Scott Bedke retains Idaho House’s top leadership spot

BOISE — Speaker of the House Scott Bedke will hold onto the Idaho House’s top leadership spot for the 2021 session after defeating a challenge from Rep. Wendy Horman.

House Republicans voted behind closed doors Wednesday night to retain Bedke as speaker, according to a press release issued by legislative leaders.

The entire House is expected to vote to confirm Bedke during the Legislature’s organizational session Thursday morning inside the Statehouse.

Bedke, R-Oakley, is beginning his 11^th term in the Legislature. He was first selected speaker before the 2013 session.

Horman, a vice-chair on the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, announced her challenge to Bedke’s leadership last month. She said legislative colleagues encouraged her to run and she thought she had a path to the votes to secure a victory over Bedke.

The speaker enjoys enormous power, helping assign committee seats to legislators and presiding over the daily floor sessions.

Horman will receive her 2021 committee assignments during the organizational session, either on Thursday or Friday.

Republicans confirmed their entire House leadership team Wednesday.

Leadership positions include:

• Bedke as speaker.
• Majority Leader Mike Moyle, R-Star.
• Assistant Majority Leader Jason Monks, R-Nampa.
• Caucus Chair Megan Blanksma, R-Hammett.

“We are all honored to be able to lead such a strong group of conservatives in the Idaho House of Representatives,” Bedke said in a statement released Wednesday night. “This year has presented some challenges, but we’re all confident we can continue to help Idaho recover with polices of smaller government, lower taxes and personal responsibility.”

The 2021 legislative session kicks off Jan. 11 with Gov. Brad Little’s State of the State address and budget request.

This article was originally posted on IdahoEdNews.org on December 2, 2020