After a recess the House Taxation Committee reconvened to take executive action and passed four bills unanimously, committee minutes show.

Representative Thain moved that House Bill 17 do pass; the committee recorded a 20–0 vote in favor, with proxy votes counted for absent members. Representative Thain also moved House Bill 22; that motion passed by voice vote and was recorded 20–0. A motion to pass House Bill 16 was approved by voice vote and recorded 20–0.

Committee members then considered House Bill 18. Representative Thain moved amendment HB0018.001.001 to remove a dated phrase referencing January 1, 2005, which department staff said would otherwise limit the distribution formula to mines in operation before that date. The amendment passed 20–0. Representative Zane then moved HB18 as amended; the committee passed the amended bill by voice vote and the record shows 20–0 in favor.

The secretary reported each vote as 20 aye, 0 no; proxies were recorded for some absent members and counted with the ayes. Committee discussion included a request that staff record explicit vote totals (for example, "20 to 0") when bills are transmitted to the House floor so the floor can see committee support levels.

Why it matters: the committee’s unanimous votes forward the listed bills to the next phase of the House process; the HB18 amendment corrected a drafting issue to ensure the distribution formula would apply to all bentonite mines rather than only those operating before 2005.