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Senate rejects proposal to assign seats by seniority; measure fails 6–20
Summary
A Senate proposal to shift member seating to a seniority system — which sponsors said would depoliticize desk assignments — failed in a roll‑call vote after members argued for and against preserving current leadership discretion and accommodating individual needs.
A proposal to change chamber seating to a seniority‑based system failed on Jan. 20 after a floor vote. Proponents said seniority would reduce retributive seating moves and encourage orderly seating changes; opponents said the change would disadvantage new members and remove leader flexibility to address disability or operational needs.
Senator Case, who brought the measure, described a seniority approach as a long‑standing tradition and argued it would be a “cordial” way to manage seating. “It worked very well for a long time,” Case said in debate. Senator Larson and others echoed the view that seniority had been used historically and could reduce politics around seat assignments.
Opponents, including Senator Hicks, said the proposal often disadvantages freshmen—particularly large incoming classes that would be clustered together—and removes leadership’s ability to place members for accessibility, committee or functional reasons. “We had the largest freshman class … none of us had served in the House,” Hicks said, arguing the seating method could isolate new members without mentors nearby.
Roll call: 6 ayes, 20 no, 4 excused. The amendment failed and will not be added to the Senate’s rules for the 68th Legislature.
