Conference committee adopts omnibus state government provisions and five amendments

The State and Local Government and Elections Conference Committee voted May 12 to adopt the conference report recommendations for Motion 1 (state government policy) and approved five amendments individually during the meeting.

The committee chairs began by asking nonpartisan staff to walk members through a document labeled "Motion 1" that lists individual provisions from the House and Senate bills and the chairs’ recommended choices on which chamber’s language to include in the conference report. Nonpartisan staff described items ranging from renaming the Office of Administrative Hearings to the Court of Administrative Hearings, to grants management training, to licensing board changes and repealers.

Why it matters: The committee’s actions determine which version of dozens of state government policy provisions — some technical, some policy-oriented — will move forward in the final conference report to be included in the omnibus bill.

Key votes and outcomes

- Adoption of amendment A28 (periodic special review follow-ups for the Office of the Legislative Auditor): adopted by voice vote. Chair Cleburne called for the vote and members answered "Aye."

- Adoption of amendment A98 (local advertising money change): moved by Senator McQuaid and adopted by voice vote.

- Adoption of amendment A99 (annual grants training provision): adopted by voice vote.

- Adoption of amendment A22 (increase to municipal liquor store audit threshold, from a recommendation of the Office of the State Auditor): moved by Co-Chair Nash and adopted by voice vote.

- After walking through remaining provisions and amendments, the chairs moved to adopt all items as amended except for the "savvy" provision; that motion was approved by voice vote.

- The committee then took the savvy provision out for separate consideration and, after no discussion, adopted it by voice vote.

Procedure and record: Votes during the meeting were taken by voice. Committee members said "Aye" and no roll-call tallies were recorded in the transcript. The chair announced each motion "prevails" when adopted.

What was included: The committee adopted specific choices between House and Senate language across many categories, including state procurement/contracting, grants management, licensing board provisions, data practices appeals, the renaming of the Office of Administrative Hearings, several repealers, and provisions governing lottery retailers and municipal liquor stores. Nonpartisan staff told members that most rows in the Motion 1 document represented single provisions and noted where the House and Senate positions aligned or diverged.

Next steps: The adopted conference report language will be incorporated into the larger omnibus package for further legislative action.

Provenance

Topic introduction (excerpt from committee walkthrough): "We are going to move the adoption table documents and amendments today that will be presented by a nonpartisan staff. So I will move on the adoption of the recommended items on the document titled Motion 1. State government policy, comma, licensing boards be included in the conference committee report."

Topic finish (excerpt where votes concluded): "Seeing none, all those in favor of adoption please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? The motion does prevail. It is adopted."