North Idaho Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, is under fire and facing a possible formal reprimand from House leadership and her caucus for telling another female lawmaker in a public outburst last month that women only rise to leadership posts in the Legislature through sexual favors, the Idaho Statesman reports. Reporter Bill Dentzer writes that Scott, R-Blanchard, made the remark to Rep. Judy Boyle, R-Midvale, at the Legislature’s organizational session on Dec. 1; it came just after Boyle learned she’d been appointed to chair the House Agriculture Committee.

Dentzer’s full report is online here. He writes that other lawmakers heard the comment, made in the House lounge, and that it stunned Boyle and the other legislators who heard it; he also reports that Scott repeated the comment later in the House chambers.

House Republicans held a brief caucus yesterday, and Speaker Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, confirmed afterward that they had taken the initial steps to appoint a standing House Ethics Committee. Asked if there had been an ethics complaint, he declined to comment.Under House ethics rules, ethics complaints about state lawmakers remain confidential until an ethics committee finds "probable cause" that misconduct has occurred.