State GOP Chairman Norm Semanko said he received "numerous" calls from residents in Twin Falls County and across the state, urging him to replace Randy Hansen on the state's redistricting commission.

It isn't every day that I find myself in agreement with Wayne Hoffman of the Idaho Freedom Foundation.

And it's hardly any day that we are in complete agreement.

Today is such a day. Here's Hoffman's weekly column about the clampdown on security at the Idaho Statehouse. (I blogged about the issue this morning, with a post that will lead my Saturday column). Extra credit to Hoffman for the Darth Vader reference:

When Canyon County Prosecutor Bryan Taylor said he would not pursue criminal charges against state Treasurer Ron Crane, the reaction was to be expected.

Said Crane: “I am delighted with the finding ... which validates the usage of my private vehicle for travel to and from work as being within state policy.”

When the refurbished Idaho Statehouse reopened in time for the 2010 legislative session, some of the political insiders who lavished praise on the $120 million makeover also voiced some reservations.

They worried that the expanded building, with its new office space, would allow lawmakers to insulate themselves from the people they serve.

Now, the skeptics can say they told us so.

• Thursday was state schools superintendent Tom Luna’s day before the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee. He made his pitch to backfill more than $19 million into teacher salaries, reversing pay cuts that were planned for 2012-13. Gov. Butch Otter has not budgeted the $19 million for salary backfill.

Said Luna, after his presentation: “I'm confident that when we're done, we will have a budget that fully funds all of the elements of the Students Come First education reforms, and keeps teacher salaries equal to what they are today.”

With the state redistricting commission set to meet at 9 a.m., House Speaker Lawerence Denney and state GOP chairman Norm Semanko have issued a joint statement about Wednesday's Supreme Court ruling.

The court rejected attempts by Denney and Semanko to fire their appointed commission members.

Here's what Denney and Semanko had to say:

Following is a joint Statement from Idaho House Speaker Lawerence Denney and Idaho GOP Chairman Norm Semanko regarding the Idaho Supreme Court’s decision:

• And the redistricting drama is … over? We’ll see for sure at 9 a.m., when the bipartisan redistricting commission reconvenes. But in what John Miller of the Associated Press described as a “terse, one-page ruling,” the Idaho Supreme Court dismissed efforts to fire two Republican members of the commission.

No word from state GOP chairman Norm Semanko, who sought to replace his choice on the commission. But House Speaker Lawerence Denney appears to have given up.

If Republican leaders try to hijack the redistricting process, they run the risk of compromising years of "remarkable success" at the polls.

That's the assessment from one of the architects of the GOP's success — Phil Batt, a former governor, lieutenant governor, legislator and state Republican chairman. Batt submitted a guest opinion today, criticizing House Speaker Lawerence Denney and GOP Chairman Norm Semanko for trying to fire redistricting commissioners Dolores Crow and Randy Hansen.

Gov. Butch Otter spent an hour fielding questions from Statehouse reporters Wednesday, making his main objective clear:

Say nothing — absolutely nothing — that would alienate or even somewhat surprise legislators.

• On Tuesday, a legislative committee came in with a cautious revenue projection for 2012-13 — setting up a $33.3 million gap between Otter’s budget and the Legislature’s budget. The two sides will negotiate, he said.

9:04 a.m.: On initiative efforts to privatize liquor sales: "Good luck with it ... I'm not supporting it."

8:58 a.m.: Otter demurs on the idea of backfilling $19.7 million in teacher pay, as sought by state superintendent Tom Luna. There seems, on the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, some sentiment on Luna's side. "We're discussing that."