By Ruth Brown, Idaho Reports
On Friday, House Speaker Mike Moyle released the list of House committee assignments.
Moyle appointed Rep. Wendy Horman, R-Idaho Falls, to chair the House Appropriations Committee, which had multiple vacant seats after this year’s retirements and primary losses. Rep. Steven Miller, R-Fairfield, will serve as vice chair. Miller previously served in the House from 2012-2018 before running again in 2022.
Moyle assigned only one Democrat, Rep. Brooke Green, D-Boise, to the committee. As first reported by the Idaho Press, the move is a shift from previous years, when the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee had two House Democrats in years when Democrats had just 11 members in the chamber, like this coming session.
On the Senate side, two Democrats – Sen. Janie Ward-Engelking, D-Boise, and Sen. Rick Just, D-Boise – were assigned to JFAC.
Moyle reassigned former Education Committee chairman Rep. Lance Clow, R-Twin Falls, to chair the Business Committee. Instead, Rep. Julie Yamamoto, R-Caldwell, will chair the House Education Committee. Yamamoto served on the House Education Committee last year.
Several of the committee chairmen who served during the last session either retired or did not win reelection, leaving vacant seats. Five chairmen did not run for reelection and two did not win their primary races, leaving those chairmanships vacant.
The Speaker of the House is responsible for assigning committees and presiding over the House.
Idaho Reports will have a rundown of House and Senate committee assignments, as well as the implications for Idahoans, on this week’s program. Idaho Reports airs Fridays at 8 pm on Idaho Public Television, and is available online after it airs at idahoptv.org/idahoreports.
The full list of chairmanships is as follows:
Appropriations
Chair Rep. Wendy Horman, R-Idaho Falls
Vice Chair Rep. Steve Miller, R-Fairfield
Agriculture Affairs Committee
Chair Rep. Kevin Andrus, R-Lava Hot Springs
Vice Chair Rep. Jerald Raymond, R-Rigby
Business Committee
Chair Rep. Lance Clow, R-Twin Falls
Vice Chair Rep. Jeff Ehlers, R-Meridian
Commerce and Human Resources Committee
Chair Rep. James Holtzclaw, R-Meridian
Vice Chair Rep. Matt Bundy, R-Mountain Home
Education Committee
Chair Rep. Julie Yamamoto, R-Caldwell
Vice Chair Rep. Lori McCann, R-Lewiston
Environment, Energy and Technology Committee
Chair Rep. Vito Barbieri, R-Dalton Gardens
Vice Chair Rep. Rod Furniss, R-Rigby
Health and Welfare Committee
Chair Rep. John Vander Woude, R-Nampa
Vice Chair Rep. Marco Erickson, R-Idaho Falls
Judiciary, Rules and Administration Committee
Chair Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa
Vice Chair Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard
Local Government Committee
Chair Rep. Barbara Ehardt, R-IdahoFalls
Vice Chair Rep. Mike Kingsley, R-Lewiston
Resources and Conservation Committee
Chair Rep. Ron Mendive, R-Coeur d’Alene
Vice Chair Rep. Charlie Shepherd, R-Pollock
Revenue and Taxation
Chair Rep. Jason Monks, R-Meridian
Vice Chair Rep. David Cannon, R-Blackfoot
State Affairs Committee
Chair Rep. Brent Crane, R-Nampa
Vice Chair Rep. Julianne Young, R-Blackfoot
Transportation and Defense Committee
Chair Rep. Joe Palmer, R-Meridian
Vice Chair Rep. Brandon Mitchell, R-Moscow
Ways and Means Committee
Chair Rep. Jon Weber, R-Rexburg