Lawmaker: Idaho House Republicans unwilling to unite

LEWISTON – An Idaho lawmaker says that an effort to unite the state’s conservative representatives by forming a new caucus has stalled because some Republican legislators are unwilling to work for a consensus.

The Lewiston Tribune reported that Republican Rep. Mike Kingsley says he’s not seeing much willingness to set aside differences from a subset of conservative lawmakers who feuded with Republican House leadership.

Kinglsey proposed the formation of the House Freedom Caucus near the end of the last legislative session after a group of conservative lawmakers protested the treatment of Republican Rep. Heather Scott, who was stripped of her committee assignments during the prior session.

Rep. Priscilla Giddings, who often objected to routine procedural maneuvers causing delays during the session, says she is unaware of any House feuds.