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Idaho House Education Committee sets hearing rules, favors in-person testimony
Summary
At an organizational meeting, the Idaho House Education Committee adopted operating guidelines for the session: a paperless approach, a 9 a.m. start time, 5-minute presentations, 2-minute public comments, default voice votes with roll call on request, and protection of draft RS materials until introduction.
The Idaho House Education Committee adopted a set of procedural rules at an organizational meeting, Chairman Doug Pickett said, establishing how bills, public testimony and committee business will be handled during the session.
Chairman Doug Pickett said the committee will operate as a paperless body and "we will meet at 9 a.m." He told members that bill presenters will be given five minutes, public testimony will be limited to two minutes per person for bill hearings, and sponsors may have up to five minutes for a final statement. He also said the committee will allow remote testimony but "would like to give preference to those who attend."
The new operating guidelines are intended to set expectations for decorum, testimony and the handling of draft materials. Pickett asked members to treat RS files as private until a sponsor introduces them and to consult the sponsor before sharing them. He referred committee members to Joint Rule 18 when reviewing statements of purpose and fiscal notes attached to RS files, saying the committee must ensure those materials meet rule requirements before bills move forward.
Under the adopted practices, votes will be taken by voice unless a roll call is requested in advance. The chair said that if a voice vote is unclear the chair will call for a roll call, and members may request their dissent be recorded. Pickett also said committees may use a range of motions on bills — including recommending "do pass," holding a bill, scheduling it to a time certain (which requires a date), sending it to general orders, or recommending "do not pass" — and that amendments and RS revisions are permissible. He said a motion to call the previous question will not be entertained in committee because the purpose of committee is to permit debate.
Pickett emphasized decorum in interactions with the public and fellow members, asking members to route questions through the chair and to refrain from editorializing or campaigning during bill debate. "I would first ask that we don't editorialize or campaign in our comments on bills," he said.
Members began the meeting with brief introductions. Representatives who spoke included Kent Marvin of Caldwell (District 11), Steve Tanner (District 13), Kyle Harris (District 7), Mark Sautter (District 1), Jack Nelson (District 26), Tony Wischniewski (District 5), Lance Clow (District 25), Amy Benson (committee member), Dale Hawkins (District 2), Ron Mendive (District 5), Barbara Eheart (District 33), Dan Garrett (District 28), Chris Mathias (District 19), and Monica Church (District 19). A legislative page, identified only as Alexandria, was also introduced.
The chair said agendas will be provided with as much advance notice as possible and said the committee currently has no plans to meet on Friday mornings, though he left open the possibility of Friday meetings later in the session if necessary. He asked members to leave meeting folders in the room for future use and to develop the habit of routing comments through the chair to maintain orderly hearings. With no further business, Pickett closed the organizational meeting.
