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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Huckleberries Online

North Idaho Clout: Clark, Nonini Land Chairmanships

District 5 State Representative Bob Nonini, right, talks with Joe Peak, owner of the Enaville Resort-Snakepit in Enaville on Monday, Nov. 13, during the Legislative tour overview of the Silver Valley and Benewah County/Kathy Plonka, Spokesman-Review file photo.

Rep. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d’Alene, is the new chairman of the House Education Committee, while Rep. Jim Clark, R-Hayden Lake, will head the Judiciary Committee. “They offered it to me and I very proudly, very gratefully accepted,” Nonini said. “Education is always the top one or two of what the citizens want to see – those are our constituents.” Nonini, a big supporter of new GOP state schools Superintendent Tom Luna, said he’s also excited to work with Luna. “I’m also excited as a second-term legislator to get a chairmanship,” he noted. Nonini’s appointment means that the education committees in both houses will now be chaired by lawmakers from Coeur d’Alene. Senate Education Chairman John Goedde, R-Coeur d’Alene, said area school officials now will have more input into state legislation that affects them, since both he and Nonini turn to their local superintendents and other school officials for advice -- Betsy Russell/Eye On Boise (full post here).

Question: What do you think of these two appointments and North Idaho's growing political clout?



Huckleberries Online

D.F. Oliveria started Huckleberries Online on Feb. 16, 2004. Oliveria's Sunday print Huckleberries is a past winner of the national Herb Caen Memorial Column contest.