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Committee reports out bill to add minority member seats on Legislative Council and Budget & Audit
Summary
Senate Bill 160, to ensure a minority member from each legislative chamber may sit on Legislative Council and Legislative Budget & Audit (with a 25% minority threshold), was reported out of the Senate State Affairs Committee with individual recommendations and a zero fiscal note.
Senate State Affairs on May 15 reported out Senate Bill 160, a measure to guarantee the minority party in each legislative chamber a seat on the Legislative Council and the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee, subject to a 25% minority rule.
Sponsor Sen. Mike Schauer described SB 160 as "simple" and focused on allowing a minority member from each body to serve on the two committees while maintaining a 25% rule provision to ensure the minority constitutes at least 25% of the appointing body. "It simply allows a minority in each body to have a member on [Legislative Budget and Audit] and on the Legislative Council," Schauer told the committee.
Senator Grama Jackson moved that the committee report the bill out with individual recommendations and an attached fiscal note of zero. The committee proceeded without objection and SB 160, work draft 34, was reported out of committee with individual recommendations and the attached zero fiscal note. Legislative Affairs Agency staff prepared the fiscal note and recorded it as zero because the measure does not increase the number of committee members.
The sponsor noted the bill had been carried in prior sessions but had not reached final passage. The committee took no additional public testimony on the item and recorded the motion to report out without objection.
SB 160 will proceed in the legislative process with the committee's report and the attached zero fiscal note.
