Ways and Means votes 'ought to pass' on House Bill 123 after executive session; places bill on consent calendar

The Senate Ways and Means Committee moved into executive session on House Bill 123 and then voted that the bill is “ought to pass,” placing it on the committee’s consent calendar, the chair said.

Committee members discussed that the bill originally addressed a statewide tax but was rewritten by the Senate Energy and Agriculture Committee to create a study commission to examine timber tax implications and carbon sequestration. Given that rewrite, the chair said the study commission is better positioned to analyze the issue and recommended letting the study process proceed before further policy action.

The committee moved into executive session on a motion by Senator Sullivan, seconded by Senator Murphy. During the closed discussion the chair explained the change in the bill’s scope and said, “my inclination is to, given the fact that they created a study commission to be able to understand the implication of the timber tax versus the avoidance through carbon sequestration, what that looks like. We should let that study committee go through with the policy people that know the topic much better than probably we do.”

After the executive session, Senator Sullivan moved and Senator Lang seconded that the committee report House Bill 123 as “ought to pass.” The committee approved the recommendation by voice vote; the transcript records “the ayes have it.” The same motioners later moved to place the bill on the consent calendar; the committee approved that motion by voice vote as well.

No public testimony on House Bill 123 was recorded in the transcript; the chair invited testimony but said no one came forward. The committee subsequently voted to come out of executive session on a motion by Senator Murphy, seconded by Senator Sullivan.

The committee’s recommendations will be transmitted according to the Senate’s procedures; the transcript does not record a roll-call tally or further floor actions.