Senate Government Operations committee recommends two State Police Advisory Council nominees, delays floor filing pending court decision

Senate Government Operations Committee members voted in committee to recommend Alison Crowley and Seth Champ for appointments to the State Police Advisory Council, but the committee chair said the nominations will be held from the Senate floor pending an expedited Supreme Court decision.

Committee members interviewed both nominees earlier in the week and asked follow-up questions before taking the committee roll call. Chair Senator Hart said the committee would "take the vote now, but I won't bring it up to the floor until we get the decision," a compromise after members said they were awaiting clarity from the court.

The committee recorded affirmative committee recommendations from Senators Palmer, Berzalski, White, Clarkson and Hart during the roll call that followed the interviews. The tally recorded in the committee was five affirmative responses; no abstentions were recorded on the committee recommendation. There was no record in the transcript of a mover or seconder for the committee recommendation.

A committee member said they had spoken with someone "in the know" who estimated the expedited Supreme Court decision could be "a week or two away." The chair and at least one other member said they would not send the nominations to the floor until that decision arrives.

No formal action was taken to change the committee's recommendation; the committee's steps were limited to the recorded committee recommendation and the chair's statement that he would delay floor filing. The nominations remain recommended by committee and are pending further action by Senate leadership and a Supreme Court ruling.

The committee did not record additional conditions on the recommendations in the transcript. Next steps identified in committee discussion: the chair will hold the floor filing until the court decision and then proceed to report the nominations to the full Senate when appropriate.