Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Courthouse Relocation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Senate City, County & Local Affairs Committee adopts amendment and passes bill to let counties relocate courthouses during repairs
Summary
The Senate City, County & Local Affairs Committee adopted an amendment and passed Senator Wallace’s bill (identified in the transcript as Bill 76) to allow local governments to temporarily relocate courthouses or county seats during repairs; members approved the measure by voice votes and scheduled further business for Thursday.
The Senate City, County & Local Affairs Committee adopted an amendment and then passed a bill to allow counties more flexibility to relocate courthouses or county seats temporarily while repairs are under way.
Senator Wallace, who introduced the amendment and presented the bill, told the Committee the measure is important to Mississippi County because the county must move out of its courthouse for repairs. He said the plan calls for relocating "2 miles inside of Southern to a vo tech," which he described as the most affordable option. "This bill is important to me and important to Mississippi County because we've got to move out of our courthouse for repairs," he said.
Wallace said the amendment tightens language in the bill after a previous committee review, crediting "Senator Hickey" and an individual he called "Jimmy" for suggested changes: "Senator Hickey found a few words, and Jimmy's always good about having things tightened up a little bit and he ... made changes. You all actually have those changes in front of you." He contrasted the proposed update with an older clause that, he said, allowed relocation only "in a case of attack by the enemy."
The Committee moved to adopt the amendment and approved it by voice vote; the Chair declared the amendment adopted. After Wallace presented the amended bill and members moved and seconded passage, the Committee again used a voice vote and the Chair announced the bill had passed the Committee. A speaker noted this was the third time the bill had passed the Committee.
The transcript references the measure as "bill 76" when a member announced an amendment to "his bill 76." The Committee did not record roll-call vote tallies, mover or seconder names, or further legislative text in the transcript record.
The Committee also noted absences (Senators Ballinger and Garner and Representatives Lademan and Tosh were not present) and scheduled another meeting for Thursday morning at 10:00 to consider additional house bills. The Chair adjourned the meeting after concluding business.
What happens next: the transcript shows the Committee passed the bill in committee; the record here does not show further steps such as a floor vote or final enactment.
