Just as Speaker Mike Moyle has established, partisan power has its benefits. As his doubtful idol, Barack Obama said, “Elections have consequences.” Speaker Mike decided to reduce the number of House seats for the minority party on the Budget Committee, JFAC. Why should he stop there?
Idaho law gives the Governor power to appoint members of boards and commissions that are empowered to direct state agencies. This is a process that is supposed to enfranchise the public in the government they elect.
The Idaho Constitution limits the number of departments to twenty. And Idaho law defines just who can serve on these boards. Back in the 1960-70’s, when Idaho had a Democratic governor, but the legislature was mainly Republican (a bit less so than now), the legislature enacted laws requiring the partisan membership of these boards and commissions be somewhat balanced. For instance, the Public Utilities Commission, the folks who regulate the power company this state was named after, Idaho Power, has three members. It may not have more than two members of the same political party. Why? I guess back when we had a more balance state, the need for balance on these governing bodies was thought to be valuable.
Maybe Speaker Mike has other ideas. He needs to start drafting a lot of bills.
This was floated by Representative Brent Crane a few years or so back about the Redistricting Commission. His point was, we are a republican state, why do we need balance on that Commission? He quieted down when he realized redistricting appointments were mandated to be balanced in the Idaho Constitution. But boards for Education, Transportation, Commerce, Corrections, etc. are in statute. Statute is the legislatures sandbox. They can make the game however they choose. Start drafting.
To be honest, I’m not sure why this matters. Maybe at some time it did. Maybe being a commissioner was a steppingstone to higher office. I know that has been the case for some legislators. No Idaho Democrats that I can think of, but quite a few Republicans. It should be a place to learn about governance and serving the public good. And then to move from there to legislating for the public good makes good sense.
So maybe the balance our current laws require on these Idaho Boards and Commissions will change. Maybe Speaker Mike and the Idaho legislature Republican supermajority will see the folly of such partisan affiliation and decide to strike such requirements from our laws. After all, most statewide votes are 60/40 republican/democrat. Why should we even be considering a commissioner’s partisan affiliation? Shouldn’t we just be considering their fitness to serve? To the victor the spoils, right?
I guess it gets back to just how you see this government serving us. Many see government as a vending machine. You put in your money, and you should get back what you want without having to kick it or shake it too much. Republicans think you should get Coke, Democrats, Pepsi. So, if Democrats win the election, all you can get is Pepsi, no Coke in the machine. And the versa if Republicans win.
What a dismal picture of the common good.
I don’t see government as a vending machine. Government serves us all. But if you want beer in the vending machine, that will need some review by a commission or a board and maybe some reference to the laws and maybe the Constitution.
Serving us all is a tough job. Serving all our constituents is indeed very tough, I can say as an unelected legislative representative. I must not have been doing a good enough job. The voters told me so.
But did they know my work? Or were they just responding to the partisan label? Maybe that partisan label has little value. It sure has power.