Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Hb220 Removal Authority topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Senate panel approves HB220 after amendment adding minority leaders; concerns remain about 'for-cause' protections
Summary
A Senate committee passed HB220, which grants appointing authorities expanded removal power and, after amendment, adds minority leaders to appointing lists. Some senators said the bill lacks a 'for cause' standard and risks politicizing boards; public testimony urged not to 'lump' well-functioning boards into broader action.
A Senate committee voted to pass HB220 on a substitute and amendment Tuesday after adding the minority leaders of the House and Senate to the list of officials with removal authority, though several senators said the measure lacks a required "for cause" standard and could politicize oversight of boards.
Senator Hovey, who explained the substitute, said the change "gives the removal authority to a[n] appointing authority" and noted the substitute expands the list of appointing officials to include the lieutenant governor while excluding "2 and 4 year higher education entities, the port authority, [and] the ethics commission." He said the measure also excludes appointed officials who are running for re-election from being replaced while campaigning.
The substitute was adopted after debate; the clerk recorded the substitute vote as 9 yes, 2 no and 1 abstain. After the amendment that added the minority leaders was offered and handled under previous role, the committee called final roll and the clerk recorded the final tally as "11 0 2," after which the chair announced, "The bill has passed."
Opponents raised procedural and fairness concerns during debate. One senator said he would vote no "because there's no provision in here on cause," arguing that without a requirement that removals be for cause the bill allows removals for trivial or political reasons. Senator Figures said she would vote no "because there's so much that is politicized" and warned the bill "does sound like it's gonna be political," stressing the need for fairness whether a senator is in the majority or minority.
During the public hearing on HB220, Rob Pearson, representing the Society of CPAs, urged the committee not to treat every board the same and asked lawmakers not to "lump" the state board of public accountancy in with other boards under scrutiny. "We'd hate to be lumped in with the bathwater," Pearson said, praising the board's licensure work and national recognition.
The bill as amended excludes certain entities from the removal authority and adds both chamber minority leaders to the appointing list, but does not add a 'for cause' removal requirement, a point several senators flagged as the reason for their opposition. The committee did not record a formal direction to staff to draft a 'for cause' amendment in the transcript.
The committee moved the bill forward after recorded votes; next steps are committee transmittal to the full chamber and scheduling for future consideration.
