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House rejects move to keep financial-institutions resolution in rules; original rules report adopted
Summary
A floor substitute motion to exclude House Joint Resolution 1 (financial institutions) from the rules committee report failed 36-37 after extended debate. The House adopted the rules committee report and referred HJR 1 to the Business-Labor committee for hearing.
Representative Lockhart moved to adopt the rules committee report, which included numerous bills and resolutions, and Representative Harper offered a substitute motion to adopt the report with the exception of House Joint Resolution 1, a joint resolution related to financial institutions.
"The motion is to accept the committee report with the exception of HJR 1," Representative Harper said, arguing the resolution should be left in rules so the House would not take a position on a matter he described as beyond the state's purview and likely to generate rancor. Supporters of sending the resolution to committee said the two-year task force that produced the report had completed its work and that the resolution should receive a normal committee hearing. Representative Christiansen urged members to "let it come to the normal process," saying hearings would allow the body to "hear both sides, and vote it up or down." Representative Dave Clark emphasized procedure and public input, urging committee review rather than a floor shortcut.
The House voted on the substitute motion after the previous question was ordered to close debate. The substitute motion received 36 yes votes and 37 no votes and failed. The House then returned to the original motion to adopt the rules committee report; that motion passed and the Speaker announced committee assignments, including referral of House Joint Resolution 1 to the Business-Labor committee.
The floor exchanges focused on process and the role of task force recommendations. Supporters of committee referral argued the task force's work merited public committee scrutiny, while proponents of the substitute motion said the resolution risked drawing the House into a federal-level dispute and should remain in rules. No formal amendments to HJR 1 were taken on the floor; officials directed the resolution to committee where members can request witnesses and additional testimony.
Next steps: HJR 1 was assigned to the Business-Labor committee for a scheduled committee hearing; the committee will determine whether to report the resolution back to the full House.
