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House advances and amends HB3 supplemental appropriations; contested reallocations for conservation and CHIP fail
Summary
House consideration of House Bill 3 (Supplemental Appropriations Act 2) included multiple contested amendments: an unsuccessful attempt to restore conservation matching funds ($275,000) and a failed amendment to reallocate $1.8 million from tobacco‑restricted accounts to fully fund CHIP. The bill was placed high on the third‑reading calendar and received floor passage votes as amended.
House Bill 3, the Supplemental Appropriations Act 2, was brought to the top of the House third‑reading calendar on March 6, 2002, and generated extended floor debate and a series of floor amendments.
Representative Alexander (bill sponsor) introduced the measure and fielded questions from members about specific line items, including a $15 million change involving the Centennial Highway program that the sponsor said had been federal money routed through the Centennial account for Olympics‑related uses. Representative Hatch proposed targeted language changes to direct certain appropriations explicitly to jail contracting; the change was supported by several members who said the funds had been intended for that purpose.
Representative Becker offered a substitute amendment to add $275,000 for the Ray McAllister critical land conservation fund (a Quality Growth Act matching fund). Supporters described the fund's track record—leveraging local matches and preserving thousands of acres—while opponents raised process objections (copies of the amendment were not widely available before debate). The substitute motion failed.
Representative Hogue moved an amendment to transfer $1.8 million from tobacco settlement‑restricted funds within the health department into the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to raise the program cap and cover additional eligible children. Supporters noted the federal 4:1 match for CHIP and argued the move would help keep children insured; opponents countered that tobacco‑prevention and cessation programs were established uses of the funds and cautioned against last‑minute policy changes. The motion failed on a recorded vote (26 yes, 42 no).
Throughout the appropriations debate members raised points of order and procedural issues tied to limited paper distribution of amendments and the late hour of the session. The House conducted votes on several motions to reconsider and procedural placements; House Bill 3 proceeded through floor consideration with multiple amendments and recorded votes noted in the floor transcript.
