Senate Health and Welfare advances two nominees for Board of Environmental Quality to full Senate

The Senate Health and Welfare Committee voted on two gubernatorial appointments to the Idaho Board of Environmental Quality, sending both nominees to the full Senate with recommendations for confirmation.

Committee members took up the nomination of Lance Boylan first. Senator Shippey moved that the committee send Boylan's nomination to the floor with a recommendation of confirmation; the motion was seconded and carried on a voice vote. Later the committee considered the nomination of Dennis Lykeham. Senator Harris moved that Lykeham be sent to the floor with a recommendation for confirmation; that motion was seconded and carried on a voice vote.

Both actions were taken during a routine portion of the committee agenda and recorded as voice votes. No roll-call tallies were recorded in the transcript for these two motions. The committee chair then returned the gavel to Senator Bierke to continue the meeting's rule-docket business.

Why it matters: Sending a gubernatorial nominee to the Senate floor with a recommendation of confirmation means the full Senate will now consider whether to confirm the governor's selections to the Board of Environmental Quality. The board oversees state environmental regulation enforcement and policy matters for Idaho.

Votes at a glance: - Lance Boylan, gubernatorial appointment to the Idaho Board of Environmental Quality — motion to send to the floor with recommendation of confirmation moved by Senator Shippey, seconded (recorded as voice vote; outcome: forwarded to floor with recommendation). - Dennis Lykeham, gubernatorial appointment to the Idaho Board of Environmental Quality — motion to send to the floor with recommendation of confirmation moved by Senator Harris, seconded (recorded as voice vote; outcome: forwarded to floor with recommendation).

The committee proceeded to its scheduled administrative-rule dockets after the confirmations business.