by Logan Finney, Idaho Reports
Idaho Senate leadership on Thursday posted rosters outlining committee assignments for the upcoming session. House committee assignments are not expected to be announced until Friday.
The wave of new lawmakers this year has officially crested into the ranks of leadership, with a newly-elected Senator serving as chair or vice chair on all ten standing Senate committees.
Todd Lakey retained his seat as Judiciary & Rules chair. Former House member Doug Okuniewicz will become Transportation chair, while Lori Den Hartog was demoted to vice chair of that committee after unsuccessfully challenging Chuck Winder for the position of Senate President Pro Tem.
Agricultural Affairs
Chair: Linda Wright Hartgen, R-Twin Falls
Vice Chair: Tammy Nichols, R-Middleton
Commerce & Human Resources
Chair: Kevin Cook, R-Idaho Falls
Vice Chair: Brian Lenney, R-Nampa
Education
Chair: Dave Lent, R-Idaho Falls
Vice Chair: Ben Toews, R-Coeur d’Alene
Finance (JFAC)
Chair: C. Scott Grow, R-Eagle
Vice Chair: Carl Bjerke, R-Coeur d’Alene
Health & Welfare
Chair: Julie Van Orden, R-Pingree
Vice Chair: Glenneda Zuiderveld, R-Twin Falls
Judiciary & Rules
Chair: Todd Lakey, R-Nampa
Vice Chair: Dan Foreman, R-Viola
Local Government & Taxation
Chair: Doug Ricks, R-Rexburg
Vice Chair: Geoff Schroeder, R-Mountain Home
Resources & Environment
Chair: Van Burtenshaw, R-Terreton
Vice Chair: Ben Adams, R-Nampa
State Affairs
Chair: Jim Guthrie, R-McCammon
Vice Chair: Treg Bernt, R-Meridian
Transportation
Chair: Doug Okuniewicz, R-Hayden
Vice Chair: Lori Den Hartog, R-Meridian
Logan Finney | Associate Producer
Logan Finney is a North Idaho native with a passion for media production and boring government meetings. He grew up skiing, hunting and hiking in the mountains of Bonner County and has maintained a lifelong interest in the state’s geography, history and politics. Logan joined the Idaho Reports team in 2020 as a legislative session intern and stayed to cover the COVID-19 pandemic. He was hired as an associate producer in 2021 and they haven’t been able to get rid of him since.