The rules of the House have been settled.
Perhaps a bit of inside baseball, but important none-the-less; the rules determine how House floor debate is conducted and how issues are resolved. Republicans hold the majority and make the rules, with limited input by minority Democrats.
Majority Floor Leader Steven Tilley (R-Perryville) opposed a move by Democrats to end the practice of bringing a bill to the floor, not for debate, but to cut off amendments. Though he succeeded in defeating the Democratic amendment, Tilley did pledge not to do use the tactic this session, but to give the Minority Leader advanced notice of when he plans to bring up a bill.
Amendment sponsors will no longer have to worry about having their amendment hi-jacked and turned into something totally different. The sponsor will be able to withdraw the amendment if that occurs.
Special House committees have been whittled from 27 to 7. In the past, the Speaker had appointed all members to special committees without input from the Minority Leader.
Minority Floor Leader, Paul LeVota (D-Independence), seems satisfied with the results.
Tilley says words are nice, but there will come a time when the practice of bi-partisanship must no longer be talked about actually practiced.
Downturn/listen Brent Martin reports (1:40 MP3)
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