Rep. Kathleen James moves to strip senate-added landlord-tenant and motor language from S.202

Representative Kathleen James said Tuesday that the House Energy and Digital Infrastructure Committee will propose an amendment to Senate bill S.202 to remove language the Senate added on landlord-tenant matters and a separate provision described in the meeting as a "motor." James introduced the plan at the committee's May 19 meeting.

James said Rep. Morrow, the chamber's floor reporter, would explain the Senate's proposal of amendment when S.202 is taken up on the House floor and that she would briefly explain the committee's stance. "My amendment simply strikes out that language," James said, describing the change as a reversion to the committee's original language and the deletion of sentences the Senate had inserted about voters.

She outlined the intended sequence for floor action: the House will hear Rep. Morrow explain the Senate amendment, James will present her amendment and report a committee straw poll, the House will vote on James's amendment, and then the chamber will proceed to a vote on the underlying bill. James said the clerk would correct her listed home city to "Representative James of Manchester" in the official record.

James also noted that the bill cannot be amended further on the House floor and that the Senate will either concur with any House changes or the two chambers will go to conference. The committee took a voice straw poll on whether to propose James's amendment. After asking "All in favor?" and "All opposed?" no opposition was called aloud and the chair closed the call.

Ellen was noted as unable to join the meeting. The committee did not announce a numerical tally in the room; James indicated she would report the straw-poll results when presenting the amendment on the floor. The next procedural step, as described by James, is for Rep. Morrow to explain the Senate's proposed amendment when S.202 is considered on the House floor this afternoon.