Idaho Senate considers and advances several gubernatorial appointments; most committee reports adopted

The Idaho Senate on Jan. 29, 2025, considered a series of gubernatorial appointments and adopted committee reports recommending confirmation for multiple nominees, including members of the Commission of Pardons and Parole, the Lake Pend Oreille Basin Commission, the Idaho Water Resource Board and the Idaho State Building Authority. One appointment listed for final consideration did not have a recorded final vote in the transcript.

Senators debated nominees’ qualifications before taking up committee reports. Senator Wintrow described Christine Starr, the governor’s nominee for executive director of the Commission of Pardons and Parole, as having “a deep passion for public safety and public service” and said Starr had “more than 20 years experience” in prosecution, defense and corrections work. Senator Galloway urged support for Mary Martin’s appointment to the Parole Commission, noting Martin “has spent the last 27 years…