Turning down the house

Is the End In Sight?

By Shea Andersen, 3-28-06

A couple of weeks ago I sat in the office of a high-ranking State Senator who practically rubbed his hands in anticipation when he said, "This is where it gets interesting."

It's true that the last weeks of a legislative session tend to generate the most heat, action and, if you're a junkie for these sorts of things, fun. So it is with the waning days of the Idaho Legislature, now entering into what just might be its final days and/or weeks.

If you're a taxpayer, this is not healthy. It shows that lawmakers can be just like high school students: leaving the big tasks to the end, procrastinating over major decisions and getting hot under the collar when this creates friction and problems.

Back to the Legislature. Idaho has an open-ended session, which is a little daunting if you think about it. Coming from New Mexico, where the sessions are limited by state law to run only 30 and 60 days in alternate years, I miss that hard deadline.

Without that, reporters at the Statehouse look for other clues. Betsy Russell over at the Spokesman-Review's Eye on Boise site sees the end times coming with a pile of boxes. You can talk all you want about the list of things left to do, but a lawmaker with itchy feet and his office packed is one that won't stick around long.

Not like they've got nothing to do, of course. Yesterday the Gold Room on the fourth floor of the Statehouse was an overheated, standing-room-only scene for several hours, as state senators debated two biggies: a moratorium on new coal-fired power plants and a challenge to Idaho Power's control over water in the Eastern Snake River Aquifer. Both are coming from the Speaker of the House Bruce Newcomb, a Republican who has announced his retirement. In other words, he ain't afeared of a good fight. The picture in today's Idaho Statesman tells it all: There was Newcomb, comfortable as a cat in a sunbeam, watching the debate unfold. (Sorry, you've got to pick up the paper to see the photo -- the Statesman doesn't quite have everything on their site.)

Of course, the end of a session is also the time when personalities show their true colors, in good and bad ways. Classify this as "inscrutable," then: Idaho First Lady Patricia Kempthorne has said she'd like to be lieutenant governor when her husband, Gov. Dirk Kempthorne, goes to Washington to be the Secretary of the Interior.

The Lewiston Tribune had the story, but their Web site is for subscribers only. Too bad, because their Statehouse reporter, Dean Ferguson, is as on-top-of-it as they come. We'll use Betsy Russell's site once again for the recap on this one.

The question is best left to others, but am I the only one who thinks the First Lady's reactions toward her husband's success are bizarre?

Like we said, there's lots of business still on the plate. You might stroll through Idaho Public Television's collection of the remaining issues, and if you have the time, catch the Webcast of their excellent "This Week" program hosted by Jim Peck.

The light at the end of the tunnel, of course, leads to the campaign trail. This year, Idaho Democrats seem to have some mojo that they hope others will recognize. It's self-serving of me to do so, but you can read about their 2006 prep here in The Boise Weekly.

Today is the 79th day of the session. Do I hear 80? 89? Pray for us.

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