Pearce: ‘Just trust us’
Sen. Monty Pearce, R-New Plymouth, chairman of the Resources Committee, said, “I haven’t wanted to bring it here, I apologize to you that it is here.” He said, “I’ve gone to the attorney general and offered to put it in my drawer so it didn’t show up here. I’ve been to leadership” But that wasn’t permitted by the process, he said. “You know, this is the process, senators, whether we like it or not.” Pearce said he’d met with Hurlock and couldn’t say all he knows. “Just trust us,” he told the Senate. “There’s a fear of some environmentalism here. The sportsmen are worried. … We represent the people and that’s who I’m getting the word from.”
"There is a difference between knowledge and experience," said Sen. Steven Bair, R-Blackfoot. "Ms. Hurlock has knowledge. It's the experience portion that I'm worried about." Bair was among the Resources Committee members who opposed Joan Hurlock's confirmation in that panel's 5-4 vote.
Sen. Roy Lacey, D-Pocatello, said, “She has the passion for bringing the youth to the table. I think she has the passion for our wildlife. … Based upon the statute she is very well qualified.”
Sen. Lee Heider, R-Twin Falls, said, “In our form of government, we have three branches for a reason. That system of checks and balances is very, very important to the process." He said without those checks and balances, the governor could appoint whoever he wanted. The Fish & Game Commission, he said, needs "people who have been in the mountains, people who have experienced fishing and hunting first-hand."
At this point, the Senate is an hour past the time it was supposed to hold its Lincoln Day ceremony, and has run through much of the lunch hour.
