Amendments to financial-disclosure bill fail; committee reports HB5091 with recommendation

The House Committee on Election Integrity took up House Bill 5091 and considered two competing amendments before voting to report the bill with a committee recommendation.

Representative Song argued for a statewide application of the financial-disclosure requirement, saying the bill “is very important” and that her amendment would “remove the population threshold to require that this applies statewide” because it “should not be limited to an arbitrary threshold.” The committee then held a roll-call vote; the clerk announced the result as three ayes, four nays and two pass, and the amendment failed.

Representative Colazar offered a second amendment that also removed the population threshold and, in his words, “expands transparency by adding in county clerk, treasurer, register of deeds, prosecuting attorney, sheriff, and drain commissioner.” Members voted on that proposal as well; the clerk announced the result as three ayes, two nays and four pass, and that amendment did not prevail.

After the two amendments failed, Representative Fox moved to report HB5091 with recommendation. The clerk took a roll-call vote and announced six yes votes, zero no votes and three pass votes; the motion carried and HB5091 was reported with recommendation.

Committee members did not adopt either amendment as offered; the committee forwarded the base bill with its recommendation for further consideration. The committee adjourned after taking up a separate bill (HB5717).