More on that article I posted previously.
A session notable for its turmoil and unusual procedural maneuvers took another turn Wednesday, as conservative House Republicans tried to force a floor vote on a liberal Democrat’s bill – and were stymied, in part, by Democrats.
The action began when Rep. Ron Nate, R-Rexburg, tried to call a bill out of the House Ways and Means Committee. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Ilana Rubel, D-Boise, would force a committee hearing on any proposal with five Republican and five Democratic co-sponsors.
Nate said the measure is needed because leadership and committee chairmen may abuse their discretion to bottle up bills they don’t like, even when those bills enjoy broad support. For example, a proposal to repeal Idaho’s 6 percent sales tax on food has 48 co-sponsors – including a majority of the Republican caucus in the House and Senate – yet it can’t get an introductory hearing because it’s not supported by Republican leadership.
“This is a representative government,” Nate said. “The system is supposed to work from the bottom up. When constituents come to legislators with their ideas, we write them up and bring them here. We expect committees to consider, debate and vote on those bills. The way it works now, committee chairmen can hold a bill and we never have a proper debate. That thwarts the representative process.”
If a bill is trapped in committee, House rules give lawmakers the option to call it directly to the floor, bypassing the committee process entirely.