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Joint Agriculture committee adopts house-form interim rules after debate over bicameral sponsorship
Summary
Committee members debated whether interim committee-sponsored bills should require both a majority of senators and a majority of representatives. After discussion and a counted hand vote, the panel adopted the house version of interim rules (simple majority) for the coming interim period.
Cheyenne — The joint Agriculture, State & Public Lands & Water Resources Committee debated and adopted its interim rules June 10, choosing the house formulation that allows committee-sponsored legislation to proceed with a simple majority of committee members rather than requiring separate majorities in each chamber.
Anna Johnson, staff attorney for the Legislative Service Office, presented the sample interim committee rules and told members that the packet contained two options: one that requires a majority in both chambers to sponsor committee legislation and a second that allows committee action by a simple majority of the interim committee. Johnson summarized the rules and offered to answer questions.
Representative Provenza argued in favor of the senate version earlier in the discussion, saying that when committee bills have support from both chambers "it's much more likely to get all the way through the process." Other members favored the house-style rule because it can allow additional time for amendment and further consideration if a bill divides the committee.
After debate the committee first approved a narrow amendment to use the title "cochairman" rather than "chairman/vice chairman." The committee then took a counted hand vote to resolve which version of quorum and sponsorship rules to adopt. The motion to adopt the senate version (requiring a majority of both chambers) failed. A subsequent motion to accept the house rules (simple majority for the interim committee) passed by raised-hand voting.
The adopted rules will govern the committee for the 60th and 61st interim periods unless the committee moves to amend them in a future meeting.
