Stevenson questions Rusche's behavior

Lewiston Rep. Thyra Stevenson added to an already testy House debate on the state insurance exchange bill this morning when she asked House Minority Leader John Rusche if he has a conflict of interest on the issue.

Stevenson, who also sits on the Lewiston City Council, has a history of questioning her colleagues' behavior. Last summer she suggested Lewiston Mayor Kevin Poole had a conflict on a city transportation contract because of his employment with an engineering firm.

In the middle of the insurance exchange debate this morning, Stevenson asked Rusche if he needed to declare a conflict of interest.

Rusche, a former insurance company medical diretor, said he didn't, since his employment with the firm ended almost nine years ago.

House Speaker Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, interrupted and said it was inappropriate for Stevenson to raise the issue.

“It's incumbent upon the members to disclose (any conflicts) and inappropriate for other members to ask,” he said. “I'm uncomfortable with that.”

During a break in the debate, Stevenson said she was just wondering about Rusche's participation on a gubernatorial task force last fall, which recommended moving forward with a state-based exchange rather than defaulting to a federal option.

“It was a fairly innocent question. Don't blow it up,” she said.

The debate has lasted two hours so far and it's been testy. Speakers have been interrupted several times with objections, and an effort to move the bill to the amending order to address concerns about religious freedom and conscience rights was barely defeated on a 38-32 vote.