For the past three months, one of Republican Idaho Gov. Butch Otter's departments has been headed by a Democrat and overseen by a majority-Democrat commission. It's the state Tax Commission, which is constitutionally required to have four commissioners, with not more than two of them from the same party. But since GOP commission Chairman Bob Geddes resigned in February, Democratic Commissioner David Langhorst has been the interim chairman, and the fourth commission seat remains vacant. That leaves the commission with two Democrats and one Republican.

"David Langhorst is doing a great job right now," said Otter's spokesman, Jon Hanian. "We have not named anybody else at the moment; he's continuing to serve in that capacity." Langhorst, a former Democratic state senator from Boise whom Otter first appointed to the commission in 2009, said, "These positions are public trust positions - they're not political." You can read my full story here at spokesman.com.