SANDPOINT - District 2 Sen. Joyce Broadsword announced on Thursday she will not seek re-election after the 2012 legislative session.

The announcement comes on the heels of the latest redrawing of legislative boundaries statewide to reflect population changes. The political cartography put Broadsword and District 1 Sen. Shawn Keough in the same district, setting the stage for a contested GOP primary.

Broadsword, a four-term Republican, has no desire to try and unseat Keough.

"Senator Keough does such a great job for this area. There is no way we can afford to lose her, and her seniority and leadership. Her efforts are just superior," said Broadsword.

Broadsword has enrolled at North Idaho College to get an associate of science degree in general studies. She also operates two businesses, one which makes and sells logs for home construction and another which provides courier services for a regional medical laboratory.

Broadsword - whose district included parts of Bonner, Kootenai, Shoshone and Benewah counties - said one of her proudest achievements is the passage of legislation which prevents insurance companies from obtaining the results of genetic testing to set insurance rates.

"Getting the genetic privacy act was important to me," she said.

Broadsword, 53, said she has no regrets about any of the votes she cast since her first legislative session in 2005, although she laments that a bill she proposed to increase penalties for child abusers.

The maximum sentence for felony injury to a child is 10 years in prison. The bill she introduced would have given sentencing judges the discretion to impose a punishment of up to 20 years didn't make it through the House of Representatives.

"There is a need to increase the maximum and allow the judges to decide if they've got a really bad offender. Ten years isn't enough," said Broadsword.

Broadsword isn't ruling out future plans for elected office.

"I'm keeping my options open," she said, declining to elaborate further. "At this point, I haven't made any decisions."

There are rumors that she may seek the District 1 seat on the Bonner County commission, a post held by Republican Cornel Rasor.

"I have had a really good experience," Broadsword said of her time as a lawmaker. "I enjoyed it. I got to help a lot of people with a lot of issues. I feel I've made a difference to the people of my district."