Select Federal Natural Resource Management Committee adopts interim rules to vote as a full body

The Select Federal Natural Resource Management Committee voted June 19 to adopt interim committee rules that direct the panel to vote as a full body rather than requiring a majority from each legislative chamber.

The committee’s motion to adopt the rules was made by Senator Larson and seconded by Cochairman Wark. “I’d make a motion to approve what they presented that the majority would pass as a group and not each separate house,” Senator Larson said before the committee took the voice vote. The chairman announced the motion passed after the ayes were called.

The interim rules were described in the committee packet as a standard template with a single material exception: two conflicting quorum provisions drawn from separate house rules. One provision, the House position, allows “a majority of the quorum” to transact business; the other, the Senate position, requires a majority in each house. The committee chose the House approach and will conduct votes under the adopted procedure for the remainder of the interim session.

The adoption clears procedural uncertainty for this interim committee and allows the panel to proceed with scheduled briefings and public testimony. No substantive policy changes were made by the vote; the rules address only how the committee will conduct and record future votes.