BOISE - When a bill's passage was in jeopardy during a recent hearing in a House committee, a lobbyist in the front frantically wrote "Kill this bill! We'll work on it" on scraps of paper.

He quietly passed them out to the three committee members on House leadership. Majority Leader Mike Moyle, R-Star, mouthed the words, "I don't have the votes."

But he didn't need them. Instead, lawmakers voiced their own worries and killed it convincingly.

The subtle ex-change - and lack of response from leadership - represents what some call an environment shift in the House from last year when moderate Republicans accused the new four-member leadership team of strong-arming and over-extending its influence.

The complaints from moderate Republicans are fewer - or at least quieter. Leadership, in turn, has flexed its muscles just a handful of times. Even those who criticized the senior caucus members have been asked to take the lead on bills.

"My sense is the membership of the House is happier with the leadership team this year," said Keith Allred, president of The Common Interest, a non-partisan citizens group who frequents the Legislature. Before the 2008 session, Allred, a Twin Falls native and Harvard professor, predicted the Republican relationships in the House to be a top issue to watch.

Last year, Lawerence E. Denney, a farmer from Midvale, was elected House Speaker over Bill Deal, a moderate from Nampa. Many moderate Republicans cited differences with Denney and his cohorts, primarily Moyle.

It was the first conservative transition for lawmakers since Tom Stivers of Twin Falls was House Speaker in the early 1980s. Denney succeeded Burley's Bruce Newcomb, a moderate who followed a middle-road philosophy set by his predecessors Mike Simpson and Tom Boyd.

"I'm not hearing the reports that we heard last year, of leadership being heavy-handed," said Jim Weatherby, a retired Boise State University political science professor and Legislature observer for several decades. "That comes with being a little more effective in controlling the levers of the power in the House."

About a dozen moderate Republicans complained in 2007 that the Legislature was aggressively managing its caucus and bullying members. Two such lawmakers have since left the chamber; Clete Edmunson now works for Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter and Bob Ring retired.

The shift in the House atmosphere is perhaps most prevalent in Rep. Leon Smith, R-Twin Falls. Last year, the attorney and five-term legislator saw just one of his bills make it out of the House, while other efforts were denied in conservative committees. Smith openly criticized Denney as being in "punishing mode" after Smith supported Deal.

But things have turned around this year for Smith. He's more engaged in committees, has helped lead the House initiatives on transportation reform, and says he's having more fun.

"Last year I was on the retaliatory end," he said. "You beat a dog because he's been disobedient. After you get him down you don't keep beating him."

Smith said he's even decided to seek a sixth term - something he admits was unlikely had the choice been made a year ago.

"Compare those quotes he's just given to those quotes he gave a year ago - quite different," said Weatherby.

There also haven't been any visible clashes like last year when a vote-by-mail bill was approved by a committee but never given a full vote on the floor. This year it appears House leaders learned from their mistakes and developed a more palatable management style, said Weatherby. He referenced a bill requiring home sales price disclosure to county assessors that passed the Senate but hasn't been seen in a House committee.

"It's below the surface but the net effect is these both are killed," said Weatherby.

Leadership has mended fences with Democrats, said House Minority Leader Wendy Jaquet, D-Ketchum. She said the leadership team, which also includes Assistant Majority Leader Scott Bedke of Oakley and Caucus Chair Ken Roberts of Donnelly, has been noticeably nicer to their own.

"I don't hear people calling each other RINO this year," she said, referring to the legislative acronym for "Republican in name only."

Still, she's cited subtle changes, like leadership increasing the number of bills which are hands off to younger members. One such bill was a taxation bill carried by Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Eagle, which Jaquet dubbed as a "Moyle bill."

As in the past, leadership refuted any reports of strong-arming. Last week, they said all legislators try to be productive. Lawmakers who say they enjoy this year more might be credited to the cramped quarters of the Capitol Annex that require working together.

"Not everyone can win every time on every issue and it culminates to a head at the end of the session," said Bedke. "Every session has a different chronology to it. The collective psyche can take so many turns."

When asked why moderates aren't criticizing him and his comrades, Moyle said, "I guess we must be doing something right."

Still, the political battleground is not over, particularly with ideas from leadership. Transportation funding is up in the air. A constitutional amendment just cleared committee. And a 93-page proposal to consolidate elections is due for a hearing.

Jared S. Hopkins may be reached at 420-8371 or jhopkins@magicvalley.com