Senate quietly accepts Ethics Committee report

BOISE – The state Senate on Tuesday received a report from the special Senate Ethics Committee investigation that led to the downfall of Senator Jack Noble.

The Kuna Republican resigned Monday after weeks of inquiries about legislation that would have added financial value to his family business.

The report says Noble lied under oath and failed to disclose his conflict of interest when he should have. During proceedings Tuesday, Republican and Democratic lawmakers held a 10-minute, off-the-record huddle. Then – back on the record – Senate Majority Leader Bart Davis explained to the rest of the Senate that since Noble has already resigned, there was no reason to hold a debate on whether to adopt the committee report.

Davis said the report will be preserved in the Senate Journal for historic purposes. As far as the Senate is concerned, the matter appears to be closed.

“To adopt the report or to entertain any other motion would be a moot question, in light of the fact that the senator has resigned and is no longer a member of the body,” Davis said.

Senate President Pro Tem Bob Geddes defended the decision not to bring the report out for debate.

“I don’t know what we could do at this point in time. The process really ended before we got to the end. We could probably go further and talk about the merits of the report, but what good would it do us?” Geddes said.

Noble, a two-term senator from Kuna and convenience store owner, faced possible expulsion by the full Senate on Tuesday. Instead, he resigned late Monday following weeks of allegations that he failed to declare a conflict of interest and lied to a special ethics panel.

Although the ethics committee report recommended Noble be censured, a movement led by Sen. Tom Gannon, R-Buhl, was gaining strength Monday to reject the committee’s recommendation and expel him anyway.

Noble’s troubles began Feb. 4, when he attempted to introduce legislation in the Senate State Affairs Committee that would have changed the way the state calculates the distance required between schools and liquor stores.

Noble’s convenience store in Melba is not eligible for a state contract, but the new calculations would have changed that. Noble is trying to sell the convenience store.

The Republican party will now begin the process of replacing Noble.

According to the Secretary of State’s office, the Ada County GOP Central Committee will have 15 days to submit a list of three names to Gov. Dirk Kempthorne. After receiving the names, Kempthorne will have three days in which to select the replacement.