Ilana Rubel was called and responded 'Yes,' indicating support for the motion.
Ilana Rubel — Representative Rubel was called during the roll call vote, with two later mentions appearing as likely mis-transcriptions of the same name; one of those mentions included a recorded 'No' vote.
Ben Fuhriman — The transcript appears to refer to Representative Ben Fuhriman as the sponsor of Senate Bill 1255.
Ben Fuhriman — Introduces Senate Bill 1255 and asks permission to read prepared remarks.
Ben Fuhriman — The chair indicates Representative Fuhriman may need to answer a question.
Ben Fuhriman — Responds that non-tribal people could be admitted in that case.
Ben Fuhriman — Clarifies that the bill is not limited to reservation residents or tribal members.
Ben Fuhriman — Assumed to be carrying Senate Bill 1255 on the floor.
Ben Fuhriman — Speaker addressed a question from Representative Kaler; the transcript appears to misrender the name as 'Kaler.'
Ben Fuhriman — Representative Fuhriman thanked Ms. Egbert for testifying and asked her to elaborate on the incarceration-related part of her story.
Ben Fuhriman — Representative Fuhriman asked how judges would determine the child’s best interest and expressed concern that overly aggressive judicial discretion could threaten parental rights. Perry responded by addressing that concern and explaining that the department had written an affidavit intended to stop visitation.
Ben Fuhriman — He asks about last year's negotiations and how the current bill disrupts carefully crafted language.
Ben Fuhriman — Recorded as voting no during the roll call vote; likely a mis-transcription of Fuhriman.
Josh Wheeler — Moves to send Senate Bill 1255 to the floor with a due pass recommendation.
Josh Wheeler — Introduced Senate Bill 1257.
Josh Wheeler — Acknowledged as the bill sponsor she worked with.
Josh Wheeler — Josh Wheeler delivered closing remarks on the bill, thanking the committee for its attention to parental rights and detail, explaining that the bill adds clarity to an existing process, citing the Egbert example as a clear illustration, recognizing the work of foster parents, the department, the ombudsman, and Senator Winthrop, and finally asking the committee to support the motion to send the bill to the floor with a due pass recommendation.
Josh Wheeler — Representative Wheeler was first recorded voting no, then later voting aye on the motion, and was subsequently asked whether he would carry the bill on the floor.
Josh Wheeler — Representative Wheeler moves to lay House Bill 808 on the table, the motion is then identified as the pending motion, and Wheeler is subsequently recorded in the roll call vote entries as voting both yes and no as the vote is taken and tallied.
Steven Tanner — The chair indicates that Representative Tanner may have a question, and Tanner then asks a brief question to Representative Furman about whether non-tribal people could be admitted to a tribal holding facility if it is the closest available location.
Steven Tanner — During the roll call on the motion, Representative Steven Tanner was recorded as voting no initially, and then later recorded as voting yes on the motion in subsequent roll-call mentions.
Steven Tanner — Representative Tanner was repeatedly called during the roll call vote and recorded in the voting sequence, including one entry marked yes and another marked no, with additional mentions simply naming him as the roll call proceeded.
Blake Ude — Blake Ude is called forward to testify and then identifies himself as speaking on behalf of the Shoshone Bannock tribes in support of the bill.
Carl Bjerke — The transcript appears to misrender 'Representative Vice-Wiard'; likely intended to refer to the vice chair, but the exact speaker is uncertain.
Robert Beiswenger — Representative Beiswenger asked how many people would be affected and what the issue was, and the witness responded that it likely involved about one to two individuals per year.
Robert Beiswenger — Raised concern that a nonviolent white-collar offense could still be considered in a parental-rights termination decision.
Robert Beiswenger — During roll call, Representative Beiswenger was called and his vote was recorded, first as no and then as yes on the motion, reflecting consecutive vote entries for the same member.
Robert Beiswenger — Representative Beiswenger gives brief closing comments on the bill, emphasizing that people should have the right to make their own medical decisions and supporting personal choice in vaccination. He also notes the need to clarify preemption language so first responders are not discouraged from helping in emergencies. The later mentions simply reference his closing remarks about the bill’s intent.
Robert Beiswenger — During the roll call vote, Representative Stone was called and recorded as voting no. The transcript also includes adjacent mis-transcribed entries likely referring to Representative Beiswenger/Byswinger, who was recorded as voting yes.
Tyrell Stevenson — Announced as the next virtual witness.
Melissa Wintrow — Melissa Wintrow was introduced as the Senate co-sponsor and then spoke in support of Senate Bill 1257. She identified herself as the senator for District 19 in Boise, described working with Representative Wheeler, and noted collaboration with Idaho Voices for Children, the Ombuds Office, and other stakeholders on the difficult child welfare issues underlying the bill.
Melissa Wintrow — Melissa Wintrow is credited with helping advance the bill and is invited to weigh in, after which she explains the bill’s intent and policy rationale. She says the measure is not an expansion of rights but is meant to give courts, rather than the department, discretion in considering incarceration-related factors, with an emphasis on consistency across counties. She illustrates the issue with a heartbreaking case involving an incarcerated parent and a foster mother, arguing that the bill is focused on protecting very young children, especially those ages zero to three, while recognizing that courts generally favor parental rights.
Melissa Wintrow — Called during the roll call vote; no vote value captured in this line.
Jean Fisher — Jean Fisher is introduced and yielded time to as a witness, then she begins her testimony by identifying herself as the Administrator for Youth Safety and Permanency at the Department of Health and Welfare and briefly describing her background in prosecution and sexual abuse cases.