House Speaker Bruce Newcomb, R-Burley, issued a stern statement today to members of a legislative interim committee who held a closed-door Republican “caucus” meeting this morning to work out a deal on state employee pay legislation.

“I would like to make it clear as speaker of the House, that OUR policy is that no committee, standing or interim have a session in which a subcommittee meets behind closed doors. … On the House side, our policy is to avoid closed-door meetings of subcommittees and/or regular committees UNLESS it is to gain legal counsel.”

He added, “When someone in a joint committee wants to have a closed-door meeting to discuss issues before the committee, I would instruct House members not to participate. The word ‘caucus’ is an inappropriate term for a joint committee.”

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