Senators adopt amendment letting legislature call special sessions by leaders or two-thirds petition

Senator Davis told the chamber that her amendment to SJR 10 would let the legislature call itself into a special session "by proclamation of the speaker and the pro tem or collecting signatures of at least two thirds of members of each chamber." The amendment requires that the call list the specific issues to be addressed and preserves the current rule allowing a two-thirds vote of both chambers to extend any special session for 15 days.

The chair opened the floor for questions and confirmed members had already discussed the proposal. After brief procedural clarification, a motion to adopt the amendment was offered from Senator English and seconded by Senator Davis. The chair called the question and announced, "The amendment is adopted."

With the amendment in place, the chamber moved on to SJR 10 as amended. A motion to pass the resolution as amended was made and seconded; the chair called the vote and declared, "The bill passes." The meeting concluded with the chair adjourning the session.

Why it matters: the amendment changes how a special session can be convened by creating a legislative self-call option — either via leaders' proclamation or a two-thirds petition — and requires that the session be limited to items specified on the call. That procedural change alters who can initiate special sessions and clarifies the scope of subjects the legislature may address when it convenes itself.

What the amendment says (key elements extracted from the chamber record): two methods to start a legislative special session (leaders' proclamation or two-thirds petition of each chamber); the call must specify items to be considered; and a two-thirds vote of both chambers may extend the special session for up to 15 days to address additional business. The transcript did not record numerical vote tallies or roll-call names beyond the motion/second and the chair's announcements.