Budget panel choices rile Democrats

BOISE – Democrats stormed out of the House en masse Friday as the new Republican House leadership decided to deny them any additional seats on the joint committee that sets the state budget – even though Democrats picked up six House seats in last month’s election.

House Assistant Minority Leader George Sayler, D-Coeur d’Alene, said, “If this continues, it’s going to be a very tough session and a very contentious one, and I’m very disappointed that they chose to go this route. I guess it’s a reflection of the political agenda of the new leadership.”

New House Speaker Lawerence Denney, a farmer from Midvale, said he thought he was being fair with Democrats because overall Democratic seats on committees will match their representation in the chamber. “It’s my decision,” he said.

The blowup in the House came after all members waited more than four hours for the GOP leadership’s decision on new committee assignments and chairmanships. That announcement held important news for North Idaho – Rep. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d’Alene, will be the new chairman of the House Education Committee, and Rep. Jim Clark, R-Hayden Lake, will take over chairmanship of the House Judiciary Committee.

That means the education committees in both houses will be led by lawmakers from Coeur d’Alene. Sen. John Goedde, R-Coeur d’Alene, retained his chairmanship of the Senate Education Committee.

Nonini, a supporter of incoming GOP state schools Superintendent Tom Luna, said he’s excited about working with Luna. “I’m also excited as a second-term legislator to get a chairmanship,” he said.

Clark, a sixth-term lawmaker, formerly was chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, a leadership panel that rarely meets. Denney said Clark’s seniority put him in line for the Judiciary chairmanship.

The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee plays such a key role in determining how state tax dollars are spent that Sen. Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint, decided for the second time to forgo a chance to lead the Senate Transportation Committee in order to keep her seat on JFAC, where she’s the Senate vice chairwoman. The transportation chairmanship went instead to Sen. John McGee, R-Caldwell.

“I was next in line, but as before, I think that the seat on JFAC is of critical importance,” Keough said. “Last time, my constituents were very supportive” of that decision, she said. She noted that she still has a seat on the Transportation Committee, too.

Sen. Joyce Broadsword, R-Sagle, is a new JFAC member, having landed the seat while still keeping her vice chairwomanship of the Senate Health and Welfare Committee.

“I think it’ll be really good for my district,” Broadsword said. “Sen. Keough and Rep. (George) Eskridge are good role models and mentors, and they will help me as I find my way through the maze.”

Eskridge, a Dover Republican, kept his seat on JFAC, but Rep. Dick Harwood, R-St. Maries, moved off the panel. Eskridge said Broadsword’s appointment was important “because that means we keep our four seats. … Joyce will do a good job. Joyce is a hard worker – she’ll dig into the books.”

The joint budget committee, which meets nearly every day of the legislative session at or before 8 a.m., has a huge workload that includes writing budgets for every state agency.

“The minority party should have three members on that appropriations committee,” House Minority Leader Wendy Jaquet told the House before Democrats walked out. “They are the state budget committee. It is a joint committee and the only one of its kind.”

She added, “You’re really not playing fair. This is a breach of trust. … We won our seats; you won your seats. … It is political; it is mean-spirited.”

House Democrats now hold 19 of the 70 seats in the chamber, or 27 percent. They said that means on the 10-member House half of the joint budget panel, the numbers show they’re entitled to 2.7 seats. Sayler, a retired high school teacher, said, “2.7 always rounds up to 3 in my math – I don’t understand the logic of rounding it down to two.”

Denney said he gave Democrats more representation on other committees, including Ways and Means, which by tradition includes both parties’ leadership teams and is nearly evenly split.

“Certainly you can argue that JFAC is more important,” Denney said. “It’s my decision. … I don’t look at it as retribution, I think it’s fair. I think what we gave them is fair.”

Republicans in the House remained seated as the Democrats walked out, then listened to routine announcements and adjourned.

Here are the other new committee chairs in the Senate and House:

“Rep. Tom Trail, R-Moscow, will lead the House Agriculture Committee.

“ Rep. Dennis Lake, R-Blackfoot, House Revenue and Taxation Committee.

“Rep. Rich Wills, R-Glenns Ferry, House Ways and Means Committee.

“Sen. Brent Hill, R-Rexburg, Senate Local Government and Taxation Committee.

“Sen. Patti Anne Lodge, R-Huston, Senate Health and Welfare Committee.

“Sen. Curt McKenzie, R-Nampa, Senate State Affairs Committee.

“Sen. Tom Gannon, R-Buhl, Senate Agriculture Committee.

Remaining chairmanships stayed the same, including that of Rep. Bill Deal, R-Nampa, who ran unsuccessfully against Denney for speaker. Deal will continue to lead the House State Affairs Committee.

“I asked him if he would chair Education,” Denney said. “I asked him that because Bill Deal is the best chairman I have, and he would’ve done a great job. But he chose to stay at State Affairs, and I honored his wish.” Denney added of Nonini, “I think Bob will do a good job.”