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Floor appeal over school-bus amendment upheld; bill proceeds after debate on electric-bus mandate
Summary
Senators debated an amendment to a public-authorities bill that would have replaced a state electric school-bus mandate with a pilot study. The presiding officer ruled the amendment non-germane, the appeal was put to a show-of-hands and the chair's ruling was sustained; the bill then proceeded and was passed.
A floor appeal over an amendment tied to a public-authorities bill erupted into a pointed exchange over the state’s policy on electric school buses before the Senate sustained the chair’s ruling and advanced the underlying bill.
Senator (by recognition) Lanza identified an amendment at the desk to calendar 227 (senate print 2482) and asked the presiding officer to recognize Senator Bariello to argue the point. Bariello told colleagues the amendment would replace what he called a “damaging mandate” for electric school buses with a pilot program and study, arguing the study would show whether electric buses work safely and affordably in urban, suburban and rural districts. Bariello said early adopters had experienced “an unmitigated disaster” in some rural districts where drivers allegedly had to turn off heat to complete routes and where buses had broken down, leaving students stranded.
“Let's study what happens when we put school buses, electric school buses in urban, suburban, and rural areas,” Bariello said, arguing a pilot would identify where electric buses are practical and where they are not. He urged colleagues to support the amendment in the interest of student safety and district budgets.
The presiding officer ruled the amendment non-germane and out of order under Rule 6, section 4(b); senators immediately appealed the ruling. The chamber took a show-of-hands vote on whether to overrule the chair; the chair announced, “It's 22,” and the ruling stood, leaving the underlying bill on the floor.
Senator White later explained her vote in support of sustaining the chair, saying the vote reflected concern that the state has not yet developed a safe plan for storing and housing battery systems and other energy sources for schools. “That's why I have a bill which removes the mandate on our schools requiring that they have an entire electric bus fleet,” White said, repeating her preference to repeal the statewide electric-bus mandate rather than impose it where safety and infrastructure concerns persist.
After the ruling was sustained, the Secretary read the final section of the bill and the Senate proceeded with the roll call; the transcript records that the bill was subsequently passed. The chamber then completed other calendar items and adjourned until the next scheduled session.
