House Republicans Thursday voted to eliminate the legislature’s only bipartisan committee and restructure the branch’s independent watchdog under partisan control.
The Office of Performance Evaluation (OPE) is currently overseen by the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee (JLOC), which has an equal number of Democrats and Republicans.
The bill passed by the House would instead task the Legislative Council – a partisan group with a majority of GOP members – with directing OPE.
House Majority Leader Megan Blanksma (R-Hammett) couched the proposal as simply cutting out the middleman by eliminating the committee.
But the bill also narrows the scope of what OPE can investigate.
As previously reported by Boise State Public Radio, lawmakers on JLOC can authorize OPE to analyze cities, counties and political subdivisions of the state that can levy, collect and spend taxpayer dollars.
Blanksma’s bill would limit those investigations to executive agencies of state government while exempting political offices – including the legislature and judicial branches.
House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel (D-Boise) tried to raise those points, with House Speaker Mike Moyle (R-Star) initially objecting. Moyle later allowed her to continue, saying she was factually correct.
“I think it would be a sad, sad loss for the state of Idaho to lose this,” Rubel said, noting colleagues from other states tell her they want to emulate the office’s structure.
JLOC currently has no members appointed by Moyle, though Rubel has been a past member of the committee.
She said she can’t remember a single time when the group authorized a report solely supported by a Democrat.
“This is not a leftist plot at all. It has been operating very effectively and serving the requests of Republican legislators.”
Rep. Steve Berch (D-Boise) characterized it as a matter of control.
“Who gets to control the critical, relevant facts available to each of us to make critical thinking decisions?” Berch asked.
Should the bill become law, he said, there would always be the concern that OPE isn’t completely independent.
“I take issue with the idea that there would be a loss of credibility just because a council of majority Republicans would do something,” said Blanksma as she closed the debate. “I think that is casting aspersions and I don’t agree with it.”
Freshman Rep. Clay Handy (R-Burley) and Rep. Tony Wisniewski (R-Post Falls) were the only Republicans to join all 11 Democrats in opposing the measure.
The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.
Follow James Dawson on Twitter @RadioDawson for more local news.
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