Speaker wins hands-down

The House just voted 65-2 to uphold Speaker Bruce Newcomb’s ruling in a face-off with Rep. Bill Sali, R-Kuna, over Sali’s attempt to split up the various parts that make up HB 876, the combination property tax reform bill. “The decision of the speaker has been upheld,” declared Majority Leader Lawerence Denney, R-Midvale. Now they’re back to debating the bill.

Incidentally, the only other vote against the speaker, besides Sali’s, was from Rep. Tom Loertscher, R-Iona.