Lawmaking--a Family Affair.

• Author: Gordon, Dianna

It can't be genetics, but there's definitely something infectious about being a family member in public life.

Sometimes, politics is a family affair. And the inevitable outcome of this situation is a sharing of knowledge--especially if dad and son or husband and wife serve in different divisions of elected government.

Case in point: "When I got here, they already knew who I was," says Idaho Senate President Pro Tem Robert L. Geddes. "I think a lot of people had higher expectations of me than what a freshman could really do."

Senator Geddes is following in the footsteps of his father Representative Robert G. Geddes, a statehouse veteran now serving his 24th year. Not only is the elder Geddes the most senior member of the Idaho Legislature, but he chairs one of the most powerful groups in the institution, the Joint Finance committee.

"He's been here 24 years," the son muses. "He's spent almost a quarter of a century in lawmaking." On the other hand, Senator Geddes is serving the second half of his third term in the Legislature and was elected Senate president this year.

"I'm pretty proud of my dad," Senator Geddes says. "He was a good role model to follow. I was able to move in his circle of influence, and that circle is very large. I think it helped me, too, when I started because I didn't want to mar his reputation."

Now, as the senior Geddes nears retirement, there's been a reversal of roles.

"Before, I was the one who wanted to rush into things, and he'd temper me. But this year, I'm the one saying, 'Boy, Dad, do you think this is really the right thing to do?"'

The "thing" right now is Representative Geddes' support of an "aggressive tax cut." In his leadership role, however, Senator Geddes says he "can't vote my personal beliefs. I have to represent what is best for the state and other legislators, as well. You have to be more mainstream when you're in a leadership position."

In March, the House passed a massive tax cut bill, but the Senate eviscerated the package, wary of cuts because of the need for money to deal with an ongoing lawsuit over school facilities funding and a recent court decision finding Idaho responsible for years of unfair trucking fees.

Finally, the House and Senate agreed on a compromise tax-cut package in April. The debate had dominated the legislative session, the fourth longest on record.

The two positions -- the dad's stance with the House endorsing a deep tax slash and the son's Senate side of the Legislature...