Joint oversight committee adopts rules; retains statute-based rule that virtual participants do not count toward quorum

The Joint Legislative Oversight and Sunset Committee adopted its committee rules on a voice and roll-call vote after a debate about how to treat remote participation.

The committee approved the rules as written, 8 yes and 2 absent, keeping a provision that a member participating virtually is not counted toward quorum even though that member’s vote may be counted if quorum is present without them. The committee’s attorney, Holly Vaughn Wagner, said the rule mirrors state law and explained multiple clarifying edits across the rules package.

The vote followed a lengthy discussion about Rule 19, which implements the statute on remote participation. “The statute requires that a member who’s participating in a meeting virtually is not counted toward quorum,” Wagner told the committee as she reviewed the proposed changes. Wagner also walked members through clarifications to Rules 2, 10, 12, 14 and the new Rule 17 that sets out how draft joint-committee legislation will be presented.

Representative Rich Collins proposed changing the rule so virtual participants would count toward quorum, saying he intended to attend meetings in person but that the change would allow flexibility. Collins said, “I intend to be at every meeting and I really don't wanna miss.” Collins later withdrew that motion after staff advised the committee that current rules must match the statute unless the Legislature changes the law.

Senator Brian Pennyjohn and others pressed for clarity about how the statutory language operates in practice; Pennyjohn asked which statute spelled out the quorum rule and Wagner identified it as Title 29, chapter 102 (section 10203(c)(3)). Senator Bridal Richardson said she worried about practical consequences for members who schedule travel: “I had at least 4 people that wanted to make public comment and they said that the hand-raise feature did not even appear on the screen,” Richardson said while raising a related concern about public participation technology.

After the discussion a motion to adopt the rules as written was seconded and the committee recorded 8 yes votes with 2 members absent; the chair announced, “Okay, having received the required vote, the motion passes.”

The committee also discussed whether to add a rule requiring cameras on for remote participants for decorum; members asked staff to draft precise language if the committee wants to revisit that change. Holly Wagner said staff can prepare draft language for a future meeting if the committee decides to pursue it.

Votes at a glance: - Adopt committee rules as written — motion approved, 8 yes, 2 absent. (Motion text: adopt committee rules as presented; mover not specified in the transcript; second recorded.) - Approve minutes of prior meeting — motion approved by roll call (see separate action record).

The committee’s chair and staff noted that any change to counting remote participants toward quorum would require legislative change to the statute; members suggested introducing a bill if they want to alter how virtual participation is counted in the future.