Committee rejects proposal to raise quorum, adopts rules 8–3

The State Planning & Community Affairs committee voted to adopt its committee rules after rejecting an amendment that would have increased the quorum from five members to nine. The rules were approved by an 8–3 margin.

Representative Derek Jackson moved to amend rule number two to raise the quorum to nine, saying the change "would give us a 50% composition when you have a body of 18." Members debated whether a higher quorum better represented constituents or whether it would make it harder to begin meetings when attendance is split across overlapping committee schedules. After a voice/hand vote the amendment failed and the committee proceeded to vote on the rules.

A motion to "do pass" the committee rules was made and seconded; the rules passed 8–3. Vice Chair Stinson explained her vote in favor of the lower five-member quorum, saying as the session deepens "there's going to be many times that there's going to be two or three meetings going on at the same time," and that a lower quorum helps ensure business can begin.

The action sets the committee's operating rules for the session, including the quorum threshold of five members; members did not adopt the proposed nine-member quorum.