Category Archives: Uncategorized

There are phrases that get repeated by rote here in the Senate, things we say over and over, sometimes without thinking. One gets used to things that are repeated, pervasive, or that are considered commonplace in a culture, that elsewhere … Continue reading →

This last Martin Luther King Day the legislature didn’t take the holiday; we had committee meetings and a brief floor session. I got to introduce some guests from Moscow who came to the Capitol.  Martin Dibble was down here to … Continue reading →

Yesterday afternoon we heard a proposal to phase out this state program. It’s pretty rare to eliminate a government program. It seems easy to get them started, but they never seem to go away. I think it’s time this one … Continue reading →

  We are drawn to the big events, the headline news or the hot item for debate. But I believe our lives are defined not by the drama, but the mundane small details that make up our lives. Like the … Continue reading →

  This can feel like hard work. The days are long and sitting and listening does take effort. I must constantly exercise judgment.  I have known hard work in my life; these are long hours and the work is hard … Continue reading →

  I got to watch the Moscow Girls basketball team compete down here in the state tournament this last Friday night. There were lots of parents down here for the event and a couple even came by my basement office. … Continue reading →

  I am continually amazed at what state government gets involved in. Last year it was the Plumbing Code that became a big fight. This year we had electricians. In Commerce and Human Resources Committee this year we had the … Continue reading →

We get visitors to the state house daily lobbying on behalf of their issues. Yesterday I met with three guys in a motorcycle group. They were opposed to proposed legislation restricting cell phone use or texting while driving. I asked, … Continue reading →

    My wife found this picture of my great uncle Aaron King Taber in a trunk. The words on the back talk about a defection from a family of Republicans to the Democratic side. There is reference to “the … Continue reading →

  Chairmen of committees have a lot of power. They are appointed by the majority party. At the end of our Tuesday morning Agricultural Affairs Committee meeting the chairman announced he would be bringing a rule before us for consideration … Continue reading →