BOISE — At the Jan. 24 Senate Transportation Committee hearing, the committee chair emphasized the need for members to review upcoming administrative rule changes and suggested arranging site visits to two Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) properties to better understand costs and potential solutions.

"We've been asked by leadership to not dally on those," the chair said, urging members to read rule dockets and be prepared to make motions when the committee considers rules. He added that, earlier that day, he had spoken with the director of the Idaho Transportation Department and received a new cost estimate related to the State Street property. "It struck me that it might not be a bad idea for us to put eyes on that property and perhaps even the Chinden Campus so that we can get our brains wrapped around problems and solutions," he said.

The chair said he intends to invite members of the Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee (JFAC) and possibly House counterparts to participate in any site visit, noting that one of the committee's new members, Senator Burton Shaw, has prior JFAC experience and may have previously worked on the relevant budget. The chair said ITD will provide transportation for any site visit.

Committee members were encouraged to prepare; no formal motion or vote was taken on site visits or rule actions during the meeting. The discussion functioned as planning and direction-setting: members were asked to be ready to review rule dockets and to participate in potential property inspections when scheduled.

The committee did not provide dates, a formal scope of review, or a fiscal estimate for the proposed site visits during this session. The chair said he would reach out to House counterparts and JFAC members to coordinate participation and timing.