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Joint committee rejects addition of one bill-drafting attorney for Legislative Services Office
Summary
A request to add one full-time bill-drafting attorney to the Legislative Services Office failed in committee after a split vote; supporters said staff shortages were constraining bill drafting and amendments, while opponents argued for member restraint on bill volume and hesitated to expand staff beyond agency requests.
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee voted down a motion Tuesday to add one full-time bill-drafting attorney and $128,500 from the general fund to the Legislative Services Office.
Representative Tanner moved for the additional FTE and funds, saying LSO staff reported backlog and that one additional attorney would relieve drafting and amendment delays. The motion was seconded by Senator Woodward. Opponents noted that legislative-initiated bill volumes have grown, and some members argued for limiting the number of bills members file rather than expanding staff. Representative Petzke said the committee has cut agency budgets across the board and should apply similar restraint to the Legislature’s own support staff.
Roll call: the committee was evenly split across the two chambers (total 10 ayes, 10 nays), so the motion failed to garner a majority in either committee. The Senate vote was recorded as 5 ayes, 5 nays; the House also recorded 5 ayes, 5 nays.
Discussion and context Supporters said the volume of amendments and engrossments has increased in recent years and that staff were working long hours. Senator Grow and other cochairs argued the request was modest relative to the overall state budget and necessary to support timely, high-quality work for all members. Opponents pointed to growth in member-generated legislation and suggested internal controls on bill requests as an alternative.
Next steps Committee cochairs said they will consider whether to revisit the request later in the session; LSO indicated it continues drafting and managing bills and agency requests through the interim.
