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Subcommittee chair sets informational-only format for higher-education briefings
Summary
The chair of the House Education and Public Works subcommittee told members the panel's briefings with college and technical-system leaders are intended as informational sessions, not forums for policy debate or votes, and asked members to reserve policy questions for designated policy sessions.
The chair of the House Education and Public Works subcommittee opened the higher education briefing by instructing members that the session was intended to be informational and not a venue for policy debate.
The chair said at the start, “We’re not taking up any policy so I’m happy that we do have some people here,” and reiterated later that the meetings give members a “30,000-foot view” of institutions the legislature affects. He said the format is at the chair’s discretion for informational meetings and asked members to bring policy questions to appropriate policy sessions where votes may occur.
Several members asked clarifying questions about the scope of the informational format and whether that restriction is a formal rule. The chair replied that because no votes are being taken the format reflects “the will of the chair” for this set of sessions and not a standing House rule. He encouraged members to cite specific policies if they believe a question is policy-driven so the committee can address it in the proper forum.
At the close of the session the chair again asked members to avoid turning informational briefings into policy debates and reminded new members that substantive policy debate would occur in scheduled meetings where votes and formal deliberations are on the agenda.
The instruction was procedural guidance from the chair; the subcommittee did not adopt any formal rule change in the meeting.
