Legislators Ready To Rumble Sandpoint’s Stoicheff Remains Democrats’ House Leader

State lawmakers convened the organizational session of Idaho’s 54th Legislature Thursday with Republicans holding the largest majority of any state in the nation.

In the Senate, James Risch, the former president pro tem who was defeated for re-election in 1988, continued climbing back through the GOP leadership Wednesday night, winning a hotly contested contest for the majority leader’s post.

Risch, who returned to the Senate two years ago by appointment from Republican Gov. Phil Batt, defeated Sheila Sorensen in the party caucus vote for Senate’s No. 2 job. Both are from Boise.

He succeeds David Kerrick of Caldwell, who did not seek a fourth term in the Senate this year, and will be the floor manager in the chamber, where Republicans outnumber Democrats, 30-5. That is the largest GOP majority in over 70 years.

President Pro Tem Jerry Twiggs of Blackfoot was unchallenged for what was expected to be his final two-year term.

Senate Democrats picked Marguerite McLaughlin of Orofino, an eight-term veteran as floor leader. Sen. Bruce Sweeney of Lewiston will be assistant floor leader and Sen. Clint Stennett, Ketchum, will be the party’s caucus chairman.

During the three-hour closed-door meeting of Senate Republicans Wednesday night, the caucus also rejected a proposal to abandon the seniority rule for committee assignments.

A similar debate was under way in the House. Republicans went into a closed-door caucus to pick leaders, but made no changes from last session.

Rep. Michael Simpson of Blackfoot will serve two more sessions as House speaker; Rep. Bruce Newcomb of Burley will be majority floor leader again and Rep. John Tippets of Bennington defeated Rep. Mark Stubbs of Twin Falls for caucus chairman. In a race that reportedly was close, Rep. Tom Loertscher of Iona beat Lewiston’s Rep. Dan Mader to stay assistant floor leader.

Rep. James Stoicheff, D-Sandpoint, starting his 13th term, was retained by the 11 House Democrats as floor leader, with John Alexander of Pocatello assistant floor leader. Rep. Wendy Jaquet of Ketchum will be caucus

Risch has been assistant majority leader for the past year, winning that job when former Sen. Mary Hartung of Payette resigned to join Batt’s staff. He had served seven terms before he was defeated by Democrat Michael Burkett in 1988. He regained a Senate seat in 1995 when Sen. Roger Madsen resigned to take over the Department of Employment. He easily won election last month.

Sorensen, starting her third term in the Senate after serving three terms in the House, served as the chairman of the Republican Caucus the past two years.