Agency’s Employees Told To Cut Back Trips Governor Denies Issuing Edict For Environmental Group, Others

Idaho Division of Environmental Quality officials told the agency’s 350 employees to limit trips to the Capitol once the Legislature convenes and to notify their supervisors before any visit.

A Dec. 26 memo, written by Shirley Mix, the division’s public affairs director, said Gov. Phil Batt had requested all state agencies to restrict the presence of their employees in the Capitol during the legislative session that begins Jan. 12.

But a spokesman for Batt on Friday called Mix’s memo “inaccurate.”

“The governor never issued such orders,” Lindsay Nothern said. But he said there have been discussions about the number of state employees in legislative committee meetings.

Mix said she wrote her memo on orders from agency administrator Wallace Cory.

“I just heard it from my boss that the governor is very concerned about state employees lobbying the Legislature,” she said. “Wally said I’d better get out a memo.”

Cory was unavailable for comment.

Several other state agencies said they have not issued similar directives and did not receive any from Batt.

But Mix said Division of Environmental Quality employees were told to notify their supervisors “for their own protection” so that when lawmakers call the agency asking why employees are in the Capitol, she can report whether they are on their own time.

“We don’t care what they are testifying on or what their opinion is, we just want to keep track of them,” Mix said.

Vicki Patterson, a lobbyist for the Idaho Public Employees Association, said asking employees to check in before visiting the Capitol may keep them from exercising their rights.

“It’s outrageous,” she said.

Rep. Pat Bieter, D-Boise, a former state employee, said the agency’s policy goes over the line.

“I think it stinks,” he said. “Does one give up citizenship when they go to work for a state agency?”

Some committee chairmen have complained about the number of state employees attending hearings, Nothern said. Batt wants agencies to be sure the people they send over on official business to the Capitol are needed.

“His only concern is that people aren’t wasting taxpayer money,” Nothern said.

Batt does not want to restrict personal visits to the Capitol or lobbying by state employees as private citizens, Nothern said.

The memo comes as the Legislature’s Change in Employee Compensation Committee prepares for hearings Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Sen. Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, chairman of the committee, has put out an invitation to all 16,000 state employees to testify.