Improving floor activity

published 7/10/2008

What happens on the House floor is not perfect, but members are trying to make it better for all parties.

Late night floor sessions, members dominating conversations and procedural issues are all topics discussed by the House Governmental Operations, Reform, Technology and Elections Committee.

The committee plans to submit recommendations prior to the 2009 session in hopes of enhancing the legislative process for members and for the thousands of people each represents.

Among the ideas discussed were time limits for floor debates.

Rep. Alice Hausman (DFL-St. Paul) said current rules give the person who talks the most more power because others who want to talk may feel peer pressure not to because the debate has gone on for too long.

Among suggestions thrown out include giving each caucus a set amount of time to speak on a bill and limiting the number of times a member can speak on an issue.

However, Rep. Mark Olson (IR-Big Lake) said any limits would go against the freedom of speech, while Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Delano) said time limits are about “muzzling the minority.”

Others believe part of the time issue comes from what happens beforehand.

Rep. Sarah Anderson (R-Plymouth) said it can be troublesome when a bill leaves a committee and is amended into something else by a different committee. She said the next chance members of the first committee sometimes have to voice concern about the change is on the floor.

Rep. Gene Pelowski Jr. (DFL-Winona), the committee chairman, expressed concern that amendments first brought up on the floor take the public out of the process because they were not heard earlier in the process when input is accepted.  

The committee is expected to meet within the next couple of weeks to begin putting together its suggestions.

- Mike Cook