Five representatives ask to be removed from committees

Monday, five members of the Idaho House of Representatives stood before Speaker Scott asking to be removed from their respective committees until the situation involving Rep. Heather Scott, R- Blanchard is resolved.

Idaho Education News reporter Clark Corbin was on the floor and just told us one of the five legislators is Rep. Ron Nate, R- Rexburg.

Spokesman reporter Betsy Russell is reporting the other four lawmakers are Reps. Karey Hanks, R- St. Anthony; Priscilla Giddings, R- White Bird; Christy Zito, R- Hammett; and Dorothy Moon, R- Stanley.

All five lawmakers are asking Speaker Bedke to reassign Scott back to her former committees.

He took away her committee assignments this past week after she had been overheard making comments to other female representatives that women only advance in the House by trading sexual favors.

Currently, the legislature has been in session for only one week at this point, with many hot-button topics on the table, such as abortion and proposed changes to education curriculum.

But, Corbin said Scott hadn’t been serving on any of the committees which will be discussing any of those issues. If the other five lawmakers are removed from their committees, it is still too soon to determine if this could impact the outcome of those issues.