Host Thanh Tan is a producer/reporter/host with Idaho Public Television. She joined the staff in October 2008, after working several years as a general assignment reporter at commercial television stations in Boise and Portland, Oregon. Thanh graduated with honors from the University of Southern California with degrees in International Relations and Broadcast Journalism. She developed a passion for journalism through several years of internships and freelance gigs with KOMO-TV in Seattle, ABC News Nightline in Washington, D.C., National Public Radio’s Day to Day and CNN in Los Angeles. As a reporter with KBCI-TV, she specialized in covering politics and the Idaho Legislature.

Betsy Z. Russell works as reporter for The Spokesman-Review. In that position, Russell covers Idaho news from the newspaper's bureau in Boise. Her "Eye on Boise" blog offers up-to-the-minute news and happenings from the state capital.

Dr. Jim Weatherby is a Boise State University emeritus professor and a political analyst. He served as Director of the BSU Public Affairs Program and later as Chair of the Department of Public Policy and Administration. Weatherby has been interviewed by most of the print and broadcast media in Idaho and by most of the major daily newspapers in the United. He is co-author of The Urban West: Managing Growth and Decline and Governing Idaho: Politics, People, and Power. Weatherby has also written numerous manuals on state and local government and conducted workshops for state and local officials for over thrity-five years. He is a former executive director of the Association of Idaho Cities and served on the faculty at the University of Idaho and Northwest Nazarene University. Dr. Weatherby serves on the board of directors of the City Club of Boise, the Idaho Tax Foundation, and Sage Community Resources, Inc. His wife, Dana, is the former Director of Legal Education for the Idaho State Bar and Associate Director of the Idaho Law Foundation, Inc. They enjoy their daughter, son, and daughter-in-law who live in Boise.

Sen. Bart M. Davis serves as Majority Leader in the Senate. He is an attorney who practices in the areas of construction, real property, business, and commercial law, including bankruptcy. Sen. Davis also serves as a member of Legislative Council and as a board member of the Idaho Bond Bank Authority. First elected in 1998, he has chaired several interim committees and participated in numerous task forces. He currently serves on Idaho’s Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission and the Capitol Restoration Advisory Committee on Legislative Relocation. Davis was born in South Dakota in 1955, but raised in Idaho. He has been married to Marion Woffinden Davis since 1976, has six children, nine grandchildren, and is active in his church and Rotary Club.

Rep. Clifford Bayer is a six-year veteran of the Idaho House of Representatives. A resident of Boise, Bayer represents District 21B in Ada County. Outside of his duties as an elected official, Bayer is a medical research scientist. He graduated from Boise State University with a degree in Biology. Bayer serves on the Appropriations, Business, and Local Government committees.

Rep. John Rusche is in his third term in the Idaho Legislature where he represents District 7 covering the Lewiston and Nez Perce County area of north-central Idaho. For the 2009 Legislative Session, Rusche was elected by his peers to serve as Minority Leader for the House Minority Caucus. He sits on the House Health and Welfare, Revenue and Taxation and Business Committees.

Rep. Rusche attended Notre Dame for college and then went to Medical School at Washington University in St. Louis. While attending Medical School he met and married his wife Kay. After having a medical practice in Lewiston for 15 years, Rusche began work at Regence Blue Shield as Medical Director. He worked there for 11 years, and retired as the Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for Regence BlueShield of Idaho and Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah. Rusche and his wife have one daughter, Caitlin, who lives in Boise.

Senate Assistant Majority Leader Joe Stegner is an 11-year veteran of the Idaho Senate. A resident of Lewiston, Stegner represents District 7 in Nez Perce County. He is a retired grain dealer and graduate of the University of Idaho, where he studied political science. Aside from his leadership role, Stegner serves on the Commerce & Human Resources, Local Government & Taxation, and State Affairs committees. He has been married to his wife, Deborah, for 38 years. They have four children and two grandchildren.

Rep. Bill Killen is serving his second term in the Idaho House, and his first term as Minority Caucus Chair. Killen represents Boise residents in District 17. A retired attorney, Killen moved to Ada County after living 30 years in the McCall area. He served on the City Council and as mayor of that city from 1992 until 1997. Killen earned his undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University. He went on to serve in the U.S. Navy for four years and worked for Hewlett-Packard before attending law school at the University of Idaho. Outside of his leadership duties, he also serves on the Agricultural Affairs, Judiciary, Rules & Administration, Revenue & Taxation, and Ways & Means committees.

Sen. John McGee serves the citizens of Caldwell, Greenleaf and Wilder in the Idaho State Legislature. As the youngest member of the Senate, Sen. McGee is a strong advocate for growing a strong economy in Western Canyon County by focusing on opportunities to grow and diversify both small and large business development.

Sen. McGee currently serves Chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee and most recently chaired the Treasure Valley Transportation Task Force. He also sits on the Agriculture and Health and Welfare Committees. During his first term, McGee was only the third freshman legislator in the last thirty years to serve on the Idaho Legislature's JFAC (appropriations) Committee where he successfully carried that largest transportation funding bill in Idaho history. McGee was elected by his peers to serve on the Legislative Council and was named the 2006 Idaho State Republican Legislator of the Year. McGee was named a Council of State Governments Toll Fellow in 2007.

Sen. Kate Kelly is in her third term in the Idaho Legislature where she represents District 18 covering south Boise. As Minority Leader and a member of the Legislative Council, she is the top ranking Democrat in the Idaho Senate. Senator Kelly sits on the Senate Education, Judiciary and Rules, and State Affairs Committees.

Senator Kelly holds a B.A. from George Mason University, an M.S. from the University of Idaho College of Mines, and a J.D. from the University of Utah College of Law. Early in her career Senator Kelly spent four years with Boise Cascade Corporation's Minerals Department and six years with the Idaho Attorney General's Office Natural Resource Division. She also served five years under Governor Kempthorne as a senior administrator with the Department of Environmental Quality. A member of both the Idaho and Utah state bar associations, when she is not performing her legislative duties, Senator Kelly maintains a law practice.

House Speaker Lawerence Denney is currently serving his seventh session (13th year) as a legislator and his second session as Speaker. He was the Majority Leader for four years and also served as Assistant Majority Leader for four years. He was originally elected to the House in 1990.

Born and raised in the 'tiny' town of Midvale (as once reported by the Idaho Statesman), Lawerence graduated from Midvale High School in 1966. In 1970 he graduated from the University of Idaho with a BS in Agricultural Economics. He is a retired farmer, but says that once a farmer always a farmer. Lawerence currently is employed at Midvale Telephone. He is married to Donna; they have four children and six grandchildren. Lawerence's hobbies are first and foremost enjoying his family.

Michael H. Ferguson received his undergraduate degree in economics from Boise State University in 1975. He is currently the Chief Economist in the Division of Financial Management, Executive Office of the Governor, State of Idaho. His major responsibilities include economic and revenue forecasting and monitoring, tax policy development and analysis, and managing the Economic Analysis Bureau within the Division of Financial Management. He has held that position since August 1984.

Prior to joining DFM, Ferguson was a staff economist at the Idaho Public Utilities Commission, where he provided expert witness testimony on a variety of economic and modeling issues relating to gas and electric utility rate cases. Prior to joining the PUC, he served as an economist in both government and private business where his job duties included econometric modeling and economic analysis.

Dolores Crow grew up in Jerome, Idaho and graduated from Jerome High School. She met her late husband, Wayne Crow, while attending college in Salt Lake City, Utah. They married and have six children, and six grandchildren.

Crow was appointed to the Idaho House of Representatives in 1983 and was re-elected 12 times for a total of 24 years of service to the State. While a Representative she was a member of many House committees including four years on JFAC, eight years as Chairman of Environmental Affairs and ending as Chairman of the House Revenue and Taxation Committee.

Currently she is enjoying "trying" to retire, travel more to Europe, is a member of the Republican Party, civically active and participates at Crossroads Church. Last year she was appointed as Commissioner to the Capitol Commission overseeing the restoration of Idaho's People's House.

Wayne Hammon serves as Administrator of the Division of Financial Management (DFM) within the Executive Office of the Governor. As the state's budget chief, Hammon oversees all aspects of the Executive budget and is a senior advisor to the Governor on a wide range of issues.

Prior to joining the Governor's staff, Hammon served over six years as Idaho State Executive Director for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency. As the G. W. Bush Administration's primary agricultural representative in Idaho, Hammon was charged with the supervision of the delivery of all federal farm support programs across the state. Previously, he spent over seven years in Washington, DC in a variety of positions on Capitol Hill.

Hammon grew up in Bingham County and received a BA and MA in public policy from Brigham Young University and is an honorary associate alumnus of the University of Idaho.

Jared S. Hopkins has covered the Idaho Legislature and government for the Times-News in Twin Falls, Idaho, since 2006. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland-College Park, where he received a degree in journalism and English. He also regularly updates local and state politics stories at his blog, Capitol Confidential.

Kevin Richert is the Idaho Statesman's editorial page editor. He is responsible for writing the Statesman's editorials on state, regional and local topics; produces a daily blog on politics and Idaho issues; and writes a twice-weekly column.

Kevin has more than 23 years' experience in Idaho journalism. He worked as a reporter and editor for the Idaho State Journal in Pocatello, the Post Register in Idaho Falls, and The Times-News in Twin Falls. He joined the Statesman in April 2001. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.

Rep. James Ruchti was born and raised in Pocatello. He was appointed to the United States Military Academy at West Point and graduated in 1993. Upon graduation, he was commissioned as an officer in the United States Army, Military Intelligence Branch. He was honorably discharged as a Captain in 1998.

After leaving the military, James returned to school at the University of Idaho where he received his Juris Doctorate in 2001. James currently practices law with Cooper & Larsen, Chartered in Pocatello, where his practice focuses on litigation.

James was elected to the Idaho State House of Representatives in 2006 and re-elected in 2008. He currently serves on the Transportation and Defense Committee and the Revenue and Taxation Committee. James and his wife, Wendy, have been married for over 15 years and have two sons - Spencer and Drew.

Rep. Ken Roberts was born in Cascade, Idaho, and graduated from McCall-Donnelly High School. He attended the University of Idaho; and completed the Ag Equip Tech program at Boise State University.

Ken is self-employed in farming and operates their family farm homesteaded in 1901 by his grandfather. Ken lives in Donnelly with his wife Mary Jo and two daughters, Kendra and Christine; he also has one married daughter, Johanna, one grand-daughter with another grandchild on the way.

Ken was a McCall-Donnelly School District trustee for 8 years; spent 2 years as a Valley County Planning & Zoning Commissioner; and is a past Valley County Republican Central Committee Chairman. He was elected to the legislature in 2000 and serves on the House Transportation and Defense Committee, the Revenue and Taxation Committee, and the Ways and Means Committee.

Ken is serving his second two-year term as Majority Caucus Chairman.

Sen. Elliot Werk (born April 16, 1957) is a Democratic politician from Boise, Idaho. He is the incumbent Idaho State Senator from District 17, which is based in the Boise Bench neighborhood.

Werk was born in Montreal, Canada, and emigrated to the United States when he was seven years old. He became a naturalized United States citizen while in college. After living in various locations throughout the United States, Werk moved to Idaho in the early 1990s with his family.

Werk was elected to the Idaho Senate in 2002, defeating Republican incumbent Grant R. Ipsen. He was reelected to a fourth term in 2008 by a nearly 2-1 margin. In January 2009 Werk succeeded Kate Kelly as assistant minority leader in the Idaho Senate.

Rep. Bob Nonini (born August 7, 1954) is a Republican politician from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. He is the incumbent Idaho State Representative from District 5, which is based in north Idaho, and he attended North Idaho College. Nonini was elected to the Idaho House of Representatives in 2006, and is serving his 3rd term. Nonini is the chairman of the House Education Committee and is a member of the Transportation & Defense Committee.

Nonini has 25 years' experience in the financial services industry. He is a North Idaho native and is an active member of the community. In his free time, Bob enjoys community service and spending time with his wife Cathyanne.

Margaret Henbest graduated from the Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland with a degree in nursing, specializing in the field of Pediatrics. Since 1976, she has worked as a nurse and nurse practitioner in Oregon, California, and Idaho. She also had a stint as a health care educator, serving as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Nursing at Boise State University from 1988 - 1991.

Henbest was elected to the Idaho House of Representatives in 1996 and served until 2008. While in the House, she was ranking minority member of the House Health and Welfare Committee and the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee. She was also the House Minority Caucus Leader. During her six terms, she focused on the needs of the uninsured and the underinsured, as well as on efforts to improve the safety, quality and affordability of the care citizens receive.

Henbest continues to work as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, evaluating alleged child victims of abuse and neglect.

Mike Rush is the Executive Director of the State Board of Education. As Executive Director, he is charged with supporting the Board with oversight over the majority of Idaho's budget.

Mike most recently completed 10 years as the administrator of the Division of Professional-Technical Education. He has also taught high school and has had faculty positions at the University of Idaho, Virginia Tech and Penn State University. He has held adjunct faculty status at Boise State University and was Director of Research for the State Division of Professional-Technical Education. Mike grew up on a farm in northern Idaho.

Mike received his Master's degree from the University of Idaho and his doctorate from Virginia Tech with a minor in the Masters of Business Administration program. He has published research articles, written curriculum guides and has extensive experience at both the state and national level in educational research and accountability.

Dan Popkey came to Idaho in 1984 to work at The Idaho Statesman as a police reporter. In 1986, he covered Boise City Hall during then-Mayor Dirk Kempthorne's first year in office. Later assignments included state government, politics and the Idaho Legislature. In 1994, he became a political columnist. He has covered 19 sessions of the Legislature as a reporter or columnist. He appears Monday afternoons on KBOI radio.

In 2007, Dan led the Statesman's coverage of the Sen. Larry Craig scandal. The Statesman's reporting was recognized as one of three finalists for the Pulitzer Prize in breaking news. In 2003, he won the Ted M. Natt First Amendment award from the five-state Pacific Northwest Newspaper Association for his coverage of University Place, the University of Idaho’s troubled real estate development in Boise. In 2001, with the help of the Log Cabin Literary Center, Dan helped start the "Read the Same Book" program, which is now called the "The Big Read." Dan lives in Boise with his two children, Challis, 16, and Nicholas, 14. He announces home games for Challis' basketball team, the Borah Lions, and follows Nick's exploits on the football field and wrestling mat.

John Miller covers the Idaho Legislature and state government for The Associated Press. He's worked at the Capitol since 2004.