State Rep. Kris Steele, current House Speaker Designate and future Speaker of the House, hopes to implement a change that will require a 24-hour grace period between a bill leaving a conference committed and being voted on by the full House of Representatives.
“The purpose of this hard 24-hour rule...the legislature will have at least 24 hours to review any potential proposals,” he said.
Currently, this 24-hour rule is in place except for the last two days of a session, said Steele, R-Shawnee.
“I think in Oklahoma, we have a process that is very open for the most part,” he said. “It seems when we get to the conference committee part of it, it gets very convoluted and hard to follow.”
Steele’s goal is to make the state house more open, transparent, accountable and user friendly, an idea that’s gained some steam the past few years.
State Rep. Joe Dorman, democratic speaker pro tempore-designate, said in a statement he praised Steele’s call for reforming the conference committee process in the house.
“I applaud Rep. Steele for taking a stand on this important issue and I think reform will be a true bi-partisan effort,” said Dorman, D-Rush Springs. “I know many of us house members who were not around in the so-called ‘good ol’ days’ want to see change that opens up the system and have real transparency.”
Steele said he wants to implement a change as well to how a conference committee addresses issues.
“I think it’s something we ought to pursue,” he said.
Most people would think these committees would meet in a room and discuss the bill or issue, Steele said. That’s not how it currently works.
The author of the report must walk around to each committee member individually and get a majority of signatures in order for that bill to pass the committee, he said. The only drawback to changing that process is whether or not enough time is available to have the meetings, still meet goals and conduct business in the four months of a session.
Dorman too has previously called for reforming the conference committee process. He said open meetings would be crucial to open-government efforts that increase public confidence in the system.
“It is critical that conference committees actually hold public meetings with 24 hour advance notice, and that lawmakers on those committees actually sit down, discuss the contents of the legislation and publicly vote on conference committee reports,” Dorman said. “By putting those actions in public view, we can reduce the opportunity for future controversies and scandals that have sprung forth from the current secretive conference committee process.”
These ideas may be implemented once Steele is officially named speaker.
“That’s what we’re talking about now,” he said. “What I will be doing is establishing a working committee to discuss these ideas.”
These rules would be changes, if adopted. These changes and others will be incorporated into the next session, Steele said.
“It is critical that as a state we continue to advance and not get stuck in antiquated processes simply because they have always been done a certain way,” he said. “I am serious about bold reform and plan to continue to evaluate the legislative process, including conference committee reports, to determine if other changes are needed.”
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Josh Burton may be reached by calling 214-3926.
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State Rep. Kris Steele, current House Speaker Designate and future Speaker of the House, hopes to implement a change that will require a 24-hour grace period between a bill leaving a conference committed and being voted on by the full House of Representatives.
“The purpose of this hard 24-hour rule...the legislature will have at least 24 hours to review any potential proposals,” he said.
Currently, this 24-hour rule is in place except for the last two days of a session, said Steele, R-Shawnee.
“I think in Oklahoma, we have a process that is very open for the most part,” he said. “It seems when we get to the conference committee part of it, it gets very convoluted and hard to follow.”
Steele’s goal is to make the state house more open, transparent, accountable and user friendly, an idea that’s gained some steam the past few years.
State Rep. Joe Dorman, democratic speaker pro tempore-designate, said in a statement he praised Steele’s call for reforming the conference committee process in the house.
“I applaud Rep. Steele for taking a stand on this important issue and I think reform will be a true bi-partisan effort,” said Dorman, D-Rush Springs. “I know many of us house members who were not around in the so-called ‘good ol’ days’ want to see change that opens up the system and have real transparency.”
Steele said he wants to implement a change as well to how a conference committee addresses issues.
“I think it’s something we ought to pursue,” he said.
Most people would think these committees would meet in a room and discuss the bill or issue, Steele said. That’s not how it currently works.
The author of the report must walk around to each committee member individually and get a majority of signatures in order for that bill to pass the committee, he said. The only drawback to changing that process is whether or not enough time is available to have the meetings, still meet goals and conduct business in the four months of a session.
Dorman too has previously called for reforming the conference committee process. He said open meetings would be crucial to open-government efforts that increase public confidence in the system.
“It is critical that conference committees actually hold public meetings with 24 hour advance notice, and that lawmakers on those committees actually sit down, discuss the contents of the legislation and publicly vote on conference committee reports,” Dorman said. “By putting those actions in public view, we can reduce the opportunity for future controversies and scandals that have sprung forth from the current secretive conference committee process.”
These ideas may be implemented once Steele is officially named speaker.
“That’s what we’re talking about now,” he said. “What I will be doing is establishing a working committee to discuss these ideas.”
These rules would be changes, if adopted. These changes and others will be incorporated into the next session, Steele said.
“It is critical that as a state we continue to advance and not get stuck in antiquated processes simply because they have always been done a certain way,” he said. “I am serious about bold reform and plan to continue to evaluate the legislative process, including conference committee reports, to determine if other changes are needed.”
———
Josh Burton may be reached by calling 214-3926.
