Dave Lent — The chair is referenced as being busy in JFAC Rules.
Dave Lent — Presiding over the discussion.
Dave Lent — Addressed in the response as the presiding chair.
Dave Lent — Presiding over the exchange.
Dave Lent — Likely a transcription error referring to a committee member; exact identity uncertain.
Dave Lent — Presiding over the discussion.
Dave Lent — Presiding over the exchange.
Dave Lent — Presiding over the exchange.
Dave Lent — Indicates the committee is ready to act on the bill.
Dave Lent — Likely a transcription error for a committee member being addressed before the motion.
Dave Lent — Addressed by Ms. McClure during the explanation of why virtual schools were excluded.
Dave Lent — Recognized the committee's discussion and the motion to vote on House Bill 883.
Dave Lent — Acknowledged as the chair during the transition to the next bill.
Dave Lent — Addressed as Mr. Chairman.
Emily McClure — Identifies herself as a lawyer and lobbyist speaking for the Idaho Charter School Network in support of House Bill 883.
Emily McClure — Emily McClure explains that the charter-school code references are tied to the charter school credit enhancement program and performance certificates. She then describes how charter performance certificates work, including authorizer oversight and the process for comparing charter schools to districts. She further clarifies that district criteria can be comparable to charter criteria but not identical because districts do not have an authorizer, and she provides estimated qualifying numbers.
Kevin Cook — Asks whether dropping reports will still allow validation that schools remain at the required performance level.
Kevin Cook — Senator Kevin Cook first questions why virtual schools were excluded from the bill and follows up on what he may be missing in the legislation, including a response from Ms. McClure. He later returns to the same concern by asking again whether there is a reason virtual schools were pulled out, and then moves to send House Bill 883 to the floor with a due pass recommendation.
Kevin Cook — Stated support for the memorial while reserving the right to change on the floor.
Cindy Carlson — Senator Cindy Carlson is called on to speak and then responds briefly, indicating she has no further questions and thanking the chair.
Catherine French — A witness is introduced as testifying by video.
Kate French — Chief Operating Officer of American Class School Schools of Idaho; testifies in support of House Bill 883.
Dr. Victoria Young — Dr. Victoria Young is introduced as an in-person witness, then identifies herself as being from Caldwell and District 11 and begins testimony opposing the bill. Shortly after, Senator Burtenshaw addresses her directly and asks her to provide an example, continuing the same witness exchange.
Van Burtenshaw — Senator Burtenshaw asks Dr. Victoria Young a question, seeking an example of unequal rules and briefly apologizing as he addresses her.
Van Burtenshaw — Senator Burtenshaw asked what the U.S. Department of Education does and followed up by asking whether Idaho’s federal education funding would be affected if the department were disbanded.
Janie Ward-Engelking — The sponsor references Senator Ward-Engelking as having served on an interim committee with her years ago.
Janie Ward-Engelking — Mentioned again as part of the sponsor's broader discussion of funding flexibility.
Janie Ward-Engelking — Referenced as part of the committee discussion context.
Janie Ward-Engelking — Asked whether the reporting requirements being waived would affect federal funding.
Janie Ward-Engelking — Asked whether waiving reporting requirements would jeopardize federal funding.
Janie Ward-Engelking — Asked why virtual schools are excluded from the bill.
Janie Ward-Engelking — Her earlier question about virtual schools is referenced.
Janie Ward-Engelking — Referenced as 'the good senator' in connection with performance certificates and related legislation.
Janie Ward-Engelking — Raised concern that the memorial may be premature because the destination of federal programs is still uncertain.
Janie Ward-Engelking — Janie Ward-Engelking briefly referenced prior public comments by the superintendent, then followed with a substantive remark expressing concern that if the U.S. Department of Education were eliminated, the state might need to restore education department budget and staffing cuts.
Ms. McClure — The discussion centers on Ms. McClure’s explanation of the charter/virtual school provisions. She is referenced as having said waived reports would not jeopardize federal funding, then is yielded to for clarification on the charter performance plan. Ms. McClure explains that virtual schools were excluded partly because of political timing and because most would not qualify under the academic benchmarks, but notes the legislature could pursue including them later if desired. She also explains that the bill would give schools more discretionary flexibility to recruit teachers and allocate funds.
Carrie Semmelroth — Senator Carrie Semmelroth asked for clarification on the bill’s charter-school criteria and how they compare with district thresholds. The discussion continued as her question was answered by Ms. McClure, and later references pointed back to Semmelroth’s earlier comparison question.
Carrie Semmelroth — Carrie Semmelroth thanked the senator for bringing the memorial forward and said she supported deregulating schools where possible, but she also raised strong concerns about the broader implications of the memorial, including the uncertainty around the Office of Federal Student Aid and the risk of losing important federal education institutions and unresolved complaint processes.
James Woodward — The motion on House Bill 883 carries, and the committee turns to her presentation of House Joint Memorial 19.
James Woodward — Made the motion to send House Joint Memorial 19 to the floor with a due pass recommendation.
Jeannie Fishburn — Named as the next person expected to testify, though she does not appear to speak in this excerpt.
Edward Clark — Testifies in support of House Joint Memorial 19 on behalf of the Idaho Family Policy Center.
Dr. Victoria M. Young — Dr. Victoria M. Young, a veterinarian from Caldwell in District 11 with 41 years of practice, introduced herself and used her medical background to explain her approach to evaluating the Department of Education, comparing it to gathering a thorough history before making an accurate diagnosis.