Tennessee House adopts special-session rules after debate over 24-hour amendment deadline

The Tennessee House of Representatives on Jan. 27 adopted the report of the ad hoc committee on rules, establishing the permanent rules of order for the 1st extraordinary session of the 114th General Assembly after a floor debate over amendment deadlines and public access to votes.

Lawmakers said the package matters because it sets amendment filing deadlines for the special session, defines when committees will accept amendments, and lays out a tentative committee schedule that will determine how quickly bills move to the floor.

Representative Lear Lambert moved to adopt the report of the ad hoc committee on rules as the permanent rules for the session. Chairman Clemens pressed the rules committee on whether the package required "24 hours notice for any amendments to committees," asking, "Is that correct?" Lambert responded, "That is not correct. There's a the committee sent that on their own. But ordinarily, it is a practice of the committees for there to be a 2 hour 2 hours before the committee begins, deadline to have any amendments in. The 24 hours is for the floor."

Several Democratic members said the 24-hour floor deadline…