Senate Commerce and Human Resources committee introduces page Samantha Smith; agrees not to assign rules packets

Acting Chair of the Senate Commerce and Human Resources Committee opened the panel’s first meeting by introducing Samantha Smith as the committee page and by outlining plans for committee rules and scheduling, noting that Senator Foreman was double-booked and not present to chair the session.

The appointment matter mattered to members because pages support committee operations and because the panel settled how it will handle committee rules and agenda planning for the coming weeks. The chair said the group would not assign individual copies of the rules packet; instead, members will share responsibility for the materials. The committee also confirmed a rules-review meeting scheduled for the next day.

Samantha Smith, introduced as “the page for your committee, Commerce and Human Resources,” told members she is from Moscow, Idaho, and said she is “super excited to be here and to serve all of you and help wherever I can.” She described a ranching background: “I live on a ranch with my mom and dad and little sister where we raise quarter horses, cattle,” and said she and her sister operate a club-lamb business. Smith said she is active in FFA and 4‑H and plans to study agricultural communications with an emphasis on policy; when asked by Senator Berndt, she said she intends to attend the University of Idaho after high school.

On committee operations, the acting chair explained the choice not to assign specific rules packets to individual members: “What we're not going to do, is assign in the interest of everybody's sanity, I think. I'm not... going to assign specific packets to specific people.” The chair added that it “probably makes more sense to have everybody be responsible for kind of all of it.” The chair noted there are 25 packets available and said Linda (staff) will keep members informed about the schedule.

Members also discussed near-term planning. A speaker identified as staff confirmed the chair and Senator Foreman meet weekly to plan the agenda, and the acting chair and staff said the committee will meet tomorrow for an initial rules review. Senator Burtt asked whether the chair and Foreman would schedule presentations from agencies and departments; the chair and staff said yes, that presentations are typically scheduled and that the committee would continue that practice.

The meeting closed after brief additional remarks and no formal motions or votes were taken.