Richert: When Lame Ducks Fly

In May, North Idaho Republican voters elected to fire tax-dodging state Rep. Phil Hart. Nonetheless, House Speaker Lawerence Denney has elected to send the lame-duck Hart to a national legislative conference — on your nickel. No, it doesn’t make a bit of sense to me either. Yet this week, Hart is one of five Idaho legislators attending an American Legislative Exchange Council conference in Salt Lake City. Denney specifically approved sending Hart, R-Hayden, and another of the House’s loyal conservative foot soldiers, Rep. Vito Barbieri, R-Dalton Gardens. Spending taxpayer money to send any lawmaker to an ALEC conference is questionable enough. It would be naive to consider this an educational conference or a fact-finding mission, given ALEC’s politics and objectives. The group exists to advance a Wal-Mart approach to state public policy, offering up template legislation on pet topics such as privatizing K-12 education and fighting the federal health care law/ Kevin Richert , Idaho Statesman. More here.

Question: How do the fawning supporters of our Artful Tax Dodger explain this one?