Sen. Steve Vick, R-Dalton Gardens, has defeated Sen. Todd Lakey, R-Nampa, for assistant majority leader in the Senate; Sen. Kelly Anthon, R-Burley, was elected caucus chair in a four-way race. Sen. Chuck Winder, R-Boise, is the new majority leader.

Asked why he decided to run for leadership, Vick,  a conservative who is in his 4^th term, said, “I felt like there’s two things, really. One is I want to make the 14^th Order understandable and user-friendly.” That’s the order of business in the Senate in which amendments to bills are considered; it's a fairly complex and obscure process. “The other thing I wanted to do, was I wanted to make sure that the Legislature stays a strong branch of government.”

“I think we have a tendency to get shoved back, because the judiciary and the executive branch are here all the time,” Vick said. He’s twice sponsored a constitutional amendment aimed at allowing the Legislature to reconvene after it’s adjourned for the year to consider veto overrides.

“I’m just grateful and humbled,” Vick said.

The caucus lasted for more than an hour and a half; the final result was greeted with applause, and afterward, Vick and Lakey shook hands and talked.