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House committee advances bill to loosen membership rules for Legislative Water Development Commission
Summary
The House Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Standing Committee voted Feb. 26 to recommend favorably House Bill 507, a measure sponsored by Representative Peterson that changes how many legislative members may serve on the Legislative Water Development Commission by requiring a minimum rather than an exact number from each chamber.
The House Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Standing Committee voted Feb. 26 to recommend favorably House Bill 507, Legislative Water Development Commission amendments, after adopting House Amendment 1.
Representative Peterson, the bill sponsor, told the committee HB 507 "provides us with a little bit more flexibility on the members that we can have on the legislative water development commission" and described the change as setting "a minimum of 2 from each" legislative chamber rather than an exact headcount.
The change is intended to ease transitions when commission members rotate off and replacements are not yet in place. Representative Chu asked why the bill would move from a fixed number to a minimum, saying, "why are we changing the numbers and just saying more than than 2?" Peterson replied that recent sessions showed the committee had "some people that were on the commission that we knew were moving off the commission and we didn't have the opportunity to put new ones on to prepare them to take the place of of those that were phasing off." He said the measure simply allows the speaker discretion to ensure representation.
Representative Snyder moved to adopt House Amendment 1 to HB 507. Snyder and other members described the amendment as resolving a partisan question in the original draft and as a compromise that provides needed certainty for commission membership. The committee adopted the amendment by voice vote and then voted to recommend the bill favorably as amended; the vote was taken by voice and recorded as passing.
Representative Snyder, urging support for the final motion, told the committee, "this is now your baby as the new chair of the Legislative Water Development Commission," addressing Peterson and wishing him luck.
No members of the public offered comment on HB 507 during the committee's public-comment period. With the amendment adopted and a favorable recommendation recorded, the bill moves forward in the legislative process.
The committee proceeded to other business after the vote; Senate Bill 92 was noted as not being considered at this hearing.
