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Sponsor seeks to limit 'trailer' budget bill to items required to implement the budget
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Summary
Representative Harrington introduced HB 11 66 to require that the trailer bill (HB 2) contain only items explicitly necessary to implement the biannual budget, citing transparency concerns after items historically have been added without public hearings. Committee members and the LBA discussed enforceability and alternatives such as rule or constitutional changes; the committee scheduled further work as a full-committee item.
Representative Daniel "Bridal" Harrington opened the committee hearing on House Bill 11 66, which would restrict the governor's trailer bill to provisions necessary to implement the biannual budget and require each trailer line item to reference the budget line it supports. "It just restricts the trailer bill to its original purpose," Harrington told the committee, arguing the practice of placing unrelated items in the trailer bill undermines transparency and public participation.
Nut graf: Harrington said the trailer bill has been used to reintroduce defeated measures and to add substantial policy and organizational changes without committee hearings. He proposed statutory constraints to restore the trailer bill's narrower, budget‑implementation purpose; members, the LBA, and staff debated whether a statute can effectively bind future legislatures or whether a constitutional amendment or house‑rule change would be required.
Key points raised in committee
- Sponsor rationale: Harrington cited past examples where floor‑defeated measures reappeared in the trailer bill and urged that each line in the trailer bill explicitly reference the budget item it implements to restore transparency and public notice.
- Legal and procedural limits: Representative Dan McGuire noted that statute cannot permanently bind later legislatures; he outlined two alternatives to achieve constraint: a constitutional amendment (CACR) or changes to House rules.
- LBA briefing: Michael Kane, the Legislative Budget Assistant, reviewed procedural history and noted the trailer bill has grown from a few dozen sections to several hundred over recent years; he said narrowing what the governor may initially propose or adding additional pre-introduction requirements could be considered.
- Drafting and practical questions: Members asked who decides whether an item is "explicitly required" to implement the budget, and Harrington suggested the Finance Committee or an agreed process might be part of refinements. Committee members suggested the bill will need drafting changes to define enforcement and appeal procedures.
Outcome and next steps
Committee members agreed HB 11 66 requires more detailed drafting and a full-committee work session. The hearing was closed for now and the bill was placed on the committee's schedule for further drafting and consideration; no final vote was taken.
