House Speaker Lawerence Denney's sudden moves to replace two committee chairmen - Reps.  Leon Smith at Transportation and Tom Trail at Agriculture -  announced quietly just as the House was adjourning, sent shock waves through the House. Denney said he made the move to enforce party discipline. Majority Leader Mike Moyle, R-Star, said, "It's not always easy being in leadership, that's all I can say." House Minority Leader John Rusche, D-Lewiston, said, "I think they will lose something. Leon has huge experience in transportation, and I'm not sure that Joe does."

Smith, a former chairman of the Idaho Transportation Board, is in his seventh term in the House. Trail, a farmer and education consultant, is in his eighth term. Rep. Shirley Ringo, D-Moscow, who represents the same district as Trail, said, "I was quite shocked by it." She said, "This has been a dreadful session, and for me, that put a dreadful exclamation point right at the end."