Elections Committee unveils annual rules, restricts remote voting for worked bills and sets Jan. 30 introduction cutoff

Chairman Pat Proctor presented the Committee on Elections’ rules for the session and told members the documents sitting at each desk were the rules that would govern the year. Proctor said leadership is standardizing rules across committees and highlighted three changes members should note.

First, members are no longer permitted to vote remotely via Webex when the committee is “working a bill”; if a member wants to vote on a bill while it is being worked, they must be physically present in the committee room. Second, Proctor asked members to notify him by the morning of a meeting if they will be absent so staff can arrange replacements when needed. Third, because the legislative session is compressed, Proctor said the practical deadline to request bill introductions in this committee is Jan. 30 — the last meeting before the statutory cutoff — and urged members to plan accordingly.

Proctor framed the changes as standardization and efficiency measures and told members that earlier notice of absences and Webex participation helps with scheduling and possible roll call requirements.