Kelly Anthon — The chair asks for the witness's name and who she represents; the transcript likely refers to Senator Nichols, not a listed member.
Kelly Anthon — Kelly Anthon introduces Senate Bill 1389 and explains that rural counties need polling places, which are often hosted by local churches, grange halls, and similar community facilities. He argues the bill is intended to provide liability protection to property owners who voluntarily allow their buildings to be used as polling places, because control of the premises shifts to the county during the election. In response to questions, he says counties should choose safe, accessible locations and that liability protection should apply only during the election use of the property. He closes by emphasizing that without the bill, polling locations may become harder to secure, that counties control the election site and invite the public in, and that the bill has been vetted and should be advanced without amendment.
Kelly Anthon — A brief exchange on the bill in which Senator Anthon is thanked for his leadership and work with stakeholders, and he responds by thanking the committee, Representative Ehart, and others who testified, noting the effort put into the bill.
Kelly Anthon — Referenced as having noted higher thresholds in other taxing districts.
Kelly Anthon — Corrected on the record regarding the threshold for highway districts.
Kelly Anthon — Invited to close on the bill.
Kelly Anthon — Closed by reiterating that the bill is a cleanup measure removing property owners from the petition signature requirement.
Kelly Anthon — Asked whether she would amend the bill to a 20% or 25% threshold and responded that it was not her preference.
Treg Bernt — Seconded the motion on RS 33743.
Treg Bernt — The transcript says 'Senator Taves' as seconding the motion; the later line appears to mis-transcribe 'Bernt' as 'Burnt'.
Treg Bernt — The transcript says 'Senator Burnt'; likely intended to be Senator Bernt.
Treg Bernt — Seconded the motion on RS 33721.
Treg Bernt — Addressed as “Senator Byrne” / “Majority Leader” in the transcript; asked for confirmation that services are not being cut off.
Treg Bernt — Seconded the motion on Senate Bill 1391.
Treg Bernt — Seconded the motion on Senate Bill 1389.
Treg Bernt — Senator Bernt moves to send House Bill 860 to the 14th order for possible amendments, and the motion is recorded as being seconded by Senator Taves.
Lori Hartog — The transcript appears to refer to Senator Den Hartog; likely Senator Lori Hartog, but the audio/text is uncertain.
Lori Hartog — The chair calls on Senator Den Hartog to present House Bill 674. Senator Den Hartog then introduces the bill, identifies herself for the record, and explains that she needs to leave later for a House committee. The discussion continues with questions directed to her about HB 674.
Lori Hartog — Senator Den Hartog closed on the bill by addressing concerns about rural telecom infrastructure and explaining that the legislation streamlines investment in newer technologies by removing a duplicative process. She noted that rural telecommunications companies were consulted, the PUC is not weighing in, and similar laws exist in other states. In response to questions, she confirmed that FCC review requires another adequate service before discontinuance, clarified that the cited section refers to FCC procedures and the no-discontinuance-without-replacement-service concept, and said she would call her 'lifeline' to confirm her interpretation.
Lori Hartog — Closes the witness's testimony and begins closing remarks, noting the technology issues.
Lori Hartog — Reiterates support for the bill's structure and notes the irony of technology problems during a technology-related discussion.
Lori Hartog — Argues the FCC must remain involved and the bill merely removes duplicative review.
Lori Hartog — Says the bill removes an additional layer while preserving service protections.
Lori Hartog — Asked that the bill be held over for one meeting so additional questions could be answered.
Lori Hartog — Invited to bring the bill back when ready.
Ben Adams — Senator Ben Adams made two consecutive procedural motions to send separate resolutions to print: first RS 33721 and then RS 33660.
Jim Guthrie — Identifies himself as State Senator from District 28 and presents RS 33660.
Jim Guthrie — Indicated the committee would entertain a motion to hold the bill subject to the call of the chair.
Jim Guthrie — Called for the vote on the motion to hold the bill.
Jim Guthrie — The chair asks Skip about his role in sponsoring the enabling legislation for the lottery commission.
Jim Guthrie — Closes the questioning by saying there are no other questions.
Jim Guthrie — Says the committee will vote on the appointment at the next meeting.
Jim Guthrie — Closes the questioning and thanks the senators.
Jim Guthrie — Directs the next witness to introduce themselves for the record.
Jim Guthrie — Asks whether there are other questions and then raises a question about the horse racing industry.
Jim Guthrie — Closes questioning, apologizes for technology problems, and says the vote will be taken at the next meeting.
Jim Guthrie — Addressed as 'Pro Tem' in the transcript during the question exchange.
Jim Guthrie — Addressed as 'Pro Tem' and 'Mr. Chairman' during the exchange.
Jim Guthrie — The speaker thanked the Pro Tem for efforts on the bill.
James Ruchti — Identified as the second on the motion to send RS 33660 to print.
James Ruchti — Senator Ruchti questioned the witness about which groups would be negatively affected by the bill, asking first for clarification on the concern and then requesting specific subcategories of copper wire customers who might be impacted.
James Ruchti — Senator James Ruchti repeatedly questions the bill’s discontinuance language and related procedures, asking what Section 62-612A means, whether the inserted “A or B” structure creates ambiguity, and later why having two processes would be a problem for the company. The exchange stays focused on clarifying how the proposed language would work in practice and whether it creates unnecessary complications.
James Ruchti — Said he was comfortable with the federal code as read and then moved to hold House Bill 674 in committee at the call of the chair.
James Ruchti — Spoke in support of the motion and explained how the bill's language is being reorganized.
James Ruchti — Referenced as having pointed out that Section B repeats current law.
James Ruchti — Makes a personal comment about Skip's kindness and support when Ruchti first came to the legislature in 2006.
James Ruchti — Continues describing Skip's support and mentorship when Ruchti was new to the legislature.
James Ruchti — James Ruchti, in a question to Senator Anthon, asks about the process counties use to inspect polling locations and whether voters are directed to a specific area within the site after it is deemed safe and suitable.
James Ruchti — James Ruchti said he generally dislikes bills that eliminate liability, but he agreed that counties assume responsibility when they inspect and select polling places. He argued that counties have a duty because they check the safety of a location before inviting the public in, so the bill does not eliminate liability entirely but places responsibility on the county. He indicated this reasoning supports his vote for the bill to preserve polling-place options.
James Ruchti — Senator Josh Cole introduced House Bill 549 and yielded his time to Representative Fay Thompson, who then took the floor to present the bill to the committee.