House Education Committee chair outlines paperless meetings, remote testimony and vote procedures

Chairman Doug Pickett outlined ground rules for the Idaho House Education Committee’s session at the panel’s organizational meeting, saying the committee will operate paperless, allow remote testimony with limits and require respect for sponsors’ confidential RS materials until introduction.

The rules cover how bill hearings will proceed, how testimony will be handled and how the committee expects members to conduct debate. “I intend to allow remote testimony in this committee. However, I would like to give preference to those who attend,” Pickett said. He said remote testimony will be limited to two minutes per person for bill hearings.

Pickett reviewed time limits for hearings: bill presenters will have five minutes to present a bill, followed by a question period; public comment will be two minutes per speaker; and sponsors may give a final statement of up to five minutes. “We will give bill presenters 5 minutes to present their bill and then we will have a question period of time,” Pickett said.

The chairman said the committee has declared itself paperless and asked members to leave committee folders in the room so staff can prepare materials for future meetings. He also addressed RS documents, asking members to treat RS files on their OneDrive as private and to seek the sponsor’s permission before sharing them. “To me, it's important that an RS is private until it's introduced and proprietary in fact,” Pickett said.

Pickett summarized motions the committee may consider after testimony: moving a bill with a due-pass recommendation, holding a bill in committee or indefinitely, holding a bill to a time certain (which requires a date), and sending a bill to general orders. He reminded members that amendments and RS changes are in order at the committee level. He also said agency bills should have floor sponsors and that committee members should review statements of purpose and fiscal notes for accuracy and compliance with Joint Rule 18 before bills advance.

On voting, Pickett said the committee will use voice votes unless a roll call is requested. He asked members who want a recorded vote to request it before a voice vote begins and said he will call for a roll call if there is doubt about the voice tally. He also said the motion to call the previous question is not in order in committee. “A motion for a previous question to be called was is not an order in a committee meeting because that's our purpose is to have the debate here in the committee,” Pickett said.

Pickett urged decorum and requested members route questions and comments through the chair. He said the committee will try to meet at 9 a.m. where possible and will accommodate printed materials or other needs when required.

Members used the meeting to introduce themselves and share brief personal remarks before Pickett moved to the procedural items. With no further business, Pickett closed the meeting: “And so if there's nothing else at this point in time, we'll stand adjourned. Thank you.”