Legislation that would let the state House and Senate argue in challenges of Missouri laws will be considered by a House committee Wednesday.

Representative Lindell Shumake (photo; Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications)

Representative Lindell Shumake (photo; Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications)

Representative Lindell Shumake’s bill would let the legislature defend state laws, rules, and regulations alongside or in place of the Attorney General.

“Sometimes the general assembly may look at that and say well we think we want to join in with this one along with the Attorney General, or maybe if we see that the Attorney General’s not acting like we’d like him to act, we’d have standing,” Shumake told KWIX in Moberly.

If the legislature becomes involved in a case and a lawmaker disagrees with its position, he or she can file a brief with the court stating his or her position.

The same bill would allow legislators to hire their own attorneys if sued in their capacity as legislators.

The legislation is HB 1399.

Eric Duick, KWIX, contributed to this story