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Leaders of the Idaho Legislature face a challenge with record turnover as 39 first-time legislators take seats at the 2023 Gavel on January 9 at the Idaho State Capitol. prepared for.
There will be 11 senators from Idaho and 28 newcomers to the Idaho House of Representatives, said Terry Condev, Director of the Legislative Services Department. That means, out of all 105 seats in the Idaho Legislature, more than a third of the legislative branches across Idaho have never served.
There are other changes as well.
Including lawmakers who previously served in the Idaho Legislature but resigned in 2022, and those who moved from one legislature to another, the turnover increased to 51, with 20 in the Idaho Senate and 20 in the Idaho House of Representatives. 31 new members are elected.
“I think this is probably an unprecedented shift,” House Speaker Scott Becke, R-Oakley, said at a meeting of legislative leaders on Thursday. will be presented.”
Why are there so many new faces?
Several factors collided to produce a record turnover rate in Congress.
- 2021 Reorganization Process
- Series of retirements following 2022 session
- Expulsion of 19 incumbent Republicans during May primaries
- Two more losses for incumbents in Nov. 8 general election
In addition to the oversized freshman class, there are major shifts in the ranks of legislative leaders and committee chairs. House Republicans will elect a new speaker as Bedke leaves the Idaho legislature this week after he was elected lieutenant governor. The process of finding a replacement for Bedke is likely to initiate a series of leadership changes downstream, which could result in a new House Majority Leader or Caucus Speaker as well.
Democrats also need to fill minority leader vacancies, including the departure of Senate Minority Leader Michelle Stennett (D-Ketchum) and House Minority Caucus Sally Toone (D-Gooding). there is.
In addition, legislators must fill several key committee seats vacated by retirements and elections. That list includes the new chairmen of the House and Senate Committees on Health and Human Services, the new chairman of the Senate Education Committee, the new chairman of the House Judiciary, Rules and Administration Committee, and the new chairman of the powerful Joint Fiscal and Appropriations Committee. At least 12 out of 20 members are included. Set up each element of the state budget each year.
Bedke and other members of the Legislative Council, a group of Republican and Democratic legislative leaders who oversee administrative responsibilities in the Idaho legislature, began preparations for the transition during Thursday’s meeting at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise. did.
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“I think it’s their duty to come here to coach and train,” Bedke said at the conference. “This session promises to be an interesting and interesting session for a number of reasons, one of which is the steep learning curve that these 51 individuals face.”
Members of the Legislative Council announced plans for a New Legislative Orientation Program to run November 28-30 at the Idaho State Capitol. Representatives from the nonpartisan State Legislative National Convention and the Idaho Legislative Service will assist with orientation. During orientation, new lawmakers will learn security protocols, parliamentary procedures, bill drafting and budget processes, along with public record, ethics and respectful work environment training, Bedke said.
On the night of November 30, Republicans and Democrats in the Idaho House of Representatives and the Idaho Senate will meet privately and individually to elect their party leaders. For the rest of the week, legislators take office and hold formal popular votes on new executive officers, after which legislative leaders begin making committee assignments and nominating chairs for the 2023 session. increase.
“If you do the math, there will be some new speakers out there, who may be quite new to the legislative process,” Bedke told the Legislative Council.
Winning re-election, Little awaits new legislative leader
With the Nov. 8 general election in the rearview mirror, Gov. Brad Little will keep an eye on the legislative leadership race and commission chairman assignments as he prepares to announce policy priorities.
“What happens on December 1[during the organization meeting]will make a big difference,” Little told the Idaho Capital Sun in a telephone interview Thursday afternoon. “Who the leader is, I still don’t know. I know. But on December 1st, we’ll find out who we’re working with.”
One of Little’s first challenges is to bring together the inexperienced and perhaps unpredictable group of legislators behind his top priority: investing in public school education.
Little’s particular focus is to invest in kindergartens to raise literacy rates in the third grade, raise teacher salaries through the Career Ladder’s pay-sharing system, and help local school district employees transition to state health insurance plans. to provide funding.
“My priorities and my overarching goals haven’t changed,” Little told The Sun on Thursday. , of course, depending on the composition of both school boards and who is on the JFAC.”
One thing that will be different in 2023 is that Little and the Idaho Legislature have already set aside $410 million annually for public schooling and in-demand careers through House Bill 1. 1 special session. Their current task is to allocate and approve that funding for the 2023 session.
Even with the new-looking Idaho legislature, Little sees several new allies arriving on the scene, including Bedke, who will take on the role of lieutenant governor, and Debbie Crichfield, the new superintendent of public education. I’m here.
Bedke pledged Work closely with Little and never rock the boat Or generate negative headlines. Little told The Sun that he is particularly interested in working with Bedke on an integrated statewide solution to water problems.
Little and Critchfield had previously worked closely together when Critchfield was president of the Idaho Board of Education from 2019 to early 2021. Little said the two reconnected during a roadshow for the Idaho Republican election campaign in October, and have been talking formally and privately ever since.
“It’s not surprising what you get with Debbie,” Little told The Sun. “I think we’re pretty in tune. She’s got some ideas.”
Little will reveal her priorities for the 2023 legislature in her Jan. 9 state legislative address on the first day of the 2023 legislative session.
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