From Deseret News archives:
House speaker hires ex-GOP official as staff chief
This is the first time a part-time legislative leader has had a chief of staff. Previously, both the House and Senate staffs like the research, legal, budget and auditor arms of the legislative branch of government had full-time, nonpartisan employees.
Bleak's appointment raises a number of questions, said House Minority Leader Ralph Becker, D-Salt Lake, adding that Curtis didn't tell him he was reorganizing the House staff and hiring Bleak.
Traditionally, these decisions are made in consultation with the minority party, Becker said. "I had nothing to do with this hire."
The hiring of Bleak "who I know a little and who is a nice guy," Becker said further politicizes a small, professional House staff that, by and large, has been nonpartisan, Becker said.
Curtis said Bleak will represent him in front of other governments, the news media and community and help him with policy issues. He will also supervise House staff members a responsibility of the speaker including those who work exclusively for the Democrats, although those staffers are generally given autonomy from the majority party staffers.
"Theoretically, the speaker supervises all House employees, and I'm elected on a partisan basis," Curtis said. "But I think that it can all work because we give latitude to the minority party for their own hirings."
While the departing administrative aide, Kat Dayton, makes in the $50,000 range for full-time employment during the session and part-time work the rest of the year, Bleak will earn over $80,000 for his full-time work, Curtis said. In a brief biography put out by Curtis' office, Bleak, 30, said he has seven years of experience working on Capitol Hill. He started his political affairs career by working in intergovernmental relations for Salt Lake City.
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