Senate Education Committee reviews electronic voting, schedules joint briefings with House and DPI

Senator Todd Beard, chair of the Senate Education Committee, convened a short organizational meeting to review committee procedures, demonstrate the chamber's electronic voting/attendance tools and set a schedule for joint briefings with the House Education Committee and the Department of Public Instruction (DPI).

"We only have 5 bills right now," Beard said. "I'll be scheduling, I think I might schedule in 2 or 3 of those for next week. I'm not planning on doing anything on Monday." He also reviewed the day's joint schedule: a 9 a.m. joint meeting in the Coteau room that will run until about 11:30 a.m., a 1 p.m. session after lunch that will run until about 2 p.m., and a 2:30 p.m. briefing on Career and Technical Education (CTE). "Wade Sick will be in to give us information on CTE," Beard said.

Committee members received a brief walkthrough of the new microphones and electronic roll-call procedure. The group discussed how attendance voting appears as a vote icon in the meeting interface, and the clerk may adjust attendance records later if members log in after a roll is recorded. The chair asked committee members to use the chair to ask questions and reminded members that recordings are controlled by a green light indicator.

Members introduced themselves to colleagues during the session. Senators who spoke during the meeting included Randy Lem (District 20), Mike Wabomah (District 24), Josh O'Shea (District 44), Justin Gerhardt (Mandan), and Michelle Axman (District 7). Clerks Sue Hebling and Robin Ingolstead were introduced by the chair. Several speakers shared brief personal backgrounds and local ties while the committee organized logistics for the coming days.

The session focused on administrative readiness rather than substantive debate on legislation. Beard emphasized procedural courtesy: "We're here to question, not debate with those people," instructing members to channel questions through the chair so presenters can provide information. There were no formal motions or votes recorded during the meeting.

The committee adjourned after confirming the schedule and procedures for the day's joint meetings and presentations.