The House Appropriations Committee - the House half of JFAC - has the following members for the 2013 legislative session: Reps. Maxine Bell, R-Jerome, chair; Darrell Bolz, R-Caldwell, vice-chair; George Eskridge, R-Dover; Jeff Thompson, R-Idaho Falls; Marc Gibbs, R-Grace; Steve Miller, R-Fairfield; Thyra Stevenson, R-Lewiston;…
The House has now adjourned its organizational session, a bit before noon on its second day. "I would like to thank all the members of the body for their patience and their forbearance these last two days," said Speaker Scott Bedke. "I think the House…
New House committee chairs' names have been read across the desk. Among them: Rep. Frank Henderson, R-Post Falls, is the new chairman of the Business Committee, and Rep. Eric Anderson, R-Priest Lake, is the new chair of Ways & Means. Rep. Stephen Hartgen, R-Twin Falls,…
Former House Speaker Lawerence Denney is the new chairman of the House Resources Committee. "I told Scott that I want to do anything that I can to help him be successful, and if a chairmanship was what he wanted, I'd do that," Denney said. New…
Idaho State Controller Brandon Woolf has announced the appointment of Dan Goicoechea as his chief deputy; Goicoechea earlier held the same position under former state Controllers Donna Jones and Keith Johnson. Most recently, he worked as a lobbyist for a mining firm; click below for…
OK, scratch that - the House leadership has decided not to release the list of new committee chairs until it's formally read across the desk in the morning. Word already is out about many of them; Rep. Fred Wood, R-Burley, is in line to become…
The House has now adjourned for the day; it'll come back into session at 9 a.m. on Friday. "We've made most of the decisions," Speaker Scott Bedke told the House. "We want to sleep on some of them. We'll come back fresh in the morning…
The Senate has adjourned its organizational session sine die - meaning without a day, or for good - wrapping up its business. Here, that's formalized by committees of senators who visited the governor's office and the House leadership to inform them the Senate is now…
Sen. Patti Anne Lodge, R-Huston, former chairwoman of the Senate Health & Welfare Committee, is the new chair of the Senate Judiciary & Rules Committee, taking over from longtime Chairman Denton Darrington, R-Declo, who retired from the Senate. "It wasn't something I was aspiring to…
The Senate Finance Committee, the Senate half of the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, will have a high number of new members in the coming session. Among them: Sens. Steve Vick, R-Dalton Gardens; Sheryl Nuxoll, R-Cottonwood; Cliff Bayer, R-Boise; Dan Johnson, R-Lewiston; Steven Thayn, R-Emmett; Dan Schmidt,…
New Sen. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d'Alene, got three committee assignments: Education, Agriculture and Transportation. There had been some speculation that Nonini might be left without committee assignments as punishment for his attempts in the primary to unseat sitting GOP senators by bankrolling their primary challengers.…
Though the House is still working, the Senate has settled on its committee assignments and chairmanships, and will convene at 3 p.m. to formalize that. New committee chairs are Sen. Steve Bair, R-Blackfoot, Agriculture; Sen. John Tippets, R-Montpelier, Commerce; Sen. Lee Heider, R-Twin Falls, Health…
Idaho's oldest lawmaker turned 90 today; Rep. Frank Henderson, R-Post Falls, is spending his birthday participating in the Legislature's organizational session and working on economic development issues. "It's spectacular," Henderson said. "Sixth of December, 1922. My parents said they gave me some durable genes, and…
New Idaho House Speaker Scott Bedke is considering a "substantive" role for former Speaker Lawerence Denney, Bedke said today - possibly a chairmanship. "We do not have the luxury to overlook experience, given the current makeup," Bedke said. "I want to sit down with him."…
Before the House recessed subject to the call of the chair, House Minority Leader John Rusche, D-Lewiston, stood and said, "I'd like to take this opportunity on behalf of myself and my caucus to offer my respects and thanks to the former speaker for the…
With seat selection completed, the Senate has recessed until 3 p.m., at which time it hopes to have committee assignments completed, including chairmanships. Here, new Sen. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d'Alene, a former House member, attaches his name tag to his new front-row seat in the…
As House members' names are called in order of seniority so they can select their seats in the House chamber, Chief Clerk Bonnie Alexander called new Speaker Scott Bedke's name, but said, "He has his seat." In the group of lawmakers standing waiting for their…
It fell to outgoing House Speaker Lawerence Denney this morning to call for the motions for nomination for speaker of the House, knowing that it won't be for him. Majority Leader Mike Moyle formally nominated new Speaker Scott Bedke, and Minority Leader John Rusche seconded…
Both the House and Senate have convened their organizational sessions this morning, with outgoing Speaker Lawerence Denney presiding in the House, and Lt. Gov. Brad Little presiding in the Senate. The first business is the reading of the certificates of election of all those lawmakers…
I understand there was some consternation last night that I was posting some legislative caucus election results before those votes had even occurred. That would indeed have been quite a feat. Alas, I am not a time traveler. Here's the explanation: My newspaper's servers are…
Rep. John Vander Woude, R-Nampa, has won a three-way contest to be House GOP caucus chair. He defeated Reps. Stephen Hartgen, R-Twin Falls, and Christy Perry, R-Nampa. Vander Woude is a retail store operator who served in the House from 2007-2008, then was elected in…
Rep. Brent Crane, R-Nampa, has been elected House Assistant Majority Leader in a three-way contest, defeating Reps. Lynn Luker, R-Boise, and Jeff Thompson, R-Idaho Falls. Still to go is the three-way contest for the House's No. 4 leadership position, majority caucus chair.
House Majority Leader Mike Moyle, R-Star, has survived a challenge from Rep. Rich Wills, R-Glenns Ferry, to keep his leadership post. This came after House Speaker Lawerence Denney, R-Midvale, was ousted by former Assistant Majority Leader Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, which means Bedke will leapfrog over…
Three-term Idaho House Speaker Lawerence Denney, arguably the most powerful member of the Idaho Legislature, lost his leadership post tonight to rival Rep. Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, in a dramatic political upset. The ouster, which happened during closed-door legislative caucus elections, marked the first time in…
Senate Majority Caucus Chair Russ Fulcher, R-Meridian, has defeated a challenge from Sen. Steve Bair, R-Blackfoot, keeping the Senate's entire current GOP leadership team in place.
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