‘Privilege of a lifetime’: Boise Democrat to leave his seat in Idaho Legislature
Rep. Colin Nash, D-Boise, plans to step down from his Idaho House seat after winning a seat on the City Council in November.
The Boise Democrat representing West Boise’s Legislative District 16, said he plans to use a substitute in his place later this month and resign around the end of the legislative session. His term ends after this year.
Nash was elected in 2020 and reelected in 2022. The lawmaker was appointed to the Boise City Council in April and in November won close to 46% of the vote in a competitive four-way race for District 2, which covers areas of Boise south of Garden City to the Interstate 184 Connector.
The 33-year-old told the Idaho Statesman in an interview that he has selected Don Coberly to fill his seat during much of the session, starting as soon as Monday. Coberly was superintendent of the Boise School District from 2010 to 2019, he said.
After Nash resigns, the Democratic Party in District 16, which includes parts of the West Bench and Garden City, will send three names to Gov. Brad Little, who will select a replacement lawmaker.
“I feel like I made a lot of progress on issues I want to advocate for in the Legislature,” Nash said, referring to the state’s workforce housing fund and a law allowing accessory dwelling units on owner-occupied properties, both of which Nash sponsored.
Nash said he plans to focus on housing issues and getting new parks built in his new job at Boise City Hall.
“It’s been the privilege of a lifetime and I look forward to what we can accomplish at the city of Boise,” he said.
But Nash, who is an attorney, said he would welcome changes at the Legislature that would make it easier for “young parents to be able to serve and provide for their family.” Nash said low compensation and the indeterminacy of session lengths are part of the problem. Lawmakers make less than $17,000 per year to work full-time during the first few months of the year, according to state law. City Council members make around $27,000 a year to work part-time.
“When sessions go four to five months, you’re cutting into a person’s income pretty severely,” he said.
In a campaign video from last year, Nash said that ”As much as I love public service, I simply cannot afford to take four months off of work any longer. ... During my first session as a legislator, we worked into May and I nearly missed my rent. Now that I have a mortgage and two young children, I simply can’t afford to put my family second to my public service.”
Senate Minority Leader Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, said in a statement to the Statesman that Nash has been “one of the best” lawmakers she has worked with.
House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, D-Boise, said he has been a “gifted and passionate legislator.”
“Boise is lucky to have him as a City Council member,” she said.
When asked if he may ever return to state politics, Nash said that “part of my heart is still there (at the Legislature), but I’m looking forward to putting that all into city politics right now.”
This story was originally published January 9, 2024 at 11:58 AM.
