BOISE (March 12, 2025) – Idaho Senate Minority Leader Melissa Wintrow (D-19) and Sen. Janie Ward-Engelking (D-18) walked out of the Joint Finance & Appropriations Committee (JFAC) today to protest what they called “the budget chaos” that puts the state’s finances at risk.
Today’s walkout follows media coverage about JFAC’s open feuding among the supermajority Republican members.
Speaking on behalf of Senator Ward-Engelking, Sen. Wintrow said, “We left the floor because we felt the most prudent thing for Idaho voters would be to deny a quorum. JFAC is operating outside of all precedent and common sense voting rules, counting the hypothetical votes of absent members as ‘no’ votes. Rules provide predictability, transparency and fairness. To echo the words of Sen. Cook: the body owns the rules, and we have not voted on a set of rules as a body. Instead, a few people ‘in leadership’ are making up rules as we go at the expense of Idaho voters.”
Sen. Wintrow is available for interviews. Schedule directly with her at 208-949-0279.