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Senate Judicial Confirmation Committee unanimously approves minutes, votes to meet in closed session to question nominee

Senate Judicial Confirmation Committee · January 20, 2026

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Summary

The Senate Judicial Confirmation Committee approved minutes from its Nov. 3, 2025 meeting and unanimously voted to enter a brief closed session under the Open and Public Meetings Act to privately question an appointee about character, competence and health; the committee said the closed portion would last about five to ten minutes.

The Senate Judicial Confirmation Committee on Nov. 3, 2025, approved minutes from its Nov. 3, 2025 meeting and voted unanimously to enter a closed session to privately question a judicial appointee, the committee chair said.

The chair asked for a motion to approve the minutes from the Nov. 3, 2025 meeting; after a motion was made and no discussion, the chair called the vote and "ruled that that passes unanimously, which is 5 to 0," the transcript shows.

The chair said the committee would rely on the Open and Public Meetings Act to close part of the meeting. According to the chair, "as permitted by sections 2.04 and 2.05 of the Open and Public Meetings Act, this committee may close a portion of the meeting to the public to privately discuss the appointee's character, competence and health." The chair also said the appointee would be invited into the closed room "to answer questions under oath."

At the chair's request, Senator Brammer moved to go into a closed meeting, saying, "I move to a closed meeting." The committee voted and the chair announced the motion passed unanimously, 5–0.

Committee members were told the closed meeting was expected to take about five to ten minutes and that the public hearing would resume afterward. The chair also reminded members the Senate needed to be on the floor by 10:00 a.m. and the committee aimed to end by roughly 9:50 a.m.

After the vote the recording was stopped and there was brief off-the-record conversation about logistics; Senator Cole was mentioned as someone who would be readmitted. The chair then turned the meeting to Jonathan to provide a briefing once public proceedings resumed.

The committee did not take public testimony on the record before moving into the closed session; the transcript indicates the public portion was paused for the brief closed meeting. The committee did not make any additional formal decisions in the public record before the recess.