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Committee approves rule change requiring deputy chair consent to reschedule meetings
Summary
Resolution 80, which would require a committee chair to get prior written consent from the deputy committee chair before rescheduling a meeting, passed the committee after debate. Opponents said the rule would unduly constrain committee chairs; proponents did not describe a specific recurring problem in the committee record.
The committee considered Resolution 80, introduced by Legislator Lopez, amending the rules of order to require a committee chair to obtain prior written consent from the deputy committee chair before rescheduling a meeting.
Several members criticized the proposal as overly restrictive on a committee chair's prerogative and warned it could be used antagonistically. One member said the norm in the legislature is to work cooperatively with a deputy chair and that adding a written-consent requirement could encourage partisan maneuvering. Another member described a personal experience in which a deputy chair successfully covered for an absent chair without incident.
Despite those objections, the sponsor moved the resolution, it was seconded, and the committee adopted the measure by voice vote with no opposition recorded.
Details and next steps: The resolution changes internal committee rules regarding scheduling and rescheduling. Members asked the sponsor and majority leader to discuss whether a less rigid approach might address concerns; for now, the rule requiring deputy consent to reschedule is adopted by the committee and will be reflected in the committee's rules of order.
