Legislative Oral History Committee elects chair, vice chair and approves new exit‑interview program

The Legislative Oral History Committee elected a senator as its chair and Representative Sharon Tamico Santos as vice chair and authorized targeted oral histories for two retiring legislators and a new exit‑interview program for departing senior members.

At the start of the meeting the committee moved to fill leadership slots. An unidentified member nominated "Senator Schisler" for chair; the nomination was approved by voice vote. An unidentified member then nominated Representative Sharon Tamico Santos to serve as vice chair; the committee approved that nomination by voice vote.

Committee members then turned to a formal proposal to prioritize interviews of imminent retirements. An unidentified member moved "that we conduct oral histories on Representative Lisk and Senator Hargrove and that we establish a program to interview the longest serving member of each caucus that is retiring," arguing the committee should capture recollections before health or availability prevent interviews. The motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.

The vote followed discussion about selection criteria and costs. A senator suggested prioritizing the longest‑serving retiring member from each caucus as a regular biennial practice; staff advised that contracting costs for a full oral history typically range from $10,000 to $15,000 but that in‑house Legislative Service Center staff might be able to perform some interviews without additional committee expense. Committee members also suggested partnering with local historical organizations or university programs for smaller video vignettes.

The committee concluded the business and set a tentative plan to revisit scheduling and staffing after the legislative session.

The committee recorded the leadership appointments and the new interview program as its principal formal actions; the meeting closed with scheduling remarks about future meetings.