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House committee debates bill to bar assigning legislative emails and offices; moves measure to Rules after tie and reconsideration
Summary
A House committee debated House File 41-72, which would prohibit assigning legislative email addresses, telephone numbers and offices to nonmembers and require rules and remedies. An initial roll call ended in a 7–7 tie; after reconsideration the committee sent the bill to the Rules Committee to draft implementing procedures.
Chair Klevorn brought forward House File 41-72, a proposal to bar assignment of legislative email addresses, telephone numbers and office space to anyone who is not a member, officer or employee of the House or Senate. Klevorn said the bill is intended to protect state resources and the security and integrity of the Legislature, and she asked members for a roll-call vote.
The bill would require the House and Senate to adopt implementing rules and specify remedies for violations; the author said remedies would be exclusive and that enforcement language belongs in statute. "We must be responsible and we must clean this up, members," Klevorn said, urging a yes vote to protect taxpayer-funded assets.
Members pressed on the bill's scope. Representative Anderson noted that official addresses and phone numbers are public and asked whether the bill would prevent constituent contact. Representative Klevorn said the proposal targets who is given ongoing access to state accounts and facilities, not members' ability to receive mail or calls from constituents. Representative Quam raised concerns about allowing short-term visitors such as family members; Klevorn said incidental personal use by visitors would not be the intent, but that assigning state resources for private business would be prohibited.
Several members argued the matter might better be resolved in House rules rather than in statute. Representative Nash recommended sending the issue to the Rules Committee, saying, "let the rules committee dictate what's going to happen here." The author countered that the bill requires rules to be written and that a statute would ensure consistent accountability across the branch.
The clerk called a roll. The recorded vote was 7 ayes and 7 nays, so the motion did not pass and the item was laid over. Later in the same meeting Chair Klevorn moved to reconsider and the committee approved a referral to the Committee on Rules and Legislative Administration for rule drafting and implementation.
The committee did not adopt statutory enforcement language at this meeting; the next formal step is work in the Rules Committee to craft the implementing rules and any enforcement provisions.
