It is an honor to be your State Senator from Coeur d'Alene. Thank you. The legislative session started Jan. 12, and it has been non-stop ever since. What an interesting experience! I'm up at 5 a.m. and don't get back to my rental house until 8:30 p.m. Then we start again before the next dawn. It's challenging but very enjoyable.

The people in the Capitol have been kind and welcoming; they are professionals who understand the process and are willing to help, no matter their political persuasion. Our first weeks have been full of meetings and receptions so we can get to know many groups. For example, this is Education Week at the Capitol. The colleges, community colleges, charter schools, independent schools and many school districts, were all here to talk with us and present their concerns.

This is also the week the House State Affairs Committee heard the Add the Words bill, which proposed to insert "gender identity" and "sexual orientation" to the existing human rights law. It drew a big crowd.

There are many things I'd like to share with you about how this, your state government, works. Some are great things, some are not. In order to describe my experiences, and explain some of the interesting details, I've started a Senate Journal on my website at MarySouzaforIdaho.com. There you will find short descriptions of events, along with photos. If you choose "Following" at the top of the page, it will automatically send you updates when there's a new addition.

One of my journal entries is about the way each senator chooses their desks on the floor of the Senate and chooses their committees. It is very unique and is steeped in tradition. Another entry is about the big binders of Rules we are working on right now. Many don't understand how new laws are implemented through lengthy rules written by executive branch departments, and that Idaho is one of the few states where the Legislature must review the rules to make sure they fit the original intent of the law. And I'll soon post an entry about the Add the Words, and how folks are filling the hallways near my office to enter the large auditorium being used for the hearing.

My committees are Senate Education, Judiciary & Rules, and Agriculture. Each one is important, complex and fascinating, so there will be a lot to tell you as we go forward for the next 10 weeks. I'll also give you links to websites where you can watch committee hearings, proceedings on the floor of the Senate or read proposed bills.

Please join me in leaning about our Idaho government. As anthropologist Margaret Mead said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has."

Let's start by making a difference in Idaho!

PLEASE NOTE: This Saturday, Jan. 31, there will be a Town Hall meeting with all the legislators from our area from 9-11 a.m. at St. John's church hall, 4718 E. Horsehaven Ave., Post Falls.