Housing committee holds straw polls on Stevens amendment to bill 772

The Committee on General & Housing held nonbinding straw polls on the Stevens amendment to bill 772, splitting the amendment into two parts: an expansion of legal-aid coverage and a proposal to delay the bill’s effective date by one year.

Members voted on whether to consider the Stevens amendment as a whole or divide it. The chair reported a small number favored considering the amendment whole and a larger number opposed treating the package as a single unit. The committee then polled separately on the legal-aid portion and on the proposed one-year delay.

On the legal-aid portion, the chair reported roughly equal support and opposition during the straw poll. Several members said they supported the amendment’s intent to broaden legal-aid options but noted they lacked testimony and data about the likely impacts statewide. One committee member said, “I support the intent, but I am concerned...we have not taken any testimony on this at all,” and said the issue might be more appropriate for extended consideration in the Senate.

On the amendment’s delay provision, only a small number of members raised hands in favor of postponing the bill’s effective date by a year; sponsors signaled they were unlikely to support a delay. Members emphasized these were informal straw polls and not final committee action.

The chair closed discussion on the Stevens amendment and moved to other amendments on the agenda. The committee recorded the straw-poll counts for the legislative record and did not adopt any binding change during this session.