Kathy Sims would not answer a question about whether she plans another run for public office.

Sims’ friends and associates say — anonymously, of course — that the longtime state legislator is done fighting for her conservative values in Boise.

But plenty of people, including Sims herself, agreed she intends to make her voice heard loud and clear about how she views the political scene in Idaho and Washington, D.C., — no matter where she happens to be.

Sims did nothing to dissuade that idea Thursday afternoon during a lunchtime speech at the weekly meeting of the Kootenai County Reagan Republicans.

Speaking to a couple dozen fans at The Fedora, Sims blasted away at Paul Amador — the man who defeated her in last year’s District 4 primary — along with Rep. Luke Malek, R-Coeur d’Alene, and the entire administration of fellow Republican Gov. Butch Otter.

For someone who supposedly has no designs on returning to the Legislature — where she served three terms in the House and one in the Senate — Sims managed to deliver what sounded very much like a fiery campaign message.

“These people claim they’re conservatives,” Sims said, “but look at how they vote and the bills they promote, and you see that they might as well be in the other party.

“My opponent (Sims never mentioned Amador’s name despite speaking for nearly an hour), Malek, and some of the others who put an R in front of their names but don’t vote like real Republicans — you know who they are.”

Sims also sounded lukewarm on new President Donald Trump, but she at least tossed him a bone.

“Trump might not have been the first choice for some of us,” she said, “but I have to tell you, I felt a great sense of relief just watching the confirmation hearing for (Supreme Court nominee) Neil Gorsuch.

“Just thinking of what could have happened if the election had gone the other way, you feel so relieved.”

Lest anyone think she might have gone soft now that Republicans hold the presidency and both chambers of Congress, however, Sims found plenty of targets for her shots — all the way down to the city level.

“Be suspicious of your city treasurer,” she said, not specifying any particular city. “Taxpayer money always flows in, but we don’t always know where it goes.

“And now Malek sponsored a bill that would exempt cities from providing receipts for how they spend their money. It’s just plain wrong.

“Or take urban renewal. The people on these urban renewal boards are not elected, they don’t answer to anyone, and yet they can do anything they want with your money.

“There has to be change there. Citizens need an accounting of where their money is going, because there are plenty of people who will hang on to it — then spend it on something else.”

Interrupted by occasional shouts of encouragement from the audience, Sims clearly enjoyed stating her beliefs once again to a group that agreed with her on almost every issue.

She made it a point to mention that, as a woman running an automotive business for 49 years, she understands government and how it works on a day-to-day basis.

“About 90 percent of bills that fail in the Legislature are blocked by government departments,” she said, without giving any specific examples. “These people want to keep hold of their power.”

Sims did address last year’s defeat to Amador during her speech.

“I felt sad,” she said, “because of all the people who support me and knocked on so many doors.”

But without saying so directly, Sims seemed to indicate she saw a potential defeat in the making.

“Coeur d’Alene is becoming more and more liberal,” she said. “My opponent and Malek vote with these liberals. Conservative organizations who rank legislators have given them each an F.

“I wasn’t going to change my beliefs, or change what I think is right, to cater to these new liberal voters.”

Asked after the meeting whether, with the legislative session winding down in a flurry of activity (and on Thursday, inactivity), she missed being part of the fight.

Sims paused to consider her memories.

“I do miss my friends and colleagues,” she said. “I miss working with Don Cheatham, with Ron Mendive, and of course Vito (Barbieri). That’s just natural, because we’ve tried so hard to make the right kind of conservative impact for the northern part of this state.”

And yet she still wouldn’t care to comment about taking another shot at election to the Legislature?

Not even the possibility?

Sims smiled.

“No, I’m not going to answer that question,” she said.

It was, ironically, the only issue brought up all afternoon on which Sims did not offer a forceful and heated answer.