While there is an official parliamentarian (a veteran majority member) in the House to rule on tricky procedural issues while in session on the floor, anyone can see that Peterson, who has 30 years experience, often suggests quietly (tells?) the speaker, past and present, what's what, how not to screw up and invite a court challenge later over the passage of a controversial bill.

We'll see how this House chief of staff works out. Maybe nothing will really change, as Curtis says. Maybe the next speaker will go back to having an administrative assistant/scheduler, and partisan fears will melt away.

Or maybe this is the first step (Becker worries a continuing step) in the politicization of a historically nonpartisan staff.

And Democrats may want their own chief of staff. Or down the road they may even demand their own partisan-appointed staffs in all legislative and budget committees, like Congress and some other states have now.

And that won't be a good thing for either the House or the citizens.

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Deseret Morning News political editor Bob Bernick Jr. may be reached by e-mail at bbjr@desnews.com.