In a newsletter sent out to her constituents today, Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, accused House Speaker Scott Bedke of stripping her committee assignments for “no addressed reason in order to flex his muscle to intimidate new liberty legislators.” Scott wrote that high points of the week for her included the strong state surplus, which she said will prompt her to vote for tax cuts; and the award of the first Idaho Medal of Achievement to teacher-astronaut Barbara Morgan. Then, she wrote:

“Low points of the week:  I was so excited about citizen’s ability to work with legislators through the new website (she created) that I was blindsided when House Speaker Scott Bedke pulled me from all my committee assignments for no addressed reason in order to flex his muscle to intimidate new liberty legislators.  However, please know that the time I won’t spend sitting in committees will free me up to run legislation for you and testify for citizens in committee hearings.  I’m good at making lemonade out of lemons!”

Meanwhile, all of the GOP representatives who rose in the House in solidarity with Scott, asking that they also be stripped of their committee assignments, attended their scheduled committees this afternoon. “It’s my understanding we remain on the committees until it’s read across the desk,” said Rep. Christy Zito, R-Hammett. “I intend to be present the committee every day,” she said, even if she were formally removed. “For me, this is not a personal issue, this is a First Amendment issue,” Zito said. “It has nothing to do with any particular person.”

Zito and Rep. Karey Hanks, R-St. Anthony, both attended this afternoon’s meeting of the House Agricultural Affairs Committee.