James Dawson:
First of all, let's start with why you decided to not run for speaker this past year and why did you decide to stick with [the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee]?
Rep. Wendy Horman (R-Idaho Falls):
Running for speaker involves a tremendous sacrifice of time and energy and I looked at my options and decided I would instead focus on hoping to be appointed as chair of House appropriations.
Dawson:
Yeah. I mean, you had the most experience out of the House members that remained on the committee.
Horman:
I did. Eight years. [Representative Matthew Bundy (R-Mountain Home)] had two years. But of course, [Representative Steve Miller (R-Fairfield)], who eventually won election in November, brought six years of experience to the committee.
Dawson:
Right. Do you think that there's more that you can accomplish as JFAC chair versus, you know, trying to lead 69 other people?
Horman:
Yeah. It's very different work. But I think I'm very well suited to the chief role and very detail oriented. And I love the research of and the collaboration that can happen in JFAC, but I also have been able to fit those details into a big vision.
Dawson:
What kind of a big vision do you have for the state?
Horman:
I always I I'm not wearing it today, but I wear a widow's mite. You've probably seen this in other reporting, but my daughter gave me a widow's mite from Jerusalem.
I frequently wear that to remind me that taxes paid by Idahoans sometimes represent a tremendous sacrifice. And I always want to be weighing the value of if that dollar that they have contributed is of more value in their pocket or being put to use for the state. And so I consider these funds their money. And it's my job as chair of appropriations to help the committee have that vision of really digging into the details of budgets and making sure that funds are being used as appropriated, that there's no waste, and that we're as transparent as we can possibly be about the budget work we do.
Dawson:
What do you think is one of the less understood aspects of JFAC for people who are not necessarily as clued in or as engaged with the process?
Horman:
You know, in some ways, JFAC is like any other committee in the building, right? We meet, we consider proposals, and then we make recommendations to the full body. What's different is that it's the people's money we're talking about. And...there are 108 different budgets that we need to work. So. on a committee of 10 on House appropriations, we have to have somebody on every single budget and the Senate does the same thing with theirs. So, I wanted to build a culture of collaboration and cohesiveness around learning to trust the work of our colleagues. And that's one of the things, honestly, that has been a struggle over the last couple of years.
And [Senator Scott Grow (R-Eagle), JFAC’s other co-chair] and I are united in trying to reestablish that culture of working together, bipartisan, bicameral in in ways that. I'm going to end my sentence there because I don't want to criticize anyone previously.
Dawson:
You were the one who carried the Commission for Libraries bill last year on the House floor. And you repeatedly kept trying to explain to the rest of the body what the money did and did not go toward, which wasn't necessarily listened to. How do you build those relationships, especially with such the crazy amount of turnover that we've had?
Horman:
So, the way I do it is I go talk to my colleagues and I listen to them. I mean, I took two calls on the House floor today that had budget questions and another one before floor session started. And so, I always want my colleagues to feel like they can come to me and I will either know the answer or I will get them the answer.
have always tried to do that as chair. When we have budgets come out of JFAC that are deeply divided, I know we're heading for trouble on the floor. And so, you know, you talk to people, you try and work with people in the committee and off the committee to try and create a path forward. And sometimes we just don't get there. And there was more of that kind of conflict the last couple of years. And with, you know. Some members refusing to work with other members. And, you know, I'm not here to judge that, but I do want to cure that situation.
Dawson:
So, Speaker Moyle, and I know Clark Corbin from the Idaho Capitol Sun has reported on this, says he wants to change how JFAC votes on budgets coming out of the committee. Where do you stand on that? And if that were to go through, how would that help in trying to achieve cohesion?
Horman:
So, one, yes, I'm supportive of that. It has always been the ruling of our parliamentarian, our clerk, that the committee should not have been voting together in the first place because they're a joint committee. But unlike Economic Outlook or CEC or JLOC, which are just made up of individual members, JFAC is made up of two committees.
I think that's exactly what it does is build cohesion. Because if you're in your working groups and look, I'm going to support any individual member's right to bring forth a budget any time they want. That is how this committee works and I will always support that right. But for workflow, it just it works better if we can get to get together and get united on these things here and then and then go to the floor.
But under this model, it would mean that once you take a budget out of the Joint Finance and Appropriation Committee, either to the House or the Senate, you would know that a majority of your committee voted to support that budget. Might not be unanimous, but you would at least know it's a majority.
Dawson:
What else do you hope to accomplish this year or this session if you have a two year plan kind of laid out in your head.
Horman:
I guess I can't say that I have a two year plan. My goals were really to, and I think I can say this for Senator Grow as well, our plan was really to create a cohesive team where individual values and beliefs are respected and represented, knowing that we all represent different areas of the state.
Dawson:
Lastly, I'm asking everyone who I interview for this newsletter what's your favorite thing about the Capitol? It can be, you know, an actual physical object, a feature, people, whatever.
Horman:
It’s actually the JFAC room.
Dawson:
Why is that?
Horman:
I can feel the history in there. I love the dome. I feel it is a privilege to serve in that room.
Dawson:
It’s the former Supreme Court area, right?
Horman:
Yeah, it is. This is apparently one of the justice’s offices that I'm sitting in. I do love the room, but I love that this building is called the Capitol of Light.
[Editor’s note: Rep. Horman points to a photo hanging on her wall showing the interior of the Idaho Capitol dome. Below it reads a quote from its architect, John Tourtellotte.
“The great white light of conscience must be allowed to shine and by its interior illumination make clear the path of duty.”]
I took that picture with my phone. I had cards printed. And so, I love that this building reminds me of the privilege it is to serve here that I have an office in this building. I had a cubicle for eight years, had an office two years with a door and now I have this piece of the historic original capital to work in.
I feel that is such a privilege and an honor. The building itself reminds me of that on a daily basis. I love coming early in the morning when very few other people are here and I walk in, I hear my footsteps and I see the rotunda. And it really reminds me of the privilege it is to serve the people.
Follow James Dawson on Twitter @RadioDawson for more local news.
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