Today’S Hegemony Could Come Undone

The decline of Idaho’s Democratic Party has become so severe that newspaper writers are beginning to joke about a possible reintroduction program.

In an op-ed column in The Idaho Statesman, Boisean Bruce Parker argued, tongue in cheek: “There are two basic reasons the feds should embark on a Democrat reintroduction plan as opposed to a grizzly bear reintroduction plan. First, grizzly bears, on occasion, eat people. Second, it is a known fact that Democrats rarely eat people unless, of course, they are first provoked or they reside in the state of Florida.”

Joking aside, the Republican Party’s dominance of Idaho’s politics has created a major public disclosure problem. With Republicans comprising 89 percent of the Legislature, it’s possible for the Republican caucus to discuss all the state’s important business behind closed doors - and then present a united front in committees and on the House and Senate floors. The Republicans must resist this temptation to create a shadow Legislature and should make their caucus meetings public. Minority Democrats should do likewise.

As matters now stand, legislative Republicans are capable of great mischief when the 2001 Legislature meets. With their overwhelming numbers, it’s possible for Republicans to decide privately how to divvy up the state’s massive budget surplus and then convene to rubber stamp the allocations.

In comments to Statesman columnist Dan Popkey, House Speaker Bruce Newcomb defended secret caucuses as a way for lawmakers to let off steam, discipline wayward members, count noses on key votes and “ask silly questions without fear.” Newcomb told Popkey: “For the most part - other than venting - the public’s business is done in public. A lot of problems get solved in caucus that couldn’t get solved anywhere else. I really believe closed caucuses facilitate the process.”

That may be true in legislative caucuses where neither party controls a supermajority. But that’s not the case in Idaho, where 32 of 35 senators and 61 of 70 representatives are Republican - the highest percentage in the country.

Such is the Republicans’ smothering dominance that even a pro-Republican newspaper like the Twin Falls Times-News has called on Republican leaders to rule moderately - and open their caucuses.

They could be forced to do so. In Montana, District Judge Thomas Honzel ordered the Republican-controlled Legislature to open caucuses after 22 news groups brought suit. The judge said the meetings should be open because it was clear that the public’s business was being discussed.

Idaho Republicans will be playing with fire if they continue to stage important discussions in secret. Sure, they’re in total control of the state’s political machinery - now. But it was only 10 years ago that the Senate was split 50-50 between Republicans and Democrats. And just eight years since Democrats held 21 of the 24 legislative seats in the Panhandle’s seven districts. Next year, they’ll hold but two of those spots. In politics, the pendulum swings back and forth. Republicans can begin the swing back toward their opponents by ignoring this warning. And by ruling arrogantly.

Pride, after all, goeth before a fall.