Mike Moyle The legislative session ended Wednesday.
Yes, officially it was the 2024 legislative session. Or, if you want to do it formally, at the second regular meeting in 1967.Day Idaho Legislature.
But for all practical purposes this was Moyle's session. The Speaker of the House said over the past 94 days, he's gotten almost everything he wanted. Omnibus School Facilities and Tax Laws; The budget invests $52 million in the sale of the Idaho Department of Transportation's State Street campus.
At a post-session news conference Wednesday afternoon, Moyle engaged in a bit of a coach's speech, pointing out that the bill cannot pass Congress without 36 votes in the House and 18 in the Senate. “I think where I was was where the majority of the Legislature was, especially the House side,” said Moyle, R-Star. “I can’t do it alone in this building.”
But Moyle didn't skip a beat when asked about the unfinished business.
“I still don’t think the school choice issue is going away,” he said. “I’m sure something will happen next year.”
Moyle, the single most powerful member of parliament, has shown this session that he is willing to pull any arrow from his quiver.
- He can close the ranks. The issue came to a head in the House after House moderates and Democrats opposed a new two-step budget process that would include basic agency spending, starting with a “maintenance” bill. Republican leaders almost unanimously supported the first maintenance budget, which narrowly passed. One holdout, then-Majority Leader Megan Blanksma (R-Hammett), was removed from leadership the next day, but Moyle insisted it was the caucus' decision and not anything she did.
- He will force his colleagues to vote yes. Moyle's House Bill 521 was a complicated mashup that had something for everyone. This was a historic state investment in school buildings. Income tax cuts, always favored by Moyle; And more. Senators complained about the bill's overloaded Christmas tree, pushing back against constitutional prohibitions requiring bills to focus on a single topic. “A lot of people complained and voted yes,” Moyle said Wednesday. “All right. That’s how the process works.”
- He's willing to wait for the Senate and the governor. In the ITD showdown, Moyle outlasted Senate President Pro Tempore Chuck Winder, who was an ardent supporter of the State Street divestment. On a second attempt, the Senate voted to block the purchase. Then on Wednesday, Moyle got a grudging shrug from Gov. Brad Little. The governor allowed the ITD-related budget to become law without his signature, despite expressing concerns about the measure “unfairly undoing the agreed-upon sales process.”
- He will gladly find a safe haven for his favorite bills. In 2023, the House Education Committee killed a series of school choice bills. Moyle did not give the committee another chance this year. He delivered a $50 million private school tax credit bill to the House Ways and Means Committee. Rev and Tax also opposed it, but Moyle's message was relayed to House Education Committee Chairwoman Julie Yamamoto. She said she would prefer to see her bill in her own committee. “I now have a bird’s eye view of the strategy that applies to everything that happens here,” Yamamoto, R-Caldwell, said Wednesday. “It was educational for me.”
But perhaps the most important tool a speaker can use is the power of patience. On Wednesday, an unenthusiastic Little signed legislation restricting access to “harmful” library materials, after a three-year process that ended in a veto in 2023. Moyle likened the library fight's closure to the ongoing school choice debate.
“Every time you try, you get closer to achieving your goal,” he said.
After fighting a series of library bills, Democrats fear history could repeat itself.
“‘Oh, you’re going to get this whether you want it or not,’” said House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, D-Boise. “That’s the message we got from the voucher.”
“This issue is going to continue to swell,” said House Minority Caucus Chairman Ned Burns, D-Bellevue, who voted against the tax credit bill in committee last month.
Democrats are hoping the issue will give them some leverage at the November polls. And the Democratic Party has made real progress in recruiting candidates this year. They found candidates for 81 of Idaho's 105 legislative seats. That includes Caldwell Democrat Nancy Parker, who applied for Moyle's seat.
First, Moyle must survive repeated basic challenges. Nampa Republican Rachel Hazelip, who won 44% of the vote, will face Moyle again in 2022.
With 26 years of experience on Capitol Hill, including 18 years of House leadership, Moyle has a significant edge in the name ID space. Moyle can also tap into fundraising streams that may not be available to beginners. As of the end of March, his campaign had raised more than $108,000.
None of this guarantees that Moyle will be re-elected. But the odds are clearly on the side of senior legislators.
When Moyle returns, the 2024 session gives us a good idea of what to expect in 2025.
Kevin Richert writes weekly analysis of education policy and education politics. Look for his story every Thursday.