AP Explains: Why Idaho legislative committees matter

The first two weeks of this year’s legislative session have been light on policy discussions, but full of public dramatic disputes that have put generally-overlooked legislative committees into the limelight.

Legislative committees are the backbone of the Idaho Legislature. In Idaho, the House speaker and Senate president pro tem are in charge of appointing committee chairs and members.

When House Speaker Scott Bedke kicked Republican Rep. Heather Scott from Blanchard off her three committees last week, he told reporters it was one of the hardest decisions he’s ever made during his time in the top legislative seat.

Getting kicked off a committee limits a lawmaker’s activities to only voting on the House or Senate floor – where legislation rarely fails after making it out of committee.