Hart to meet with House speaker

House Speaker Lawerence Denney says he will wait to decide on removing an Athol legislator with several years of tax disputes from his position on a key legislative tax committee.

Denney said Thursday he wants to sit down and discuss the matter first with Rep. Phil Hart, and will likely make a decision in December.

A seven-member House ethics committee voted on Wednesday to remove Hart from the Revenue and Taxation Committee, due to a conflict of interest over his legal battles with the Idaho Tax Commission while serving on the tax committee.

Denney said Thursday that such a course "might be best," according to an AP report.

Hart said he was pleased to hear the speaker will give him a chance to defend himself.

"I have a lot of faith in Rep. Denney. He is a very good man," Hart said.

Hart was surprised that the ethics committee made such a recommendation, he added.

"Normally such a sanction would be based off some probable cause or investigation," he said.

The ethics committee has also dismissed two charges against Hart, one for conflict of interest, and the other for abusing legislative privilege to win delays on his tax cases.

"I'm thankful the whole process is behind us now," Hart said of the charges. "That was good news to me."

After boycotting income tax for several years, Hart faced $300,000 in tax liens from the IRS this year. Hart still owes more than $53,000 in unpaid taxes, interest and penalties, according to the Idaho Tax Commission.

Hart has said he believes he has overpaid in taxes, and plans to sort that out.

He doesn't know what he plans to tell the Speaker yet, he said.

For now, he wants to focus on campaigning for reelection this November.

"I think it gives me an opportunity to get out and meet people and tell my story," said Hart, a third-term legislator. "I've worked very hard over the last six years, and I think there are quite a few people out there who like the work I do."