Idaho Gov. Butch Otter's (R) choice to fill a Fish and Game Commission spot has sparked a controversy in the area she is supposed to represent.

Joan Hurlock was appointed to the commission in June 2012, along with Will Naillon. Her appointment made her the second woman to serve on the commission since its creation in 1938. But while Naillon's confirmation hearing has been scheduled for this week, Hurlock's has not.

"At this point, I'd rather not talk about it," state Senate Resources Chairman Monty Pearce (R) said yesterday. "Give us a little time. ... We don't know what's going to happen."

According to the governor's office, Hurlock -- a former forensic scientist with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and a former U.S. Capitol Police officer -- has been active in civic and sportsman groups. But some groups in Magic Valley, the area she is representing, say they favor other candidates they believe have more experience.

Jack Oyler, a board member of the Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife, said he talked with Hurlock before her interviews for the commission openings. He decided she didn't have the policy knowledge or experience for the job.

"This is not a woman thing with me, it's qualifications," Oyler said (Betsy Russell, Spokane Spokesman-Review, Jan. 18). -- JE