Assembly members announced Jan. 9 that they formed a small special committee to reconcile multiple competing draft versions of a proposed sales tax measure.

The committee will be made up of four members; committee leadership was identified informally at the meeting and members were told the committee will be publicly noticed. Committee members said the goal is to harmonize the various S-version drafts and consolidate them into a single proposal for committee and assembly consideration.

Assemblymember Rivera said the committee was intended to allow the four members to work through differences in private so they could bring a reconciled draft forward: "The idea behind this particular committee came because we wanted to — we being four members, a member, Randy, Meg, Daniel, and I — to look at combining ... the S version and the S2A versions together, and the only way for the four of us to get in a room and do that was to create this special committee," Rivera said.

Committee members emphasized that the meetings will be public and noticed, and legislative services will schedule them and support the committee's work. The chair said the committee's meetings will be noticed and that members should coordinate communications with counsel to avoid Open Meetings Act concerns when circulating draft language.

No ordinance or ballot question was adopted at the Jan. 9 Rules Committee meeting. Member comments indicated the committee will move quickly because proponents want to have a final version ready for referral and possible special election timing, but the committee and administration cautioned members about advocacy rules and campaign law if an item is placed on a municipal ballot.

Members asked legislative services and counsel to manage committee communications, and the committee will report back to the full assembly after drafts are reconciled.