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Idaho Senate confirms three gubernatorial appointees, advances committee reports
Summary
On Feb. 12, 2025, the Idaho Senate adopted committee reports to confirm three gubernatorial appointments to two disability commissions and the Public Employee Retirement System board; committees also reported and referred several bills to calendars for further consideration.
BOISE — The Idaho Senate on Feb. 12 confirmed three gubernatorial appointees and advanced multiple committee reports that referred bills to later calendars, the chamber’s records show.
The confirmations were completed by voice vote after brief remarks from senators who recommended the nominees. The appointees and the committees that reported their nominations took up each item under the Senate’s motions to adopt committee reports.
Senators confirmed Alan R. Schneider for reappointment to the Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired. The Health and Welfare Committee had reported Schneider’s appointment and recommended confirmation; the committee report noted a term ending July 1, 2027. In remarks to the chamber, a senator who opened debate described Schneider as an active member of the organization with a long teaching background and community ties; debate was brief and no senator recorded a negative vote. The committee report was adopted and the secretary was directed to file the paperwork and notify the governor.
The Senate also confirmed Joshua Whitworth to the Public Employee Retirement System of Idaho (PERSI) board. The Commerce and Human Resources Committee reported Whitworth’s nomination with a term set to expire Sept. 1, 2029. A senator speaking in support noted Whitworth’s Idaho roots, family ranching background, and prior state service, and recommended confirmation. The committee report was adopted by the Senate and the action will be filed with the secretary and reported to the governor.
Mark Watkins was reappointed to the Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired and confirmed after the Health and Welfare Committee recommended confirmation; the committee report listed a term expiring July 1, 2026. A senator who opened debate described Watkins’s long teaching career, his role at Brigham Young University–Idaho and his experience with vision loss. The report was adopted by voice vote and will be filed in the secretary’s office.
Separately, several standing committees reported bills and resolutions to the Senate calendar. The Judiciary and Rules Committee reported that Senate Concurrent Resolution 102 was correctly enrolled and ready for transmission to the House of Representatives. The Commerce and Human Resources Committee reported House Bill 55 and an identified Senate bill and recommended they do pass; the Education Committee reported a Senate bill and recommended it do pass; other committees referred various House bills to the second-reading calendar or held them for one legislative day, as noted on the Senate floor. Where the committees recommended further consideration, the Senate referred those measures to the appropriate reading order or to the fourteenth order for possible amendment.
No roll-call vote tallies were recorded in the spoken record for the confirmations on Feb. 12; the Senate adopted the committee reports by voice votes and the presiding officer announced that the ayes prevailed. No senator registered a recorded nay during the adoption and confirmation sequences in the public proceedings.
The Senate’s public session also included non‑legislative introductions and a Lincoln Day program attended by guests from statewide organizations; those ceremonial remarks were delivered separately from the committee actions and confirmations. The Senate adjourned to reconvene at 11 a.m. Feb. 13, 2025.
